Bow Ties

[Highlander]

Yes, I was probably reaching for a Single Malt Thank, and I will use that caption...

Steve

 

[John in Covina]

Bow Tie Sizing -BIG NECK

Hi All!

I was looking a bit thru some of the Bow Tie threads but had not seen any thing on bow tie sizing especially for a big neck guy like me.

I wear about a 20 to 20-1/2 in neck sze in dress shirts and in the past had found that self tye bow ties were too small.

Anybody know of self tye bow ties for the big necked?

Thanks,

 

[JohnnyGringo]

John, I believe most of the Bow Tie vendors online do offer XXL sizes- for an additional charge, of course-but they are available nonetheless. Try Hanauer, Carrot & Gibbs, etc., and I think you may be pleasantly surprised with the selections. Be sure to look at the internet specials, etc., for some great sale prices-especially at Hanauer.

 

[Big Man]

It's nice to see someone else who wears a real "man's size". I recently ordered a bow tie from these folks http://www.bowtieclub.com/category/11 and was very pleased. They can accommodate a larger size without any trouble. It took a little longer to get a tie in the larger size, but the wait was worth it to me. I plan on doing more business with them in the future.

 

[jamespowers]

Yes, I was probably reaching for a Single Malt Thank, and I will use that caption...

Steve

Well, with a name like highlander, I figured you were reaching for a Highland.

 

[John in Covina]

Hanauer web site

Hanauer http://bowties.com/

Carrot & Gibbs http://www.greatbows.com/store/index.asp

 

[Tony in Tarzana]

Dang, none of those vendors carry a white piquet bow tie. The one I have is just a smidge too short, and I can never get a good knot in it, besides the fact that it's too wide. I'll check those sources out for regular bow ties, though.

 

[CharlestonBows]

If a white pique bow is what you're after, drop me a line. I'll see what I can get cut.

 

[DominusTecum]

I wear bow ties on a regular basis, probably every other time I leave the house. I've got about 30 of them, and it's nice to be able to select your color with some precision, going with predominantly blue, green, brown, gold, red, etc. I'd been wanting to learn how to tie one for quite some time, because I just had this feeling that wearing a pretied was a no-no. Finally, I was in Dillard's and they were having a sale on their dress bows.... picked up a solid red, which didn't look like a tuxedo bow, for $12. A friend picked up a silver one at the same time. We took them home, I stopped by our college's computer lab and printed out 4 different sets of instructions, anticipating a rough time, and we set-to.

3 hours later, and after getting help from another friend who had worn one on a couple of formal occasions in the distant past, I finally succeeded in tying the thing. My first friend wasn't so rapid (haha!) on the uptake, and finally devised some knot of his own whereby one end of the tie was deposited down, inside his shirt. He figured it out a few days later, but it was by no means "easy" for either of us. I think it's one of those things that you have to see in person. It didn't help, either, that we were trying to follow these directions, with their pictures, and at the same time, we were looking at ourselves in the mirror, and some of the directions were "transposed" for ease-of-mirror use, others weren't, we were also looking at each other, etc. I need a mirror to tie mine, out of habit, but it would definitely have been easier had I learned mirror-less, I think!

One issue I've noticed, perhaps CharlestonBows can shed some light on this.... That first bow that I purchased was made of silk. After 3 hours of attempting to tie it, mine was still looking OK, my friend's was getting pretty ragged looking, the silk unravelling on the edges and surfaces. (This disgusted him all the more with the endeavor.) The next time I was passing through Kansas City, I bought a bow tie at Michael's, an old gentleman's clothing store, and one at Jack Henry in the Plaza. The Michael's tie was made of silk, in the same way that the Dillards ties were, very soft and luxurious-looking. The Jack Henry tie (please note, these aren't the brand names, which I don't recall at the moment, I'm just using the store to differentiate the ties here) was also "100% silk" but it felt distinctly different, coarser in feel, but "finer" in the weave. It didn't feel like modern silk, but like the vintage four-in-hand ties that you'll find which feel somewhat like wool or something, and you'll be surprised to see "100% silk" on them.

Anyway, after wearing the Michael's tie a few times (and my Dillard's tie) I noticed the same "fraying" for lack of a better word, that my friend had experienced. The tie will start to look very "fuzzy," and there's not much to do. A sweater de-fuzzer just exacerbates the problem, ripping the delicate silk, and so the only way to salvage the tie (that I've found) is to take a straight razor and laboriously trim off all the fuzz. I noticed that the Jack Henry tie doesn't do this, and neither do my vintage bows. What's the deal, here? My only theory (besides "cheaply made, practically unusable, modern") was that perhaps the five o'clock shadow on my neck was to blame, the whiskers having a sandpaper effect on the bow. I've never noticed this "fuzzing" or unraveling with my regular neckties, though. Anyway, if this is at all common, it's something to watch out for when buying modern bowties!

 

[Highlander]

Hi David:

Funny that your wife had to step on your foot. And yes, here in MO, it does take some sand to put on a bow tie. You see several in St. Louis at Brooks Brothers and some of the "up-scale" men's stores on racks, but rarely see them worn. I doubt, bow tie guys are "UN TRUST WORTHY".. Odd duck on the other hand, is a pretty subjective term. I'd say most could fall into that category depending on the crowd they are being judged by.

Out here in the sticks... NEVER But, I wear one a few times a month just for a change, and a couple of my attorney friends wear them with some regularity. So.. We push the envelope. Hell, if you saw the AVI next to my post here, with the wildass Cowboy beard (for my semi-annual adventures out west), you can see I don't conform to well to modern society

Later...

Steve...

 

[CharlestonBows]

DominusTecum --

Sometimes if you have a very coarse beard, it can cause some picking, but that's to be expected to an extent with any silk tie, bow or straight. But from what you had described, your personal assessment is exactly right. I can relate to your problem; the bows for my law school were made by another well known tie retailer in Charleston, and I curse it every time I tie it. It bunches, it droops, it stretches, and the fabric just doesn't bounce back.

This bow shares much in common with most department store bows, in that those bows -- actually, most bows in general -- are made made very cheaply. That's because they're the red-headed stepchild of the tiemakers. The quality of material, the pattern, the construction -- it's all bad. The silk is a loosely woven material, and is prone to picking. That's why you had to shave your bow. Not all silk is created equal!

My tip? Your bow should feel substantial, so buy a bow made from a heavier fabric. This applies to both wovens and prints. If the fabric is heavier, and feels more substantial, it's going to tie up nicer, the bow will stand up longer (and not droop), and the bow will last longer. This was probably the case with your "Jack Henry tie".

 

[Tony in Tarzana]

Thanks! I'll probably hold off until a bit later in the year, but I am interested.

 

[Fletch]

Mr. Banker (who ordinarily I get along with quite well), said something to the effect that anyone wearing a bowtie was an odd duck and not to be trusted.

Pish-tush. Full-time bowtie wearers are as trustworthy as anybody. Guys who only wear them sometimes are the questionable ones. And I'm one of those.

 

[Not-Bogart13]

First Bow Tie - Opinions?

OK, I finally own a real bow tie for the first time in my life. One video later, I can even tie it. I took a couple of pictures that are terrible indoor shots with bad lighting, but right now I just want a sense of what people think about the proportions. This is the standard size bow. Should I (or could I) consider the "jumbo" or is this what I need?

Thanks
http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb36/Fedora_Dog/Odds and Ends/Photo1.jpg

http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb36/Fedora_Dog/Odds and Ends/Photo3.jpg

http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb36/Fedora_Dog/Odds and Ends/Photo2.jpg

 

[Tomasso]

Should I (or could I) consider the "jumbo" or is this what I need?

It looks just fine to me but then I'm no fan of jumbo bows.

 

[Dinerman]

Size looks good. I don't think it quite works with the last shirt, but other than that, looks fine.

 

[Alon]

I'm not a big fan of bow ties in general, particularly not with a fedora or when it's matching the colours of the shirt (as in your last photo) but I find that when worn with a waistcoat a bow tie looks much more becoming. The waistcoat fills the space normally taken by a regular tie.

 

[Hemingway Jones]

Great! :eusa_clap :eusa_clap :eusa_clap
Perfectly tied, excellent!!!

 

[dhermann1]

Perfecto!

Just perfect. However, as previously stated, wearing that tie with the third shirt might induce seizures in certain susceptible persons. Other than that, great!

 

[JohnnyGringo]

I think the bows look great! I'm not a fan of the jumbo bows either, so I'd vote to stay with the size you have chosen, they look very nice...and you learned how to tie a bow tie in the process!