The unlikely return of the bow tie

It defies logic that more and more men are wearing bow ties. Consider, for instance, that even compared to a regular neck tie, bow ties seem ostentatious and unnecessary. They also single out the wearer in the eyes of many as a deviant or eccentric. And after all, they are notoriously hard to tie.

Perhaps it is exactly because of all of those reasons that the bow tie is making a comeback. We live in an era of sameness. Travel to almost any major city in the world and you will find the same coffee shops on almost every corner, the same tshirt and jeans on almost every guy. Certainly the rise of custom tailored clothes is an attempt to stand out from this sameness. With the return of dressiness, some men have found that the bow tie is more distinct than a neck tie. And that is my hope, that the return of the bow tie signals a return of intentional and elegant dressing.

But I fear that this is nothing more than a passing trend or even worse, a weapon of irony. I remember going to a party a couple of years ago where I was the only one in a bow tie. Eventually, a young guy showed up wearing huge framed glasses, suspenders clipped to his much too tight jeans and a bow tie. When I said to him with delight, “Now I’m not the only guy with a bow tie,” he looked at me with disdain. You see, much like the moustache, the bow tie is worn by some as an ironic joke; it acts as a shield, defending the wearer from claims of earnestness and attentiveness.

Then again, I don’t worry about trends and hipsters that much because a) most people can tell I’m not dressing as some king of joke and b) the more bow ties being worn, the more options for bow ties exist. And recently it seems that Toronto has become a hotbed of bow tie creation. Every week I find another small, local company making and selling them. Yes, that’s a reaction to the popularity. But there’s also the fact that unlike many elements of a classic men’s wardrobe, bow ties are easy to make. A simple pattern, perhaps some lining, sew it together and you’re done. That said, easy to make doesn’t mean easy to make well.

When you’re in the market for a bow tie, you will of course be drawn to the colour, pattern or texture of the cloth, as you should. But also pay attention to the width of the tie (too thin? too thick?) and whether you like the straight, pointed or flared ends. And most importantly, look for a tie that is rather robust and heavy – it will be easier to tie and better at holding the knot. That said, very thin, unlined bow ties (which are more old-timey) have a nice, nonchalant floppiness to them.

I have purchased two bow ties from local makers I would recommend. The first is this lovely tweed-style tie from Handsome & Lace. The company is Keira Morgan, who’s own approach to style is both boyish and ladylike – thus the name. She sources the fabrics and makes the ties herself. While she has a number of ready-made ties, many are made-to-order. The length of the bow ties is standard, but you can have almost any shape in almost any fabric. Keira stocks a large amount of vintage fabrics that range from classic to funky and it was exciting to go through the pile until I found just the one that appealed to me. Keira suggested I add some flair by picking a second fabric to make the tie double-sided – her company signature. We went with a shiny dark blue which, even though I’ve never warn the tie with that side showing, peaks out just enough to add some variety. And since there was enough fabric left over after making my tie, I got Keira to make a smaller, matching tie for my son. Which he refuses to wear because he is 7 years old and obsessed with soccer jerseys.

A new entry into the bow tie market is Joseph Azulay and his company The Common Folk. While he does not offer custom made ties, he offers something that caught my eye: limited run Japanese fabrics. The company started a little under a year ago when Joseph, interested in Japanese selvedge denim, visited a number of small mills in Ibara, Japan. What he found were old machines and old techniques, using plant-based indigo and hand dying, that produce gorgeous fabrics. The mills make very small amounts of these fabrics at a time, so Joseph’s collection will change slightly from time to time. The ties are made by hand here in Toronto and feature leather labels which are hand cut and hand stamped. There is a definite fetish here around the idea of “heritage” which Joseph very consciously evoked when naming the company. Regardless of the marketing, the fabrics are indeed beautiful in person – the indigo I picked is deep and rich. And while the tie is a little soft and thin for my liking, I think it will work well as a lighter-weight summer option.

Other notable bow tie companies, which I have not tried, are Just Sultan and Pomp & Ceremony (the latter are available at Cabaret, one of my top men’s vintage shops in Toronto). Both carry on the popular floral motif, not classic repp stripes or polka dots. I should also note that all of the makers profiled in this piece offer other items in addition to bow ties like neck ties, pocket squares and accessories.