# Are bow ties professional enough to wear at the office? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 12, 2009, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-bow-ties-professional-enough-to-wear-at-the-office/489189 "2009-03-12T13:17:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![No\_Wikipedia\_Cites](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@No\_Wikipedia\_Cites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/No_Wikipedia_Cites)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2009, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-bow-ties-professional-enough-to-wear-at-the-office/489189/1 "2009-03-12T13:17:56Z")
Noting that I’ve never seen any man wear a bow tie in the office, are bow ties still professional to wear in a modern American business office? Or is it now just for tuxedos and pee-wee herman imitations? ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2009, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-bow-ties-professional-enough-to-wear-at-the-office/489189/2 "2009-03-12T13:25:14Z")
George Will wears them all the time. It’s slightly unconventional, but perfectly proper. ---
**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2009, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-bow-ties-professional-enough-to-wear-at-the-office/489189/3 "2009-03-12T13:32:49Z")
Before we went to business casual, several of us wore bow ties just to be different. Some wore bolo and string ties as well. ---
**Author:** ![tim-n-va](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim-n-va/32/3001_2.png) [@tim-n-va](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tim-n-va)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2009, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-bow-ties-professional-enough-to-wear-at-the-office/489189/4 "2009-03-12T13:36:03Z")
The one person I’ve encountered wearing a bow tie lately was called “Bow Tie Boy” derisively behind his back. That was proably a function of his personality more than his attire. ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2009, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-bow-ties-professional-enough-to-wear-at-the-office/489189/5 "2009-03-12T13:39:19Z")
I have no problem with bow ties. But I think it was really funny when Jon Steward asked a guy, “How old are you?” The answer: “33.” Steward: You’re 33 and you’re wearing a bow tie? It’s not like he was at the Academy Awards. If you want to imitate George Will you have some serious problems. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2009, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-bow-ties-professional-enough-to-wear-at-the-office/489189/6 "2009-03-12T13:50:15Z")
The short answer is “Yes, but…” I have a few bowties and wear them now and then; my wife likes me in them. But many people think they’re faintly ridiculous. You could be Chuck Norris or Jack Bauer in a bowtie and still be giggled at by some. IMHO, you’re more likely to get away with wearing a bowtie if you’re not already thought of as effete, a prig or a wimp. ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2009, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-bow-ties-professional-enough-to-wear-at-the-office/489189/7 "2009-03-12T13:58:56Z")
Around my office, most men don’t wear ties at all. If one wore a bow tie, he might be regarded as old-fashioned or eccentric, but I doubt if it would be a problem. ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2009, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-bow-ties-professional-enough-to-wear-at-the-office/489189/8 "2009-03-12T14:02:11Z")
It is acceptable if you are a college professor or a circus clown. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2009, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-bow-ties-professional-enough-to-wear-at-the-office/489189/9 "2009-03-12T14:06:23Z")
There’s a weather guy on Philly TV who’s made them a trademark – [Glenn “Hurricane” Schwartz.](http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/results/?keywords=glenn+schwartz) He seems like a tool to me, but I guess that’s what some prefer in their weatherpeople. ---
**Author:** ![Eva\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2009, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-bow-ties-professional-enough-to-wear-at-the-office/489189/10 "2009-03-12T14:08:46Z")
My boss, who is very old-school, wears them to court and other occasions when he wears a suit. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him wear a regular necktie. It’s sort of his “signature” attire. And trust me, he’s been practicing law as long as I’ve been alive, he’s one the best in his field, nationally, and so nobody is ever going to say a word about what kind of tie he wears to court. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2009, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-bow-ties-professional-enough-to-wear-at-the-office/489189/11 "2009-03-12T14:09:50Z")
One of my former bosses wore one. I’m convinced he did it because it was different from the usual run of ties, and made him stand out. He was able to pull it off – he never looked Pee Wee Herman buffoonish. He always had top-notch, properly tied ones (_never_ a clip-on) ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2009, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-bow-ties-professional-enough-to-wear-at-the-office/489189/12 "2009-03-12T14:11:41Z")
My Dr. wore one for a while but I think he no longer wears them. ---
**Author:** ![Gfactor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@Gfactor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gfactor)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2009, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-bow-ties-professional-enough-to-wear-at-the-office/489189/13 "2009-03-12T14:14:38Z")
Moved from General Questions to In My Humble Opinion. **Gfactor** General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2009, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-bow-ties-professional-enough-to-wear-at-the-office/489189/14 "2009-03-12T14:18:57Z")
> [@guizot](#): > > It’s not like he was at the Academy Awards. > > If you want to imitate George Will you have some serious problems. I’d argue that you have a bigger problem if you can’t tell the difference b/t a person wearing a tuxedo and a person who is just wearing a bow tie. Seriously, the Academy Awards? On top of that, where did you get the idea that people who wear bow ties are trying to imitate George Will? I don’t wear one b/c they don’t look good on me, but they are quite common in my part of the world (the Southern US). ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2009, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-bow-ties-professional-enough-to-wear-at-the-office/489189/15 "2009-03-12T14:28:20Z")
I used to work with this one guy who used to wear a bow tie. He looked like a fucking marionette puppet. ---
**Author:** ![Fuzzy\_Dunlop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/848f3c/32.png) [@Fuzzy\_Dunlop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fuzzy_Dunlop)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2009, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-bow-ties-professional-enough-to-wear-at-the-office/489189/16 "2009-03-12T15:10:01Z")
> [@DrFidelius](#): > > It is acceptable if you are a college professor or a circus clown. I had a professor in college who wore a bow tie. He looked like a clown too. You basically need to be 70 or older to pull off a bow tie. I’m not willing to say nobody under 70, but anyone considering whether they can pull off the look needs to realize it’s astonishingly unlikely they’re the guy who can. ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2009, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-bow-ties-professional-enough-to-wear-at-the-office/489189/17 "2009-03-12T15:14:27Z")
> [@Fuzzy\_Dunlop](#): > > I had a professor in college who wore a bow tie. He looked like a clown too. You basically need to be 70 or older to pull off a bow tie. I’m not willing to say nobody under 70, but anyone considering whether they can pull off the look needs to realize it’s astonishingly unlikely they’re the guy who can. Not really. At any given wedding I go to I’ll see 3 or 4 young guys in bow ties. The vast majority of them pull it off well. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2009, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-bow-ties-professional-enough-to-wear-at-the-office/489189/18 "2009-03-12T15:28:26Z")
> [@Eva\_Luna](#): > > It’s sort of his “signature” attire. And trust me, he’s been practicing law as long as I’ve been alive, he’s one the best in his field, nationally, and so nobody is ever going to say a word about what kind of tie he wears to court. Well, even if they don’t make fun of him, you know some (many?) people are going to refer to him as “the old guy who always wears bow ties.” Sure was the case for Paul Simon. I consider it sort of telling that you acknowledge that he has some desire/need to adopt a “signature” anything. I’m not saying it is a bad thing. But I often wonder about anyone who chooses to either dress or groom themselves in a unconventional manner that draws attention to themselves. Whether it be your boss’ bowtie, or some teen who always wears black. A more extreme example - I remember one time I was arbitrating a case, and one of the lawyers was dressed up as - I don’t know - like he stepped out of a barbershop quartet or something. He didn’t stop with the bowtie, but also wore a seersucker suit and straw boater. On one hand, it looked kinda sharp. On the other, it looked like a costume - like he was imitating someone’s idea of a southern gentleman from several decades ago. IMO wouldn’t have been much less appropriate for him to dress up like a cowboy, or a wizard. I have no idea what the case was about - or even whether he was an effective advocate. But I do remember that he dressed (IMO) like a clown. ---
**Author:** ![zweisamkeit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zweisamkeit/32/4360_2.png) [@zweisamkeit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zweisamkeit)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2009, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-bow-ties-professional-enough-to-wear-at-the-office/489189/19 "2009-03-12T15:49:45Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > I consider it sort of telling that you acknowledge that he has some desire/need to adopt a “signature” anything. Technically, she didn’t say anything about him having a desire to adopt a “signature” anything. She only said it _is_ his “signature” style. One can have a signature style without going out of the way to develop it.\* - Like how I’m the “quirky” one in my office, despite my attempts to appear normal. Oh well. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2009, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-bow-ties-professional-enough-to-wear-at-the-office/489189/20 "2009-03-12T16:09:04Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > Well, even if they don’t make fun of him, you know some (many?) people are going to refer to him as “the old guy who always wears bow ties.” Sure was the case for Paul Simon… Heh. I made it a point to wear one of my bowties when I met Sen. Simon in 1988. He said he liked it! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-bow-ties-professional-enough-to-wear-at-the-office/489189.md?page=2)