The ubiquitous kerchief notwithstanding, it seems many scout troops wear them
The last time I remember seeing them was at an airport, a big hub, maybe Houston or O’Hare, around 7 years ago. 3 or 4 men in a group, all with long hair (some in braids, some loose), were wearing white collared shirts with bolo ties. And the beautiful silver and turquoise slides on the ties were very striking.
They might have been members of a musical group?
There is actually an official Boy Scout bolo tie (or there was in the 1990s) which is considered an acceptable part of the uniform as a substitute for the traditional “neckerchief”. When I was in Scouts back then our Scoutmaster started wearing one, and that kind of started a trend. Pretty soon most of us had gotten one (or got our parents to get us one, really), including myself.
They’re pretty common here in South Texas. They’re definitely more of a cowboy / ranch / western item as opposed to southern / redneck. They are worn at any semi-formal to formal occasion, whether a wedding, funeral, a business meeting, job interview, etc. They would seem out of place in a casual setting, like at a ball game. For the most part, I’ve only seen them worn by those who are actual ranchers or cowboys. At an event like this, people wearing them are a common sight.
Writer Isaac Asimov wore bolo ties. Supposedly his 2nd wife Janet objected to him wearing clip-on bow ties so he switched to bolos. (They were married in 1973, so he started maybe around then.)
Definitely not a westerner.
The tie piece doesn’t have to be metal. Can be stone, leather, etc.
I put bolo tie wearers into 3 categories: just regular folk who like western-styles, temporaries like people who attend a rodeo or some such once in a while, and people like Asimov who “want to make a statement”, e.g., they think wearing traditional styles stupid or something.
Note that it’s not just boy scouts that wear kerchiefs. They are also part of western wear and can be worn with it turned around with the loose “flap” in front. (They can be used as dust masks or to wipe ones face.) But I don’t think they are considered “formal wear” anywhere.
I’ve always associated it with business casual, like if a woman wore a distinctive necklace & pendent with a blouse.
The first time I visited my parents after they retired to Arizona, there was a local crafts show going on and we went. I bought a bolo tie that I really liked. It had a braided black leather cord with sterling silver tips, and the slide was also sterling with a floral/leaf motif and a nice malachite stone. I used to wear it with a black shirt dress with a black leather belt with conchos (fairly “dainty” ones) and black boots. I never felt I was wearing a costume. Maybe because it was overall black?
Various neckbands, cravats, and bow ties can be formal, or at least fashionable (up to the wearer to make sure not too old-fashioned), but I do not think that has much to do with a Scout’s uniform.
I think that outfit sounds lovely.
My brother and I bought a bolo tie for our mom one Mother’s Day. She was into country music and used to wear it when she went out line dancing.
Dress up western wear for men. Go to a cattle auction, a cutting horse show, or any kind of cattleman event in the western part of North America and you will see them, along with silk neckerchiefs called ‘rags’, pearl snap button shirts with yokes, and straight leg new denim jeans. And cowboy hats. These people are not in ironic costume, they are dressed up. They don’t do irony out there.
My mom actually had a pendant necklace that strongly resembled a bolo tie. In fact, I sometimes think that’s what it is.
I suppose there’s no reason a woman couldn’t wear one as a fashion choice. It’s not like women don’t wear other typically masculine items from time to time.
I think my dad had one for square dancing as well.
My grandfather had one of those rock tumblers for polishing perfectly good skipping stones, so I had a shit-load of bolo ties in my drawer as a kid (1960s-70s). Like normal ties, they seemed kind of pointless to me and I rarely wore them. I wish I’d saved the stones on the clasps though…for skipping.
I went to cattle (dairy) auctions as a kid with my grandfather. The people there wore just everyday working clothes.
I have seen them when square dancing. Generally on men who are dressed up in “Western style”. Often, on men who match their wive’s outfit. (His shirt might be the same fabric as her skirt, for instance.)
I’ve never seen a traditional tie worn at a square dance.
Because they were dairy cattle. Dairy cattle live on farms. Beef cattle live on ranches.
It’s a thing.
Exactly this. Bolos have some manner of slide, usually ornamental, and don’t use knots to tie the two ends together.
Bolo ties:
String tie:
I saw several this past winter at the Annual Meeting of the Minnesota Horse Council.
Fairly typical dress-up for western or horsey types even now.
P.S. They are a lot easier to keep clean and presentable than a regular necktie.
Yes, there are some necklaces that are designed almost the same as bolo ties, but aren’t really meant to be that. Mostly because bolos typically have leather strings, and necklaces are mostly made of metal/chain.