# Bow ties: Yea, or nay?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bow-ties-yea-or-nay/751446
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [April 7, 2016, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bow-ties-yea-or-nay/751446 "2016-04-07T14:58:41Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)
#### Post date: [April 7, 2016, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bow-ties-yea-or-nay/751446/1 "2016-04-07T14:58:41Z")
I like bow ties. I liked them even when I didn’t wear them. A bit over a year ago, I wore a Seahawks bow tie to the office before the Super Bowl. A coworker liked it and said we should have Bow Tie Wednesdays. Sounded good to me! She got another job, and none of the other guys participate; but except for a couple of times I was too sleepy to remember, I’ve been doing it.
The wife hates it when I wear a bow tie. She says I look like a professor or a TV weatherman. I tell her everyone else likes them, and I receive many compliments. She says strangers come up to compliment me, but inside their thinking I’m stupid. She says I’m embarrassing myself. I tell her bow ties are cool. And anyway, I like them. If strangers don’t, and if they dislike them enough to compliment me so that they can secretly think I’m a clown (which I am, and always have been), that’s their problem.
So here’s the poll: Do you like bow ties?
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### Author:  [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)
#### Post date: [April 7, 2016, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bow-ties-yea-or-nay/751446/2 "2016-04-07T15:02:38Z")
They’re fine.
However I don’t own one, probably wouldn’t wear it if I did on the extremely rare occasions in which I would wear a tie, and I have absolutely no idea how to tie one anyways.
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### Author:  [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)
#### Post date: [April 7, 2016, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bow-ties-yea-or-nay/751446/3 "2016-04-07T15:03:54Z")
> [@DCnDC](#):
>
> I have absolutely no idea how to tie one anyways.
Pretty much the same way most people tie a shoelace.
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### Author:  [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)
#### Post date: [April 7, 2016, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bow-ties-yea-or-nay/751446/4 "2016-04-07T15:05:11Z")
Yes, I wear them and own a dozen or so, a good mix of stripes and patterns. My wife likes them, and around the courthouse I get a lot more compliments than sneers. Some of our law clerks started a “Bow Tie Friday” tradition a few years ago, and I tend to uphold it.
My three favorite sources:
> **[Bow Ties For Men, Neckties & Accessories](https://bowties.com/)**
>
> Bowties.com offers a huge selection of handmade bow ties, ties, cummerbunds, pocket squares and more. Shop our premium bow tie collections today!
[http://www.beautiesltd.com/&p=BBRND](http://www.beautiesltd.com/&p=BBRND)
> **[Bow Tie Collection - The Ben Silver Collection](https://www.bensilver.com/Bow-Tie-Collection.html)**
>
> Bow Tie Collection
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### Author:  [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)
#### Post date: [April 7, 2016, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bow-ties-yea-or-nay/751446/5 "2016-04-07T15:09:20Z")
I wore a bow tie to a wedding last summer. Received a number of compliments for my bravery. I was one of about 4 guys that wore a tie of any kind that day outside of the wedding party. It appears that ties are now optional at semi formal events.
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### Author:  [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)
#### Post date: [April 7, 2016, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bow-ties-yea-or-nay/751446/6 "2016-04-07T15:10:07Z")
:smack:
I can’t believe I put ‘Yeah’ in the title instead of ‘Yea’. I even made a mental note in my head as I was typing it so I would spell it right.
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### Author:  [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)
#### Post date: [April 7, 2016, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bow-ties-yea-or-nay/751446/7 "2016-04-07T15:11:09Z")
They only work on Bill Nye.
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### Author:  [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)
#### Post date: [April 7, 2016, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bow-ties-yea-or-nay/751446/8 "2016-04-07T15:11:14Z")
I like bow ties but I don’t wear ties. I like it when people wear something which says they actually think about what they purchase to wear, things that point to some sort of personal style.
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### Author:  [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)
#### Post date: [April 7, 2016, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bow-ties-yea-or-nay/751446/9 "2016-04-07T15:13:08Z")
> [@Musicat](#):
>
> They only work on Bill Nye.
I thought it worked very well on me yesterday. My hair is getting long, and I like the look. (Mrs. L.A. is starting to insist I get a hair cut. But she won’t let me get a crewcut.)
Loved Bill Nye on _Almost Live_, and seeing him comment on current issues.
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### Author:  [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)
#### Post date: [April 7, 2016, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bow-ties-yea-or-nay/751446/10 "2016-04-07T15:33:10Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#):
>
> :smack:
>
> I can’t believe I put ‘Yeah’ in the title instead of ‘Yea’. I even made a mental note in my head as I was typing it so I would spell it right.
Fixed! Yay!
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### Author:  [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)
#### Post date: [April 7, 2016, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bow-ties-yea-or-nay/751446/11 "2016-04-07T15:42:35Z")
> [@Asimovian](#):
>
> Fixed! Yay!
Thanks!
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### Author:  [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)
#### Post date: [April 7, 2016, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bow-ties-yea-or-nay/751446/12 "2016-04-07T15:46:30Z")
I voted "other’. I don’t necessarily think they’re the best choice sartorially speaking, but I think they make the wearer cute as heck. Like some variation of adorkable (I can’t believe I just used that asinine word; please forgive me.)
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### Author:  [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)
#### Post date: [April 7, 2016, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bow-ties-yea-or-nay/751446/13 "2016-04-07T15:52:29Z")
I put “I like them on other people,” because I’m a woman. If I were a man, I’d probably wear them occasionally. I think they work a little better on tall men than short men (exception: anyone in formal wear should have one).
I did actually wear one once, because I wore men’s formal wear in a play: tails and white vest and white tie. It was one of those ones that goes on with elastic, though. I don’t know how to tie them.
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### Author:  [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)
#### Post date: [April 7, 2016, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bow-ties-yea-or-nay/751446/14 "2016-04-07T16:00:25Z")
I don’t care for them either on myself or others. IMO, wearers end up looking either like a dork or like part of the waitstaff from a Tipsy McStagger’s type family restaurant. The only exception to this is as part of a tuxedo.
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### Author:  [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)
#### Post date: [April 7, 2016, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bow-ties-yea-or-nay/751446/15 "2016-04-07T16:06:50Z")
> [@DCnDC](#):
>
> I have absolutely no idea how to tie one anyways.
> [@RivkahChaya](#):
>
> I don’t know how to tie them.
[How to tie a bow tie](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJv4Qh7zR3E)
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### Author:  [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)
#### Post date: [April 7, 2016, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bow-ties-yea-or-nay/751446/16 "2016-04-07T16:42:48Z")
Don’t like them, and have only worn one on the rare occasion that I’ve worn a tux. They seem a silly affectation for most wearers.
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### Author:  [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)
#### Post date: [April 7, 2016, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bow-ties-yea-or-nay/751446/17 "2016-04-07T16:47:44Z")
Bow ties are always a bad idea.
ALWAYS!
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### Author:  [@dracoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dracoi)
#### Post date: [April 7, 2016, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bow-ties-yea-or-nay/751446/18 "2016-04-07T16:51:32Z")
What’s with all these binary polls?
I don’t wear any kind of tie because I hate having something around my neck like that. It really has nothing to do with fashion.
As for other people… it seems an awful lot of people wear them with the intent to look goofy and retro, and I don’t like that. If they’re wearing it more seriously, then it’s like any other fashion choice - sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t. I’m not sure I’d ever prefer one, but they’re not always bad.
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### Author:  [@74westy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/74westy)
#### Post date: [April 7, 2016, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bow-ties-yea-or-nay/751446/19 "2016-04-07T16:53:44Z")
Kind of an age thing. When I was growing up bow ties were [old-fashioned, nerdy and square](https://img1.etsystatic.com/013/0/6100528/il_fullxfull.439034361_k3za.jpg). Hipsters would be horrified to know what I think of trilby hats. My view of them is therefore coloured and shouldn’t affect anyone else’s opinion.
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### Author:  [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)
#### Post date: [April 7, 2016, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bow-ties-yea-or-nay/751446/20 "2016-04-07T17:03:22Z")
Other. There are maybe 2-3 guys in 100 who can make them work. Are you self-aware enough to know you are one of those 2-3? If you aren’t _sure_, then No.
I say this as a man who found out - quickly, but not quickly enough - that he is not one of the .5 in 100 men who can make black leather pants work. Sigh.
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