How to tie a bow tie
Marshall Roy — December 28, 2009 @ 1:06 pm
New Year’s Eve is just a few days away, and whether you’re donning a tux or just going smart casual, consider the bow tie, a New Year’s Eve staple older than Dick Clark.
I scoured YouTube for the best tutorial on how to tie one of those suckers, and I swear this is the best one. Really. 100% merit-based.
One piece of advice from me: it’s not going to look perfect. It’ll be just a touch askew or asymmetrical—good. That’s how it’s supposed to look, and also how people will know you tied it yourself like a gentleman, instead of clipping it on like a third-grader. Now go find someone to kiss at midnight.
In case you’re wondering, here are a few of our favorite bow ties, from brands most people haven’t heard of. For black tie with some attitudinal flair, check out this offering from J.Press, a brand that also carries classic patterns and awesome paisleys. To go a little less formal/more preppy, Brooks Brothers has a great selection in classic patterns. For professorial charm (with a touch of see-me-after-class), go with anything from Pierrepont Hicks.
Oh, and you should know by now that we endorse just about anything in plaid, so long as you wear it with panache. Check out the selection at Drakes.
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J.Crew used to have an incredibly festive plaid option as well as a grey cashmere, but alas, no longer. Disappointing…
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Fantastic video, clearly arrived upon after scrupulous research. It has endowed me not only with the tools necessary to tie a bow tie but also the confidence to wear one with my brocade corset.
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I can’t see the video at work, but I whole-heartedly endorse a video from a cravatier in Charleston, SC (assuming this isn’t the same video) that is on youtube.
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Marshall Roy Reply:
December 29th, 2009 at 10:49 am
JRT—
I’ll try to find that video; for the time being, thank you for bringing the word “cravatier” into my life!
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Hey, thanks for the tips! Bow ties are always a bit tricky for me.
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I’m pretty sure JRT is talking about this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJv4Qh7zR3E
(This is how I learned to tie a bow tie.)
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there’s a bowtie in this video?
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I 3rd that notion … Like JRT & MJ – I, too, learned how to tie a bow tie from the Youtube video with the gentleman in Charleston, SC. It was just in time for New Years … and with a pair of Bonobos, to boot, mind you … and I ROCKED those bad boys!!!
However, this video is really GREAT! It really breaks it down. The SC guy was to the point but the diagrams in THIS video are PERFECT! There’s no guessing with this one! Nice find, Marshall!
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Howdy people, I just registered on this marvelous community forum and wanted to say hi! Have a excellent day!
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Don Richman Reply:
March 13th, 2010 at 12:22 pm
Welcome rickyi5! Glad to have you!
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