Our Pure Silk Bow Tie in Black Crepe Backed Satin is a sartorial starting point to see you through a lifetime of events. You can order a small fabric sample first, or you can simply add it to your basket. Associated in a big way with weddings, mainly because of their almost universal inclusion, in traditional formal attire. A must have accessory for your Wedding Day or Special Occasion.
What differentiates ours from the rest? The quality of the materials we use to make it and the workmanship we put into it. We truly believe that you should not only look and feel good in your Silks & Crystals purchase, but that you should also have an understanding of what makes it special as well! Your journey to own one of the finest begins here...Hand Made in the Scottish Highlands, especially for you!
Some factors to consider when making a Bow Tie purchase:
The Material
Your special accessory is made using the finest, pure silk fabrics from one of the world leaders, James Hare.
Interlining
We take the interlining as seriously as we take the shell and use a quality interlining.
Thread
100% pure silk thread is used in the construction of your accessory. Investing in a quality thread is important; it's what holds your accessory together after all!
Stitching
The stitching is carried out using a mixture of hand stitching and domestic sewing machine stitching.
Embellishment
Why not have yours embellished with crystals from Swarovski®?...email or call us to discuss your requirements.
We offer a Sample Service where you can order a small piece of the fabric(s) before buying. It's important to us that you are going to love your purchase. You may equally be happy with the colours and fabrics as you see them on our website. An image can never convey the true look and feel of this truly beautiful, natural, and hypo-allergenic fabric. You are also welcome to visit our Studio which at present is by appointment only, where you can browse through all the James Hare fabric samples at your leisure.
Some Bow Tie Snippets...
Originating among Croatian mercenaries during the Thirty Years' War of the 17th century. They used a scarf around their necks which held the opening of their shirts together. Soon adopted under the name cravat, derived from the French for 'Croat', by the upper classes in France, then a leader in fashion, flourishing in the 18th and 19th centuries. It's uncertain whether the cravat then evolved into the bow tie and four-in-hand necktie, or whether the cravat gave rise to the bow tie, which in turn led to the four-in-hand necktie.
Traditional bow ties are usually of a fixed length and for a specific size neck. Comparable with a shirt collar, sizes can vary between 14 to 19 inches. Fixed-length bow ties are preferred when worn with the most formal wing-collar shirts. This does not expose the buckle or clasp of the adjustable bow tie which are the standard when the tie is to be worn with the less formal, lie-down collar shirt that obscures the neckband of the tie. The 'One-Size-Fits-All' adjustable bow tie is a later invention.
Women's wear has embraced slight variations thereof, especially in business attire. Professional women in the 1980's, donned very conservative tailored suits, especially in law, banking, and the corporate world.
There are three main types:
Pre-Tied
The distinctive bow is sewn onto a band that goes around the neck with a closure. It's considered a faux pas to wear a ready-tied one for formal occasions requiring a black or white tie dress code usually. On occasions such as Schools Leavers' Proms, or ones where participants are unlikely to have had much experience wearing bow ties it's become more commonplace. The modern bow tie is tied using a common shoelace knot, also called the 'Bow Knot' for that very reason. Consisting of a fabric ribbon tied around a shirt collar in a symmetrical manner, enabling the two opposite ends to form loops.
Clip-On
Dispenses with the band altogether, instead, clipping straight to the collar.
Self-Tie
The traditional bow tie, consisting of a strip of cloth which the wearer has to tie by hand, also known as a 'Self-Tie', 'Tie-It-Yourself,' or 'Freestyle'. Usually two shapes available, the 'Bat Wing' which is parallel-sided like a cricket bat, or the 'Thistle' also known as the 'Butterfly'. Worn as a matter of personal preference. Other shapes like the Diamond Point, with pointed tips at both ends do exist. A double-ended type, usually with both ends shaped though occasionally, are tied in the single-ended type. This is where only one end flares out, giving the 'Batwing' or 'Thistle' shape; the other remains thin. It takes careful consideration to ensure the broader end finishes in front of the thinner one.
Apart from weddings, for you to wear your tie in all its glory, there's the all important 'Black Tie' events where the code is straightforward. Dinner Jacket (Tuxedo) and a Black Bow Tie, preferably silk and definitely 'Self-Tie', is the order of the day. A 'Pre-Tied' bow tie may diminish you and your ensemble depending on the occasion!
A 'White Tie Event' known also as 'Full Dress', is the 'ne plus ultra,' of Formal Dress; a white bow tie of the 'Self-Tie' kind is a must in your wardrobe!
A bow tie is rarely the wrong tie to wear. A sartorial exploit not easily accomplished, but you 'can' pull it off in any formal, semi-formal, or even casual setting...
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