The Guy With the Crooked Bow Tie

No tie?

It appears that fewer men are wearing neck ties and many don’t even own one.

Business wear is less formal these days, and I think that is good and bad.

It could be good for the expense of wearing a suit and the care a suit requires. Business wear for men and women is more casual.

However, a down-side is that life is made up of “rituals,” such as marriage or an appearance in court, and “dressing up” is a sign of respect for that ritual. I can’t believe people show up for court or jury duty in ratty jeans, but some do.

I think we owe it to our institutions to show up dressed appropriately.

Suits require some care and can be topically cleaned by brushing, but at some point they need a trip to the dry cleaners. Dry cleaning solutions, such as tetrachlorethylene, contain no water (and try typing that three times without having to stop).

For stained garments, particularly by oil based stains, dry cleaning is the only solution.

Men who habitually wear neck ties know about Windsor, Half-Windsor, Four-In-Hand, Prince Albert or Trinity knots.

The Trinity knot is cool because it appears to be tied backwards.

The Four-In-Hand is my favorite because it is quick and easy, but for a number years bow ties have been my choice. If you can tie your shoes, you can manage a bow tie.

My little corner of the closet is full of bow ties.

Bow ties are cheap and easy to make. As I walk into a fabric store, I want an eighth of a yard of the first thing that catches my eye, whatever stands out. That’s all it takes. I just bought enough material for two bow ties and paid less than two bucks.

Bow ties will stay in fashion in a funky sort of way, and The Kansas Woman pointed out that a woman who ordinarily ignores you will feel compelled to straighten a crooked bow tie. I guess I wear bow ties crooked because I like the attention.

I try to speak to visitors at church and am the only guy wearing a bow tie. Hopefully, they’ll recall that the guy wearing a bow tie is “Joe.”

The Kansas Woman is known for wearing hats, people expect it. If she shows up without a hat, people wonder what’s wrong.

I have an “almost son” who attended parties at a university to meet girls. I tried to convert him to bow ties and told him that if he wears a bow tie crooked and a gal walks up and straightens it for him, she automatically becomes “a candidate.”

He replied that didn’t seem fair and bow ties made him look nerdy.

So?

joenphillips@yahoo.com

By Joe Phillips Dear Me