Tuesday, October 02, 2012

Bowtie Stories

Hipsters and hobos alike have always decried the class-conscious tie, habitually predicting the coming apocalypse for that absurdly expensive 12-inch strip of fabric that smacks of prejudice, pretension and pomposity. Eager to appear egalitarian and non-comformist, men everywhere are anxious about wearing them: would it make you look stuffy, old-fashioned, aged, if you wear one?

Don't have much of a choice for me since a tie is practically part of my work uniform. And one that I love. Would feel almost naked marching out to work without that sobering knot at my neck.

In fact, I wonder what the tie rebels would think if they knew that I have even developed a taste for smart bowties. Yes, I can sense a growing grimace from the readers - and I truly understand the apparent distaste. Before I used to imagine time-worn bowties purely the preserve of cherubic choir boys, crazed clinicians and crusty college dons. Hardly anyone above the age of consent with an aspiration to be fashion forward would deign to tie a bow on their necks surely.

But even the snazziest tie ensemble starts to turn stale after a while. With everyone else upping their game dressing in a more sophisticated preppy fashion, how else could I not follow?

Yum, makes me wanna tear the tie off. 
Pity there's not enough fabric to tie him to the bed. 

And hell, it does make you look dapper.

So these days, my dresser drawer has a couple of avant garde bowties mixed in with the more orthodox army of ties. Purchased half a dozen on the cheap in Seoul - from the pink polka dots to the green tartan stripes - where unsurprisingly conservative bowties are all the fad. Hard to blame them when pretty boys such as Choi Siwon look so irresistibly fetching in them.

Though I have a couple of traditional tie-it-yourself bows, most days I have to depend on the pre-tied bowties. Oh the shame! Yes, it's the lazy way but I can't very well knot one perfectly while I scramble off for a medical emergency.


Try to knot one, certainly not as easy as it looks. Hell, it takes a lotta practice :) Don't make it too perfect though, it always looks better just a tad off-kilter.

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