05 May 2009

Bow Ties & Erections

Tom Davis of Brooks Brothers Photo by Garda Tang as seen in Mr Classic by Jeremy Hackett

Bow Tie and Double Breasted Blazer


The Wall Street Journal (I bought two in my life) ran a story on bow ties being hip. I'm seriously looking at selling every bow tie I own. And I have a few. Bow ties are difficult to figure out and certainly this Journal reporter who covers the gaming industry isn't going to help you. Neither will I for that matter but I don't get paid to write about bow ties.

I do have a theory about bow ties and I know for a fact I've given them much more thought than Ms Binkley. In the right place at the right time with the right suit or jacket --they reflect a traditional look that men envy and women adore. Check out Mr Tom Davis from the Madison Avenue Brook's Brothers in that top shot. Tom nails it with a 5 pound sledge.

It doesn't hurt that Tom's a southerner but the bottom line is - - Tom's doing the bow tie with an erudite casualness that's brilliant. No swivel back cuff links here. Instead, double links tastefully small. While I'm not a pocket square fan I salute Tom for his plain white kerchief. And then there's that bow tie. Looks like a rep. Can't tell for sure but you get where I'm going. This man does not look like Pee Wee Herman and every other dolt who looks like Pee Wee in his pre-tied, way too long, tightly tied bow.

Below Tom is a bow I tied this morning. The mistake I made when I first started this bow tie thing years ago was adjusting the tie based on my neck size. I have a 16 neck but I adjust my tie to a 14 and sometimes even 13.5 resulting in a smaller tie. The sloppiness of the bow assures one and all it is not a pre-tied. I mean, there's no doubt someone tied this and most likely it was with a hangover.

Lastly, it helps to be older. I understand David Sedaris opined that a bow tie announces to the world you can no longer get an erection. That's cute. I've never been on the receiving side of erections so I assume David is speaking from his personal experience. As a straight man familiar with only one erection...mine...Mr Sedaris is -- for the time being (knock wood) -- wrong.

20 comments:

The Blushing Hostess said...

Speechless, again.

SP said...

Funny, funny, funny. (no sarcasm intended).

Easy and Elegant Life said...

Excellent suggestion about keeping the tie smaller than your neck size. Forgot to mention that one.

Another great thing about a bow... that untied Frank Sinatra at closing time with the last drink look. (Or see "The Year of Living Dangerously" and the roadblock running scene.)

Charles said...

Well done, old sport. But did you really need to post a picture of that shirt today? Could you not have waited, maybe, one day?

tintin said...

Longwing- It's orange not red. Hence the connection to the green and orange tulips posted earlier in the day - - This isn't a French movie you know. I make it all fairly easy.

Charles said...

In french movies they make it rough?

tintin said...

Long- I'm still trying to figure out most of them.

ADG said...

I want the bow tie. Seriously, that's a huge nad strong bow tie and I want it. Send it to me. No effing excuses. Drop it off at Flussers.

Erections...hell, there's medicine for that now. Not that I'm worried about such issues. I have a "friend" who is though. I'll gladly resort to the meds when I can no longer hang a wet beach towel....send me the tie.

tintin said...

ADG- New Yorker cartoon of the 90's had a guy sitting in a huge SUV talking on a cell phone with a caption that went something like, "Of course I'm pissed. Do you think I'd a spent $50,000 on this if I knew they were coming out with a $3 boner pill."

David V said...

Never heard of the shorter tie length. Will have to give it a try.

The thing about French movies is that the damn things are all in French.

Anonymous said...

Brilliant!

Anonymous said...

Great tip on shortening the bow tie. It makes for a less stodgy look.

Anonymous said...

Autoasphyxiation relevant here?

Tater

Ben said...

Great segue!

Wait, did ADG say "huge nad"?

tintin said...

Tater- Don't think so. Nothing well hung here.

Ben- ADG stole huge nad from Giuseppe. I still have no idea what it means.

ADG said...

I gave the "huge nad" attribution to Giuseppe...I can't come up with original stuff like that. Huge Nad....large stones...big balls...

Zingiber said...

I never found Sedaris funny even for a moment. Tries too hard.

Pete said...

Sedaris barb is kind of funny, but a stretch and at least a little offensive. But then again, what isn't, these days?

Sartre, I'd bet Mr. Sedaris has never found you funny, either.

Anonymous said...

never got the nerve up to wearing a bow tie. I don't like the attention it would receive.

Anonymous said...

There is nothing that looks as smart as a man in a suit with a bow tie. Self tie are the best and show that some effort has gone into the outfit. I wear only wear self tie bow ties. My wife buys me no others