Alice Made This

3 Key Bow Tie Styles

Classic

When in doubt, keep it timeless, or at least as timeless as anything that’s only been knocking around for 300 years or so can be: a chunky black tie, a clean, stud-fronted dress shirt, and a peak-lapelled or shawl-collared dinner jacket (see Justin Timberlake in his ‘Suit & Tie’ phase, Bryan Ferry in his Lounge Lizard phase, or Cary Grant in any phase at all for further elucidation).

Contemporary

Of course, you’re free to experiment, but we’d advise against, say, wearing a red carnation in place of a black tie (otherwise known as ‘going the full Jared Leto’). Instead, try a midnight blue velvet bow tie with a matching dinner jacket, a la Donald Glover (which, confusingly, appears darker under artificial light than black tie itself). This might also be the opportunity to try out some of the more outre tie shapes – the big butterfly, for instance, or the diamond tip.

Fashion

You’ll notice here that we’ve avoided the word ‘creative’, which has proved a license to abuse a perfectly serviceable dress code for those loners and rebels – you know who you are – whose notion of ‘black tie’ is a black necktie and shirt with a dinner jacket, or – even worse – no tie at all. There are more subtle ways of fiddling with the formula while remaining on point; try a silk jacquard bow tie, or a knitted silk pique example, for that extra dash of sworn-to-fun, loyal-to-none elan.