Sunday, January 08, 2006
Ode to a bowtie round my neck
As many know, I have taken to wearing bowties lately. It is something I’ve wanted to do since my undergraduate days, and now, thanks to a good friend in Champaign, I have finally taken the plunge. Why am I so attracted to bow ties? My guess is that I am intrigued by the personality associated with bowties. It is non-conformist without being countercultural. It sends an “I don’t care” message to the fashionable lawyers in the Italian suits. The focus of the bow tie is the knot, not the endlessly hanging fabric of a conventional tie. In other words, the focus is on the skill of the knot tier, rather than the abundance of silky material. It is competence over style, substance over materialism. It is not all seriousness, though. A bow tie also involves poking fun at oneself and glorifying in the idea of looking a bit outdated and silly. It is this mixture of seriousness and humor that I find intriguing. Wearing a bowtie involves standing back from fashion mores, even standing back from one’s self, to mock both self and society. You could say that a bow tie is for transcendentalists.
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3 comments:
I have to say that's the first blog I've ever read entirely dedicated to the bow tie. Bryan I know that entry was directed to me, so for my next entry I'll dedicate something entirely to you.
Sorry about deleteing my last message, but I couldn't post what I really think, since this is a family blog. However, here are a couple more thoughs. I know that transcendentalists would wear bow ties, but how many transcendentalists do you run into on a daily basis?
I'm glad you find wearing a bow tie is a good way to poke fun at yourself, now you can feel like you're a part of everyone else who does the same.
for good measure
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