Nepedia
Back to Discover
Fluent Reader
📖

Bow tie

language culture Maturity 11-13 Next article →

A bow tie is a special kind of neckwear.

Bow-tie-colour-isolated
Bow-tie-colour-isolated

It sits right under a shirt collar. It does not hang down the shirt like a long necktie. Instead, it uses a ribbon of fabric to make two loops. This shape is very symmetrical. People wear them for many different reasons. They are common at weddings or formal evening events.

Ziehrer
Ziehrer

Many people think they look very smart or professional.

There are three main ways to wear a bow tie. The first is the self-tie version. This is a strip of cloth you tie by hand. It often uses a knot just like a shoelace. You can choose different shapes for these. Some look like a cricket bat and are called "bat wing." Others look like a butterfly and are called "thistle."

HowToTieBowtie VersionA
HowToTieBowtie VersionA

You can also find pre-tied ties. These have the bow already sewn onto a band. Some even use clips to stay on the collar.

The history of the bow tie is very old. It started with Croatian mercenaries in the 17th century. These soldiers fought during the Thirty Years' War. They used a scarf to hold their shirts together. This style became known as a cravat. The word comes from the French name for Croats. Soon, the upper classes in France began to wear them. They became very popular during the 18th and 19th centuries.

Bow ties come in many different materials and sizes. Most are made from silk, cotton, or polyester. Some people even make them from wood or bird feathers.

CDR Aldrith L Baker
CDR Aldrith L Baker

Sizes can change based on the size of a person's neck. Some ties have a fixed length for formal shirts. Others are adjustable to fit different collars. In the 1980s, many professional women began wearing them too. Sales of bow ties for women rose by almost 6 million units.

Many people associate bow ties with certain jobs. Doctors who work with babies often wear them. This is because infants cannot grab them easily. Clowns also use huge bow ties to be funny. Musicians often wear them during big concerts.

Bow-tie-colour-isolated
Bow-tie-colour-isolated

Some people wear them to show they like classic styles. They might even use them to make a statement. For some, the bow tie is a sign of being very careful and neat.

377 words

Where will your curiosity go next?

Keep exploring at your chosen reading level.

🖼️ Images & Media (4)
File:Bow-tie-colour-isolated.jpg
Bow-tie-colour-isolated.jpg
File:Ziehrer.jpg
Ziehrer.jpg
File:HowToTieBowtie VersionA.png
HowToTieBowtie VersionA.png
File:CDR_Aldrith_L_Baker.jpg
CDR_Aldrith_L_Baker.jpg
More to explore

✨ What else?

Related topics you might enjoy

🔬 Go deeper

More advanced topics to explore

🪜 Step back

Simpler topics to build understanding

What is Nepedia?

A free, ad-free encyclopedia for children. Every article is written at five reading levels, so the same page works for a five-year-old and a fifteen-year-old — use the level switcher above to see this one change. No account needed to read.