I seem to be developing quite a collection of bow ties now. I’ve made a purple & green shot silk one, a skull & crossbones one, a sewing print one, and one with silver bees. I also have a readymade burgundy and black one with a matching cummerbund, that I used to wear for orchestra concerts.
I bought this glorious spotty one from Peckham Rye on Newburgh Street. It’s woven silk, hand tied, with an adjustable grosgrain band at the back so that you don’t have to untie it every time. I love the pointed ends and the hand finish – right down to the packaging, the quality’s just gorgeous.
Sadly I’ve only actually worn two of my bow ties, and both were with outfits that could be considered to be costumes. Well, and the orchestra one. I used to wear black tie to blend in with the men when I was the only female brass player.
All of my smart shirts are patterned, and as most of the ties are also patterned I don’t feel confident about wearing them together. I suppose the answer is either to buy some plain shirts, or to make some more plain silk ties…