Beau Ties Ltd.

I used to have a GP, Dr. Bowers, who wore a bow tie. Only saw him a couple times in his office, but nevertheless, be it plaid, striped or polka-dotted, he always had one on. I've never even worn one, unless you count the fake ones for weddings a couple times when I was younger. I guess because I never really understood them. Bill Nye, the old guy at my church when I was a kid that gave out candy and sported one with a yellow suit, and of course Colonel Sanders... these men donned the bow tie in one form or another, not me. Although respectable in their own right, I never aspired to emulate these men.

One night I was at the grocery store and saw Dr. Bowers MD shopping the counter for cheese. His bow tie was untied. Its limp, curvaceous arms lay flat against his chest, as if to comfort and praise the good Doctor for a day's hard work. I stared. AN EPIPHANY. He was Clark Kent. All of a sudden he ceased to be Dr. Bowers, and became... just a guy shopping for cheese. The bow tie, for him, was not just a splash of color, an accessory, it was a mood ring. A gone fishing sign that with a flick of the wrist could be proudly displayed to let the world know that the doctor, was in fact, NOT in. It was at that moment that I decided to let the bow tie in, embrace and respect it for more than a piece of fabric. I now know it is much more powerful.

You can't do that, modify one's state of being so effortlessly, with any other article of clothing or accessory. Maybe in years gone by, the untucked shirt, or loosened neck tie, but even these acts of defiance have eeked their way into modern day fashion. No, the bow tie stands alone with its innate ability to altar a man's persona with a simple tug of the thumb and index finger. I now respect and understand it as the cape and dark rimmed glasses for the everyday man.

And now... a company in Vermont, Beau Ties Ltd., that will custom make you one from any of their fabrics, or a yard of one you supply. Oh, an ascot or pocket square? Yes, they'll do those for you as well. More examples of their work after the cape and glasses below...