The black bowtie was, not so very long ago, regarded as the preserve of older and very staid men. To the majority of the generation born in the fifties and sixties it was an item of clothing that they would not imagine they would want to wear themselves. But times change. Fast forward just 20 years or so and the reputation and image of the bowtie has been transformed.
Worn out of context, not at a formal function, but as a fun item of clothing at totally informal events it has come to be regarded by a younger generation in an entirely new way. It is once again centre stage at formal occasions, but without the “stuffy” image it once had.
With more emphasis on brighter colors and patterns, the bow tie is associated as much with the more joyous events in our lives than with the more sombre events and attitudes of its once most common wearer. The black bow tie has been rehabilitated as part of this change.