So hip to wear the bow tie again

In TT, the ever-followers of current fashion trends, scores of youthful and the not-so youthful wear the bow tie. Senator Vasant Bharath, Minister of Trade, Industry, Investment and Communications has been photographed wearing multiple and multi-coloured bow ties. Sport Minister Brent Sancho is also a bow tie wearer outside of the confines of formal events. But one local designer has taken the traditional wear and made it uniquely his own and uniquely Caribbean.

A visit to Mark Eastman’s Facebook page, shows a blue and white striped bow tie with a red and white Dappered (the name of his brand) at the centre as his cover photo.

For Eastman, the bow tie, “is a great accent to any outfit, really.”

Bow ties have moved out of the confines of formal wear and are now all purpose accessories for the smartly- dressed person. In an array of shapes, sizes and colours the bow tie, adds life and colour to any outfit, Eastman said. It has also moved beyond traditional gender lines, becoming an accessory found in wardrobes of both men and women.

According to website http://how-to-tie-a-neck- tie.com/bowtiehist.htm, the bow tie originated, “among Croatian mercenaries during the European wars of the 17th century: the Croats used a scarf around the neck to hold together the opening of their shirts. This method was soon adopted by the upper classes in France. The bow tie gets its name from the French, jabot, a type of ready-made 17th century lace cravat. In the 18th and 19th centuries, bow ties came in various materials and styles.

Originally, bow ties were made of swaths of material of straightforward lengths and various widths, much like present day. However, in the mid 1800s tie makers started to shape bow tie to obtain definitive forms.

The predominate form is a diagonal curve when tied. When it comes to form, the sky is the limit. The bow tie became synonymous with evening formal wear as the only proper compliment to a tuxedo. It is probably this association that created questions as to the bow tie’s use at other times and situations.

Black bow tie and tuxedo are now standard at high school graduation and weddings.

For Eastman, whose brand of bow ties have won him notoriety, his fascination with the bow tie began from as early as primary school. Eastman remembered wearing his first bow tie in primary school for his Christmas concert. But he truly experimented with the bow tie after his 2012 graduation from University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT).

“Back then, you only got bow ties for formal events….After school I interned with The Cloth (owned by noted fashion designer Robert Young), and at that time I wanted to do something that represented myself,” he said.

And, that which best represented Eastman, was the bow tie. In his bow ties, the essence of all that he is rings through. Eastman has incorporated a range of Caribbean colours and textures into his bow ties, which ranges from scenes in and around Port-of-Spain to his latest known as The Safari Series as well as the 50 series.

The bow tie finishes a look and adds a “certain kind of elegance,” Eastman said. Of modern bow ties, he added, “It creates a juxtaposition of elegance but it is still funky.”

Modern changes in men’s fashion have given the bow tie a renewed place in the fashion landscape, he said. Men weren’t afraid to look like men but dress up and express their style. The bow tie would always be in rotation since it has been around since the 1800s, he said.

Similarly, noted local fashion designer Peter Elias also said the bow tie is here to stay.

In an emailed response to Newsday, Elias said, “Bow ties are being worn by celebrities and fashion lovers alike …from red-carpets to weddings to clubs…gone are the days when Pee-Wee Herman alone is wearing a bow tie or even KFC’s Colonel Saunders. Trends are usually inspired by others in the ‘know’ donning them so the popularity stems from so many wearing them. Now they come in fun colours and patterns…with the approach to fashion and style being more fun and adventurous especially by men, they are here to stay it seems.”

Traditionally, he said, it was the conventional wear of the 19th century and was believed that the way a man tied his bow tie distinguished a man of genius from a mediocre one. While still generally associated with formal occasions, the bow tie is also worn in business or social venues.

Asked whether the bow tie was practical to the Caribbean fashion sense, Elias said absolutely since it adds another dimension of colour and texture to a look.

For designer Delia Alleyne while she is yet to incorporate the bow tie into one of her designs, she, too, sees it as the perfect accessory.

In an interview at Newsday’s Chacon Street office, Alleyne said, “I love it because it is an easy way to up your outfit. It changes the look and feel of your outfit.”

Alleyne has incorporated the bow tie into her personal style, however. A feminised approach to the bow tie might be interesting, she said, but was unnecessary since there was no strict gender lines regarding the bow tie. “Feminising it might work for the women who are not as daring as others. I don’t think it should be separated as such,” she said.

Eastman’s designs, Alleyne said, was successful at reaching both genders.