Bow Ties vs. Neckties

I have been involved in numerous debates with friends about the relevance of bow ties in contemporary wardrobes. On countless occasions I have heard the argument that bow ties are played out. This argument seems irrelevant to me. Bow ties scream total preppiness and American culture is embracing the prep lifestyle once again. Although a lot of teenagers and young adults are jumping on the "prep bandwagon" and wearing Hollister and American Eagle, they are not true preps. Being preppy is more of a lifestyle than a description of someone's wardrobe.

I try to shy away from posts that seem to be rants, but I can't help myself with this one. For the record, companies such as Hollister and American Eagle are NOT preppy. Nothing about their clothing screams prep. Sure, these companies pride themselves on their rendition of a collared polo and khakis. Just because companies manufacture a wide array of clothing styles that happen to include collared shirts and khakis does not mean that they are preppy companies. The saturated "prep" revival is promoting a sickening trend that seems to show signs of sticking around for some time. Kids that rock Hollister and American Eagle claim to be living the prep dream, PLEASE!

Now getting back to the subject of this post, a bow tie is preppy to the max. The bow ties' cousin, the necktie really doesn't hold the same weight in the preppy arena. I used to only wear neckties for the longest time until I decided that bow ties were a better fit for my style. Once I made the switch, a lot of my friends gave me slack because I'm black and wear bow ties. Maybe I just refuse to be like everyone else? If I had my way, I'd outlaw neckties unless you're wearing a business suit. You would think that a society that is currently embracing prep culture would be more supportive of the bow tie. I guess these "new age preps" have a lot to learn.