Photo: Ben Silver
The word bargain is rarely associated with classic men's clothing. The stuff is expensive, and the decline in traditional ways of doing things means costs will inevitably continue climbing faster than the prices generally.
That said, some neglected pockets of style offer consistent opportunities for bargains, if only because there is more supply than demand. Antique cufflinks, for example, can consistently be found for less than the cost of new ones of a similar design.
Along those lines, there seems to be at least one desireable bow tie in Ben Silver's Factory Outlet every season. The once or twice a month bow tie wearer does not need many of them, but a good value like the tie in the photo for $42.50 is, well, a bargain.
That said, some neglected pockets of style offer consistent opportunities for bargains, if only because there is more supply than demand. Antique cufflinks, for example, can consistently be found for less than the cost of new ones of a similar design.
Along those lines, there seems to be at least one desireable bow tie in Ben Silver's Factory Outlet every season. The once or twice a month bow tie wearer does not need many of them, but a good value like the tie in the photo for $42.50 is, well, a bargain.
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10 comments:
Will, are you suggesting a pre-tied bow tie?
No, I am not.
Ah...well then...mea culpa.
I was in Ben's store this past weekend. I tell you the place is enchanting - and magnetic!
I try and be open minded but... Bow ties, I think their decline is most welcome and greatly fear a resurgence.
I agree with Justin. Bowties are quite passe in my opinion, and I would venture to say that the majority of wearers are either over the age of 80 or in the diplomatic corps.
John, all dress is regional and I'd say you need to travel or just get out more.
I recall remarking about the number of bows on well dressed men at the Wolseley in London recently and none of the wearers appeared to be in danger of turning 80 any time soon.
I am neither in my 80's, nor a member of the diplomatic corps. I own several bow ties, none of which are pre-tied. I enjoy wearing them, and enjoy the response I get when I do wear them. (mostly smiles, and positive comments, especially when people find that they are not pre-tied) Will, I enjoy your blog, and find it useful, even though my income precludes spending $40 on a bow tie, I have found many quality ones for under $20 on e-bay. For those of us with more meager financial situations, e-bay has become a wonderful source of clothes that otherwise would be beyond our means. Your blog and a few others, serve as a nice guide or source of inspiration. Thank you for your work.
+ 1 to Bones
John,
I'm 23 as of March 1st, I'm a frequent wearer of self tie bows. I wear one once or twice a week. I own about 15. I've only paid more than 10 bucks for two of them.
For those who cheer the passing of the bow tie: to paraphrase Mark Twain, reports of its death are an exaggeration.
I read recently (sorry, can't find where just now) that bow tie sales have accounted for about 10% of all tie sales for a very long time. However, recently, bow tie sales are exceeding 15%. There are numerous bow tie-selling websites, and bow ties are popular with at least some sartorially-minded young men (like s).
I, too, have a more modest budget than Will's, and have seen bow ties in local thrift stores. The majority are in one that is closest to an enclave of extremely wealthy people.
Bow ties are here to stay.
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