In on ongoing series I address questions I receive from readers, friends and fans. This installment focuses on what type of tie to wear with a tuxedo. That said, if there are any unanswered questions or if you would like to ask a totally unrelated question feel free to leave a comment of email at Justin@TheFineYoungGentleman.com. For further discussion on black tie/tuxedos please refer to the ‘How To Wear A Tuxedo‘ page or my most recent post at Business Insider.
Question:
Hey Justin. I am about to spring for my first bow tie and am wondering what shape and fabric is most common. Black will be the color and this one will be worn with my tux. Thanks!
Answer:
Hey, the most common bow tie for a tux is a satin butterfly bow tie (pictured above). Satin is common because most lapels on a tux are also satin and ideally you want to match the fabric of your lapel with that of bow tie. So if your lapels are grosgrain then get a grosgrain bowtie and cummerbund and if the lapels are satin got for satin.
However, there is more freedom with the shape of the bow tie. Batswing (or straight edge) and diamond end are both classics, and less common choices. So if you want something a little different then go for those. If memory serves me right, Connery as Bond wore a diamond end bow tie with his tux on at least one occasion. Hope this helps, let me know if you have any follow up inquiries.
