Should Stan Laurel happen to be your style icon, this season you're in for a treat: the bow tie has touched down on planet fashion and it's no longer just for the boys. Once saved for nutty professors and jolly gents intent on injecting some fun into their outfit (type the words Frank Butcher and bow tie into YouTube if you think can bear the agony), the dicky bow has had something of an image revamp in recent years.
Now a regular at the menswear catwalk shows and, as a result, in the wardrobe of every Dalston hipster worth his £3 deck shoes, bow ties are today considered a quirky and innovative fashion choice. So it's no surprise that a number of budding female fashion plates are getting in on the act.
Already a popular choice with the celebrity fraternity, the bow tie is now an acceptable red-carpet accessory. Quick off the mark, Alexa Chung chose to wear a black satin bow tie to last month's Chanel couture show, while the equally too-cool-for-school Chloë Sevigny has also been getting in on the act. Budding songstress Ellie Goulding opted to incorporate a black dicky-bow style into one of her recent red carpet ensembles, while Gwen Stefani favours the chequered bow-tie style.
As it's a difficult look to emulate at home, should looking like an extra from a Christina Aguilera video not be your desired effect, any women intent on donning a dicky bow should do so with the utmost of care. Key to success is to avoid wearing your tie with anything that could be considered overtly sexy; fishnet stockings are a big no-no, as are suspenders and, should you be that way endowed, a bulging cleavage. For a failsafe way to wear one, try dressing down the rest of your ensemble. The perfect accompaniment to this season's preppy look, a simple bow tie looks best worn with a blazer and simple white shirt.
So where to buy your tie? On the high street, American Apparel offers a small but affordable selection of unisex bow ties, while Topman has an array of styles in quirky prints. For label lovers, upmarket tie label Marwood London has a host of bow ties in luxurious lace, while the likes of Dolce & Gabbana and Lanvin offer simple yet elegant styles in velvet and satin.
The only problem that then remains is how to tie the bloody thing. Good luck with that one.
The bow ties pictured below are available to order at http://marwoodlondon.co.uk/
