I’m really excited about today’s How-To! I’ve been fixin’ to do a feature on bow ties for awhile, and since we’re giving away a couple of snazzy Forage bow ties this week, I thought this was perfect timing!
Illustration by Katie Rodgers via Pinterest.
Belles and beaus, I’m here to teach you how to tie a bow tie. There are some of you who have known how to do this since you donned your first seersucker bow in your cousin’s wedding when you were six. Others of you, like me, never had a pressing need to learn. That’s right ladies, it’s good for you to know, too!
Image credit: Upper French via Green Wedding Shoes
The period between your engagement and your wedding day is the perfect time to hone your bow tying skills, lest you end up like these guys.
Image Credit: Bobbi + Mike
I’ll admit, I was one of those guys just a few weeks ago. Though I wasn’t a groomsman preparing for my friend’s wedding, I was sitting at my desk in the Southern Weddings office with my laptop in front of me trying to learn. Whitney and Sierra will tell you this is a true story, since they laughed at me while I did it. The happy news is that I can now tie a bow like no one’s business! I enlisted Sierra’s brilliant design skills to bring you a step-by-step of the process. But before we get to that, let’s do a quick rundown of the different types of bow ties that you have to choose from.
The Butterfly Bow Tie. This bow has a wing span of 3 inches to 3.5 inches. It can look too big for you, but if you’ve got a wider neck span or a larger face and chin, this might be your guy!
Image Credit: Ashley McCormick
The Classic Bow Tie (A.K.A. the thistle or semi-butterfly bow tie). This is the bow you envision when you think of bow ties! With a wing span around 2.5 inches, it’s perfect for any event and suits any face shape and neck size.
Image credit: Bella Grace
The Batwing Bow Tie (A.K.A narrow bow tie). Elegant-looking and thin, there’s a bit of debate over whether this style is more formal or less formal than the classic bow. It has a wing span of 1.5 inches to 2 inches and, although it may look like a one long piece of fabric, it’s tied the same way as the classic bow.
Image credit: Pierrepont Hicks
The Pointed End Bow Tie. It’s exactly as it sounds! For a spin on the usual shape, the pointed end bow is also appropriate for formal occasions.
Image Credit: The Cordial Churchman and Forage
Now that we know what’s what, pick out your favorite bow and let’s tie it!
Need to remember this for later? We’ve got you covered! Sierra made us a fab downloadable PDF with illustrations that walk you through the steps. Print it out and with some practice, you could look as dandy as this guy.
Image credit: Paul Johnson (See more of this wedding here!)
Want more tips and tricks? Check out our past How-To’s.
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Tell us about your bow tying experience in the comments below!
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