Warren Alfie Baker is always looking for the perfect bow tie. This Hollywood stylist makes sure clients like Lucas Hedges, Norman Reedus and Harry Shum Jr. always look their best.
"The bow tie may seem like an easy choice to decide, yet so many style mistakes can be made, " he told Variety magazine.
And if there is one occasion during which you shouldn't commit stylistic blunders, it's during major ceremonies, for example the Oscars. Here are her tips for when you want to wear a bow tie to an event:
First tip: color of the bow tie
To play it safe, the black bow tie is perfect. With this ultra classic model, it is impossible to go wrong. This is also the choice recommended by Baker when wearing a classic black suit. “Monochromatic is always beautiful, it creates impact. Wearing a colorful bow tie with a conventional black suit, you run the risk of looking like you're going to your prom, " he said. If you opted for a colourful suit, you will have more leeway in terms of colour for the choice of your bow tie.
Stylist Jeanne Yang, who dresses stars such as Christian Bale, Alfonso Cuarón, Jamie Dornan and Matt Bomer, has the following advice: “If you want to express your personality via your bow tie, you can play the card of originality, but in this case it is good to opt for a pocket square matching the bow tie. »
Second advice: a firm fabric
The fabric of the bow tie must be sufficiently thick to ensure that the accessory is held in place. “A good bow tie should retain its volume, have beautiful friezes that are firm, ,” he said.
Third tip: the fabric of the bow tie should match the fabric of the suit
You should always choose the material of the bow tie according to the material of the costume. "If your jacket lapel is silk, you should wear a silk bow tie, " Baker said. "If it's grosgrain, the bow tie is grosgrain, the rule is simple," according to him.
Fourth tip: the right size bow tie
You have to take into account 2 parameters to choose the size of your bow tie:
- His size
- The width of the lapel of the jacket
In both cases, the rule of proportions must be respected. Big guys should opt for larger bow ties. The width of the lapel is also to be taken into consideration: the wider the lapel, the more imposing the bow tie can be.
Fifth tip: pre-tied or self-tie bow tie?
“There are really good pre-tied bow ties on the market,” says Yang, but she is in the bow tie camp. "There's nothing like a bow tie to tie, because when the evening is late you can untie it. It's comfortable and it makes you look very cool, it's very sexy,” he clarified.
Pre-tied bow tie
If you don't know how to tie your bow tie, you will find tutorials on the Internet. And if you're really struggling, nothing prevents you from wearing a pre-tied bow tie: by not playing overtime, the problem is solved ☺.