Fit to be (bow) tied: Convert that old necktie into a snazzy bow
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On a spin through the assorted ‘man blogs’ in my Google Reader this morning, a post on The Art of Manliness caught my attention.
It was about a company called Beau Ties Ltd. of Vermont that’s quietly been making snazzy looking bow ties -- and neckties -- in Middlebury, Vt., since 1993.
It was a bit of a surprise because I’d spent my formative years in the Green Mountain State and was recently back East driving the length and breadth of the state (you can make it from the Massachusetts border to the Canadian border in about four hours) and it never crossed my radar.
All made by hand in Vermont, the ties -- in a wide range of patterns -- range from about $25 to $48 and can be ordered online. My favorite, pictured above, is the Middlebury IV ($40), which boasts a herd of Woody Jackson Holsteins standing on a field of sky blue silk jacquard. If the bunch of bovines looks a bit familiar, that’s because the artist, who lives just outside Middlebury, created the iconic Ben & Jerry’s cow for the Vermont-based ice cream maker.
And if you can’t rock any of the five styles of bow they offer (and, face it, it’s not a look everyone can pull off) you can order the pattern in an ascot, cravat, long necktie or even a ladies’ scarf.
In the process of poking around the site, I discovered a cool service the company offers: necktie conversion. Send them your beloved but underutilized necktie, and for $35 they’ll convert it to a bow tie.
Call it Yankee thrift, call it recession repurposing, but if you’re like me and have a bunch of ‘90s-era neckties ties that are just a tad too slim for the current look, you could do this until the cows come home.
-- Adam Tschorn
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How to Get 20% Off Your Order at Beau Ties Ltd. of Vermont (via The Art of Manliness)