![Bolo tie](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/36/Bolo_tie.jpg)
A bolo tie (sometimes bola tie or shoestring necktie) is a type of necktie consisting of a piece of cord or braided leather with decorative metal tips (called
aiguillette
An aiguillette (, from '' aiguille'', "needle"), also spelled , or , is a cord with metal tips or lace tags, or the decorative tip itself.
Functional or purely decorative fasteners of silk cord with metal tips were popular in the 16th and e ...
s) and secured with an ornamental clasp or slide.
Popularity
In the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
, bolo ties are widely associated with
Western wear
Western wear is a category of men's and women's clothing which derives its unique style from the clothes worn in the 19th century Wild West. It ranges from accurate historical reproductions of American frontier clothing, to the stylized garment ...
and are generally most common in the western areas of the country. Bolo tie slides and tips in
silver
Silver is a chemical element with the symbol Ag (from the Latin ', derived from the Proto-Indo-European ''h₂erǵ'': "shiny" or "white") and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it exhibits the highest electrical ...
have been part of
Hopi,
Navajo,
Zuni, and
Puebloan
The Puebloans or Pueblo peoples, are Native Americans in the Southwestern United States who share common agricultural, material, and religious practices. Currently 100 pueblos are actively inhabited, among which Taos, San Ildefonso, Acoma, Zu ...
silversmith
A silversmith is a metalworker who crafts objects from silver. The terms ''silversmith'' and ''goldsmith'' are not exactly synonyms as the techniques, training, history, and guilds are or were largely the same but the end product may vary grea ...
ing traditions since the mid-20th century.
![Bolotie Navajo](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/05/Bolotie_Navajo.jpg)
The bolo tie was made the official
neckwear
Neckwear refers to various styles of clothing worn around the (human) neck. They are worn for fashion, combat, or protection against the influences of weather. Common neckwear today includes bow ties, neckties (cravat), scarves, feather boas and ...
of
Arizona
Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...
on April 22, 1971 by Governor
Jack Williams.
New Mexico
)
, population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano)
, seat = Santa Fe
, LargestCity = Albuquerque
, LargestMetro = Tiguex
, OfficialLang = None
, Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ke ...
passed a non-binding measure to designate the bolo as the state's official neckwear in 1987. On March 13, 2007,
New Mexico Governor
, insignia = Seal of the Governor of New Mexico.svg
, insigniasize = 110px
, insigniacaption = Seal of the Governor
, image = File:Michelle Lujan Grisham 2021.jpg
, imagesize = 200px
, alt =
, incumbent = Michelle Lujan Grisham
, incu ...
Bill Richardson
William Blaine Richardson III (born November 15, 1947) is an American politician, author, and diplomat who served as the 30th governor of New Mexico from 2003 to 2011. He was also the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations and Energy Secretary ...
signed into law that the bolo tie was the
state's official tie.
Also in 2007, the bolo tie was named the official tie of
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...
.
In the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
, bolo ties are known as bootlace ties. They were popular with 1950s
Teddy Boys
The Teddy Boys or Teds were a mainly British youth subculture of the mid 1950s to mid 1960s who were interested in rock and roll and R&B music, wearing clothes partly inspired by the styles worn by dandies in the Edwardian period, which ...
, who wore them with
drape suit
Drape suits are a 1930s British variation of the three-piece suit, in which the cut is full and 'drapes'. It is also known as the blade cut or London cut. The design of the athletic aesthetic of the drape suit is attributed to the London tailor Fr ...
s.
Bolo ties became fashionable in the 1980s with
rockabilly revivalists and
new wavers. The bolo tie returned as a popular fashion accessory in the fall of 1988 when male
Hollywood stars would be frequently found wearing them.
Chain store
A chain store or retail chain is a retail outlet in which several locations share a brand, central management and standardized business practices. They have come to dominate the retail and dining markets and many service categories, in many pa ...
s like
Jeanswest
Jeanswest (formerly stylised JeansWest) is an Australian apparel chain store. It operates in the market of casual wear and lifestyle, with denim playing an integral part in the product range. Its main rival is Just Jeans which has a similar ran ...
and
Merry-Go-Round sold multiple choices for all occasions.
During the 1980s and 1990s bolo ties, some elegant and expensive, were sold in
Japan,
Korea
Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic o ...
, and
China. Some had fancy, hand-made cords and unusual tips. Sales overseas skyrocketed post-1970s; this was due to the overflow from the United States, where it had fallen out of fashion in the 1980s.
Author John Bloom (a.k.a. horror host and drive-in expert
Joe Bob Briggs
John Irving Bloom (born January 27, 1953), known by the stage name Joe Bob Briggs, is an American syndicated film critic, writer, actor, and comic performer. He is known for having hosted ''Joe Bob's Drive-in Theater'' on The Movie Channel fr ...
) is known by his trademark wearing of various bolo ties during his televised and live shows. He has helped popularize the wearing of bolo ties while hosting the
TNT
Trinitrotoluene (), more commonly known as TNT, more specifically 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene, and by its preferred IUPAC name 2-methyl-1,3,5-trinitrobenzene, is a chemical compound with the formula C6H2(NO2)3CH3. TNT is occasionally used as a reagen ...
television series ''
MonsterVision'' from 1996 to 2000, and ''
The Last Drive-in with Joe Bob Briggs
''The Last Drive-in with Joe Bob Briggs'' is an American variety streaming television series created by Joe Bob Briggs, Austin Jennings, and Matt Manjourides for Shudder.
Briggs was known for hosting ''Joe Bob's Drive-in Theater'' and '' Monste ...
'' on
Shudder
Shudder may refer to:
*Shivering
* ''Shudder'' (album), a 2008 album by American band Bayside
*Shudder (streaming service)
Shudder is an American over-the-top subscription video on demand service featuring horror, thriller and supernatural fic ...
from 2018–present.
During the
2013 NFL season,
San Diego Chargers quarterback
Philip Rivers
Philip Michael Rivers (born December 8, 1981) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 17 seasons, primarily with the Chargers franchise. He played college football at NC State and was se ...
captured media attention for his frequent use of bolo ties. He was noted wearing it again after defeating the
Cincinnati Bengals in the
2013–14 NFL playoffs
The National Football League playoffs for the 2013 season began on January 4, 2014. The postseason tournament concluded with the Seattle Seahawks defeating the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII, 43–8, on February 2, at MetLife Stadium in Ea ...
.
Origins
Victor Cedarstaff of
Wickenburg, Arizona
Wickenburg is a town in Maricopa and Yavapai counties, Arizona, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the town was 7,474, up from 6,363 in 2010.
History
The Wickenburg area, along with much of the Southwest, became part ...
claims to have invented the bolo tie in the late 1940s and later
patent
A patent is a type of intellectual property that gives its owner the legal right to exclude others from making, using, or selling an invention for a limited period of time in exchange for publishing an enabling disclosure of the invention."A ...
ed his slide design.
[, filed May 24, 1954, issued July 28, 1959, to Victor Ceaderstaff]
According to an article in ''
Sunset'':
See also
*
Neckerchief
A neckerchief (from ''neck'' (n.) + ''kerchief''), sometimes called a necker, kerchief or scarf, is a type of neckwear associated with those working or living outdoors, including farm labourers, cowboys and sailors. It is most commonly still see ...
References
External links
Montana Leader Defends Bolo Ties
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bolo Tie
Native American culture
Neckties
Western wear
1940s fashion
1950s fashion
1960s fashion
1970s fashion
1980s fashion
Symbols of Arizona
Symbols of New Mexico
Symbols of Texas
Symbols of California
Rodeo clothing