Figure 1.-- These three brothers wear identical outfits with the younger boys wearing clip-on suspenders. They all wear clip-on bowties, although they are a ittle different. The family snapshot is undated, but looks like the late-1950s to us.

We do not yet have a precise chronology of bowties in the United States. We have, however begun to address the subject. Bowties are primarily a 20th century fashion, but we do see some in the late-19th century. Bowties may have appeared before the turn of the 20th century in the 1890s. Here we are not yet sure. Floppy bows were still very common for boys. We have not yet found a 19th century portrait with bowties. We do notice large numbers of boys wearing bowties being worn in the early 20th century just as large floppy bows were going out of style. We see quite a number of boys wearing them, but not as nmany as were wearing standard neckties. They continued to be popular through the 1920s. Usage declined in the 1930s, but have never entirely disappeared. We note quite a number of boys wearing them in the 1950s. We think that in part because clip-ons became available. Many boys did not know how to tie a necktie. We note that when the tewrm "geek" entered the lexicon we think in the 1980s that along with glasses and plastic pocket protectors, we see suspenders and bowties. We do continue to see little boys wearing them with junior Eton suits.

The 19th Century

Bowties are primarily a 20th century fashion, but we do see some in the very late-19th century. Bowties may have appeared before the turn of the 20th century in the 1890s. Here we are not yet sure. Floppy bows were still very common for boys. Older bpys might wear a boetie. We note them in a few 1890s portraits. Our archive is limited, but the ones we have found seem to cime from the late 90s. We have not yet found an American boy wearing a bowtie in any other 19th century decade. They were not worn by younger boys who wore floppy bpws, often quite large ones in sharp contrast to the small bowties. We mostly see teenagers wearing them.

The 20th Century

We do notice large numbers of boys wearing bowties being worn in the early 20th century just as large floppy bows were going out of style. Bowties seem to have been particularly popular in the 1900s. We see many boys wearing them in the formal portraits of the day. While we see quite a number of boys wearing them, we do not see as many boys wearing them as standard neckties. They continued to be popular through the 1920s. Usage declined in the 1930s, but have never entirely disappeared. We note quite a number of boys wearing them again in the 1950s. They tended to be younger boys. I'm not sure why this was, but it was probably because younger boys can not tie neckties. We think that in part because clip-ons became available. Many boys did not know how to tie a necktie. We note that when the term "geek" entered the lexicon we think in the 1980s that along with glasses and plastic pocket protectors, we see suspenders and bowties. We do continue to see little boys wearing them with junior Eton suits.

Created: 5:19 AM 5/12/2008
Last updated: 6:35 PM 6/14/2008