The Bow Tie Rule
t back to my office and ordered a dozen clip-on bow ties. If a tie was required at all times, it would be one I could put on in seconds and forget about. I never wore a long tie again.
Only later did I notice the line running backward. My grandfather, in his customary bow tie, formal without being fussy. Authority expressed compactly. And decades on, my brother Mike and I—older now—standing together with my Australian clip-on, the rule having quietly become a signature.
Some standards are imposed. The good ones, you adapt into comfort. And if you’re lucky, they turn out not to be new at all—just something you were already wearing, once removed.
Copyright 2025 Vic Socotra
www.vicsocotra.com
December 18, 2025
DailySocotra
