Bolo Ties--From Hick to Hip?

[JLibourel]

I have long regarded the bolo tie as, well, rather "bucolic"--attire for square dancers, cowboys and cowboy wannabes and such.

On Friday, I attended a wedding--my wife's niece--and I was surprised at how many bolo ties were in evidence. Some of the guests were quite literally "bucolic," e.g., the grandfather of the bride, who is a 94-year-old dairy farmer. On him, the bolo tie was unsurprising. However, some of the other men wearing bolo ties were seemingly "hip" young urbanites.

I commented on this phenomenon to a friend of mine who is a college professor. He said they were quite in vogue among the younger set at the moment. Although a my stepson seemed oblivious to this trend, a friend of his confirmed that they were popular among his contemporaries.

Have any of you noticed this trend? Do any of you sport bolo ties? Any thoughts on this phenomenon? Maybe it's just my age, but I still find them costume-y and drugstore cowboy-ish.

I am told that the Texas Rangers (the law enforcement agency) routinely sport bolo ties. At least they are not drugstore cowboys.

 

[Academic2]

I suspect you might get more (and more useful) answers to this question over on the Streetwear forum, since the bolo isn’t part of the historical lineage that defines “classic menswear.” No snark intended, just stating the facts.

As for noticing them where I’m located (which is very roughly the eastern US) I can just say no, I haven’t, and I teach at a large university so I’m in frequent contact with what seems to be your target age group.

Cheers,

Ac

 

[Stencil]

They are certainly absent from northern California, regardless of age. I saw a number of them on older men in Santa Fe when I was visiting last week, but that's it.

I imagine it might be a sort of "ironic" thing for younger men in a certain part of the country, i.e the appropriation of an eccentric regionalism, not unlike all the 20-somethings in San Francisco's Mission strutting around in ranger mocs and flannels.

 

[JLibourel]

^Bolo ties can't be entirely absent in Northern California. The wedding where I saw so many bolos took place in Petaluma!

 

[FlaneurNYC]

Stray cat strut, I'm a ladies guy...

They were worn ironically by the hipster set in the '80s and it's 30 years later.

Fashion moves in cycles.

 

[Stencil]

^Bolo ties can't be entirely absent in Northern California. The wedding where I saw so many bolos took place in Petaluma!

Crap, we're under siege, then.

Remind me not to come back from NYC next week.

 

[LabelKing]