Help, newbie here! What to wear with my new bow tie?

[BustopherJones]

Hello everyone, I've just started to dress up a bit more maturely, so I need a lot of style advice!

I just got this new bow tie (it's the one on the page called Alexis):

http://www.lenoeudpapillon.com/collection.php?idProduct=499

I'm wondering how to wear this bow tie. I'm from Australia and it's been really hot here recently, even though it's still technically only spring and not yet even summer.

Would this bow tie go with a cream dinner jacket and black tuxedo pants for a formal dinner?

Would a black pocket square be appropriate?

I have a purple shirt that is a different purple to the purple in the bow tie, and the three colours (the purple colour of the shirt, the purple of the bow tie and the cerise pink of the bow tie) seem to contrast while matching together quite pleasingly to my eye. But, what do you think of a cream dinner jacket with a purple shirt? Or should I keep to a white shirt instead?

Also, would my proposed outfit be suitable to wear to a formal lunch at the Melbourne Cup (a horse race here for which people get really dressed up)?

Thanks for any help,
A wannabe Bustopher Jones

 

[GBR]

It is normal to treat a tie as a complimentary item to be bought after your other clothes not the other way round.

Formal evening wear demands white shirts and just occasionally a non-black tie - although do ask yourself why it is called 'black tie'. no it will not work in the situation you describe and will look more like fancy dress. Purple is not suitable for evening wear unless you are in the band - and the tie does not match purple.

Whilst improving your wardrobe is laudable do it more conventionally especially at first.

 

[Cuttingboard]

What GBR said...I would return or exchange the bow tie.

 

[MikeDT]

Serving suggestion.

 

[Yorker]

So many of you that log onto this forum don't know anything about fashion, have very little taste other than what others tell you is the right thing to do and very rarely do any of you put your balls on the line to design and create anything at all. You just throw rocks from the side line. Our bow ties are made from the very best silks. We don't need to tell you who wears our bows or what other brands use the same silk mills, we just get on with it and keep designing fresh silks and remain innovative and so far out customers are very happy which is why we get testimonials like these, from ordinary people who just like what we do. http://lenoeudpapillon.blogspot.com.au/2013/08/testimonials-and-perhaps-product-review.html

 

[FlyingMonkey]

So many of you that log onto this forum don't know anything about fashion, have very little taste other than what others tell you is the right thing to do and very rarely do any of you put your balls on the line to design and create anything at all. You just throw rocks from the side line. Our bow ties are made from the very best silks. We don't need to tell you who wears our bows or what other brands use the same silk mills, we just get on with it and keep designing fresh silks and remain innovative and so far out customers are very happy which is why we get testimonials like these, from ordinary people who just like what we do. http://lenoeudpapillon.blogspot.com.au/2013/08/testimonials-and-perhaps-product-review.html

If you're really from Le Noued Papillon, you are totally missing the point of the advice here* and you might want to reconsider your tone if you'd like to win customers (hint: telling people they have 'very little taste' is probably not going to do it). Plenty of members here wear bow ties, myself included (in fact I have rather a lot of them). There are also many members who 'put their balls on the line' and start businesses - several in neckwear - which they generally build up with the good reputation they have made here, which generally doesn't include insulting their potential customers, especially when no-one has said anything disparaging about your products (you can ignore MikeDT, who really does fit your description...).

*The point was that the OP clearly has no idea what he is doing, and generally, if you don't know what you're doing, starting with a bow tie is not the best way to start.

 

[conradwu]

Bowties selling for $150 a pop? I'm in the wrong business

As for insulting this forum and potential customers... probably not the best first post.

 

[Cuttingboard]



If you're really from Le Noued Papillon, you are totally missing the point of the advice here* and you might want to reconsider your tone if you'd like to win customers (hint: telling people they have 'very little taste' is probably not going to do it). Plenty of members here wear bow ties, myself included (in fact I have rather a lot of them). There are also many members who 'put their balls on the line' and start businesses - several in neckwear - which they generally build up with the good reputation they have made here, which generally doesn't include insulting their potential customers, especially when no-one has said anything disparaging about your products (you can ignore MikeDT, who really does fit your description...). 

*The point was that the OP clearly has no idea what he is doing, and generally, if you don't know what you're doing, starting with a bow tie is not the best way to start.

What he said...

 

[MikeDT]



So many of you that log onto this forum don't know anything about fashion, have very little taste other than what others tell you is the right thing to do and very rarely do any of you put your balls on the line to design and create anything at all. You just throw rocks from the side line. Our bow ties are made from the very best silks. We don't need to tell you who wears our bows or what other brands use the same silk mills, we just get on with it and keep designing fresh silks and remain innovative and so far out customers are very happy which is why we get testimonials like these, from ordinary people who just like what we do. [/URL]

Did you copy and paste that from alibaba.com or something?

 

[BustopherJones]

Thanks for all the advice! I didn't know that coloured shirts were inappropriate for formal occasions. So, I'll stick to a white shirt. I already have a cream dinner jacket and black tuxedo pants from almost 20 years ago. Thankfully, they still fit! But, the cream jacket has an unusual shawl lapel. Is this outdated now? Also, should I wear black socks and black shoes to match my black pants or white socks with cream shoes to match my cream jacket? Also, please advise in regards to the appropriateness of wearing a black pocket square, thanks!

Hi, Mr. Atgemis! Don't worry, I like your ties!

 

[BustopherJones]

Serving suggestion.

Hi MikeDT,

Thanks for the suggestion, you look cool! But I'm a bit hesitant about wearing a pullover to a formal event. However, I'm thinking of trying something along those lines for a more casual occasion: light pink or light blue short sleeved shirt (because it's been very hot over here recently), cream coloured trousers, my new bow tie and a cream coloured Panama hat (with a black band). Do you think this proposal would make a stylish casual outfit? I'm not sure if black shoes (to match the black hatband) or cream shoes (to match the cream Panama hat and the cream coloured trousers) would work better. Any advice?

Cheers,
A wannabe Bustopher Jones

 

[BustopherJones]

Oops, one post addressed to everybody disappeared...I'll see if I can retype what I had said...

Thanks, everybody, for all the advice! I didn't know that coloured shirts were inappropriate for formal occasions. I'll stick to a white shirt instead. I already have a cream dinner jacket and black tuxedo pants from almost 20 years ago, and thankfully they still fit! But, the cream dinner jacket has a shawl lapel - is this too outdated for nowadays? I don't know if I should wear black shoes to match the black trousers, or cream shoes to match the cream dinner jacket? Also, please advise on whether wearing a black pocket square is appropriate, thanks!

Hi, Mr. Atgemis. Don't worry, I really like your ties!

 

[GBR]



Oops, one post addressed to everybody disappeared...I'll see if I can retype what I had said...

Thanks, everybody, for all the advice! I didn't know that coloured shirts were inappropriate for formal occasions. I'll stick to a white shirt instead. I already have a cream dinner jacket and black tuxedo pants from almost 20 years ago, and thankfully they still fit! But, the cream dinner jacket has a shawl lapel - is this too outdated for nowadays? I don't know if I should wear black shoes to match the black trousers, or cream shoes to match the cream dinner jacket? Also, please advise on whether wearing a black pocket square is appropriate, thanks!

Hi, Mr. Atgemis. Don't worry, I really like your ties!

Shawl lapels can still be worn. You will find many varieties of evening dress at functions - which is why something classic has life in a part of the wardrobe which can date long before it even approaches being worn.

Black shoes are the only acceptable footwear and the black pocket square is equally wrong.

Mr "Atgemis" should be ignored. He really does not understand the matter at all. No one so far as I can see has condemned his manufacture and however good the materials they do not redeem misconceptions.