History Main / BowtiesAreCool

* {{Nerd}}: Stock nerds tend to wear bowties.

Please correct any internal links that lead you here.

[[quoteright:284:[[Series/DoctorWho http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/bowtiesarecool_700.png]]]]
[[caption-width-right:284:[[Creator/MattSmith The Eleventh]] [[Series/DoctorWho Doctor]] [[TropeNamers endorses this trope.]]]]

->'''The Doctor:''' Oi. Eyes on the tie. Look at me. I wear it and I don't care. Trust me?\\
'''Kazran:''' ... Yes.\\
'''The Doctor:''' That's why it's cool.
-->-- ''Series/DoctorWho'', "A Christmas Carol"

Certain items of clothing, in the real world, look ridiculous. Bow ties are one of these items. Out of fashion since the 1960s, to people in the 2010s, they look fussy, old-fashioned and slightly dorky to most people.

But not for these guys. For these guys, Bowties Are Cool and they will never be seen without one, usually to the exasperation of the people around them; though they think they look like hot stuff, they'll appear to everyone else as... well, fussy, old fashioned, and/or slightly dorky. A certain type of character ''might'' [[AwesomeAnachronisticApparel be able to pull it off]] but the effect might only extend to appearing {{adorkable}}.

If, as is usually the case, the wearer is a [[{{Elders}} Gentleman of a Certain Age]], it indicates that he's stuck in the past -- a more subtle form of OutdatedOutfit. If the wearer is a younger man, it indicates that he ''really'' doesn't have a clue. Special exception: it's basically required for every fictional and real-life MalcolmXerox.

As it's usually a male item of clothing, a woman wearing a bow tie is often depicted as either unorthodox or wearing it as part of some [[{{Stripperiffic}} skimpier ensemble]] [[{{Fanservice}} designed to tease]] (such as the PlayboyBunny costume). This latter approach may also be called on by some men (such as the Chippendales). The alternative in porn in the appropriate setting is to have a beautiful woman wear a bow tie and ''nothing else'' (a variation on DiamondsInTheBuff).

Bowties also have a connotation with homosexuality, as they are often worn by gay men who want to look stylish and elegant.

One should never forget that no matter what, there's one particularly cool suit that ''always'' has a bow tie... a {{Tuxedo|AndMartini}}.

See also RealMenWearPink, AwesomeAnachronisticApparel. The wearing of a bow tie is notable enough for TheOtherWiki to have [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_bow_tie_wearers its own list]] on the subject.
----
!!Examples

[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder:Advertising]]
* [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-c5vSMH-Gi8 Orville Redenbacher]], the late gourmet-popcorn magnate and pitchman, was well known for donning one of these.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
* The greatest bow-tie aficionado from the manga pages is clearly ''Manga/DetectiveConan'''s Kudo Shinichi in his Edogawa Conan form, who almost always wears a seriously snappy bow-tie -- he can't even solve most of his mysteries without a magic voice-changer inside it. (The efficacy and versatility of this device on short notice occasionally smacks of AppliedPhlebotinum.)
* Ranma from ''Manga/RanmaOneHalf'' would occasionally wear a rather nice [[RealMenWearPink pastel orange]] shirt combined with a little red bow-tie.
* In the SchoolFestival episode of ''Anime/YuGiOhGX'', Sho wears a huge pink bow-tie as he emcees the duel between Judai and the Dark Magician Girl.
* Ladd Russo and all of his white-suited cohorts (sans his fiancée, who's wearing a tasty dress) in ''LightNovel/{{Baccano}}'' look positively menacing in their white tuxes and white bow-ties. Which all end covered in blood. Only Ladd's isn't covered in his own. This is more of a subversion, really. The series takes place in the 30s, when bow-ties really were in.
* Hanson and Sanson from ''Anime/NadiaTheSecretOfBlueWater'' wear bow-tie as part of their uniforms. Maybe justified for the time period.
* Shizuo Heiwajima from ''LightNovel/{{Durarara}}'' has one as part of the [[WaistcoatOfStyle bartender uniform]] he constantly wears. Occasionally [[http://www.mangareader.net/manga/durarara/1117173_e.jpg he wears it unclipped]] just to add to the badassery.
* ''Anime/TransformersSuperGodMasterforce'': Minerva has one as part of her default outfit.
* Nanoha of ''Franchise/MagicalGirlLyricalNanoha'' has one as part of her MagicalGirl outfit.
* ''Franchise/SailorMoon'':
** Tuxedo Mask's snazzy tailcoat would not be complete without a nice white bow-tie.
** MonsterOfTheDay Jamanen from the [[Anime/SailorMoon original anime]] wore a bow-tie...and nothing else.
* ''Anime/CTheMoneyAndSoulOfPossibility'': Masakaki (as well as his crayon box brothers) sports a rather large one, which only enhances his eccentric suit.
* Jonathan Joestar wore bowties a few times throughout his time as protagonist in ''Manga/JojosBizarreAdventure''. In his case it sometimes looks a bit comical since he's a very large, muscular man.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Comic Books]]
* ''Franchise/{{Batman}}''
** Bruce Wayne manages a very nice-looking one.
** As do most iterations of Alfred.
** His arch-enemies, ComicBook/TheJoker and the Penguin, tend to wear them as well as part of their old-fashion dress suits.
* ''ComicBook/{{Zatanna}}'' wears one, in keeping with her deliberately magician-like costume: a MsFanservice variant of the classic tuxedo, complete with top hat but '' [[LeotardOfPower sans]]'' [[LeotardOfPower pants]].
* ''Franchise/{{Superman}}''
** ComicBook/JimmyOlsen frequently has one.
** Clark Kent would also wear bow-ties on occasion, and actually ''prefers'' them to regular neckties because they don't flap in his face while flying, but every time he wears one people constantly mock him about it.
* ''ComicBook/MortadeloYFilemon'': Filemón, all the time.
* Averted by Cyclops of the ''Franchise/XMen'', who used to wear truly hideous bow-ties when he was in civvies. Happily, he seems to have given up on them.
* ''ComicBook/TheFlash'': Barry Allen. Not so much since he's come BackFromTheDead, but he now has a bow-tie icon when IM'ing Iris.
* Tony from the ''ComicBook/JohnnyTurbo'' magazine ads.
* ''ComicBook/RichieRich'' constantly wears a bow-tie.
* Johnny Thunder of the ComicBook/JusticeSocietyOfAmerica. One comic even notes that his fashion sense went into a permanent stall sometime in the 1950s.
* ''ComicBook/{{Jommeke}}: Choco the chimpansee wears a white bowtie.
* ''ComicBook/SunnyvilleStories'': Matthew Talbot, owner of the general store, wears a bow-tie. So does the town's resident psychologist, Dr. Auernheimer.
* In a lot of early ''Franchise/ArchieComics'', the titular character wears a bow tie. It pops up in older comics in the digests.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Comic Strips]]
* ''ComicStrip/RasmusKlump'': Pingu wears a white one, probably in reference to his tuxedo like penguin body.
* ''ComicStrip/{{Nero}}'': Nero sports a red bowtie.
* In ''ComicStrip/WhatsNewWithPhilAndDixie'', Dixie often wore an oversized bow tie in the early strips.
* Jon Arbuckle from ''ComicStrip/{{Garfield}}'' constantly wears giant polka-dotted bow-ties on his dates, averting this trope by ''not'' looking cool. At all.
* One ''ComicStrip/FoxTrot'' strip has Jason wearing a bow-tie to school due to believing people with bow-ties look smarter. He also wore an UsefulNotes/AlbertEinstein mask until the nose was dented. It should be noted that Jason was already making A+++ and higher grades. He was just trying to pad his grade even ''more'' with this trope.
* [[ComicStrip/BloomCounty Opus the Penguin]] is almost never seen without his bow-tie. (He wore a necktie while running for Vice President, but didn't like it, and after his running mate lost, quickly bought a new bow-tie.)
* Dagwood regularly wears a bow-tie to the office in ''ComicStrip/{{Blondie}}''.
* [[ComicStrip/{{Peanuts}} Snoopy]] dons one of these (along with a [[DashinglyDapperDerby bowler hat]]) when he's in his "World Famous Attorney" persona.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Fan Works]]
* Tapper Smurf, the {{Oir|eland}}ish [[TheBartender bartender]], usually wears a green bow-tie that goes with his green-striped WaistcoatOfStyle in ''Fanfic/EmpathTheLuckiestSmurf''.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Films -- Animation]]
* The Baron from ''Anime/TheCatReturns'' has a rather natty bow-tie, and he is ''awesome''.
* Jack Skellington from ''WesternAnimation/TheNightmareBeforeChristmas'' has a bow-tie that looks like a bat.
* King Candy from ''Disney/WreckItRalph'' sports an oversized, shiny red bow-tie made from a candy wrapper.
* Milo from ''Disney/AtlantisTheLostEmpire'' wears a bow-tie for the first quarter of the film.
* Like his cartoon self, [[WesternAnimation/MrPeabodyAndSherman Mr. Peabody]].
* In ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyEquestriaGirlsFriendshipGames'', the girls from the Shadowbolts team wear purple bowties as part of their uniform (with the exception of Twilight Sparkle, who has a tie instead).
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
* Though it is a period piece, Dr. Henry Jones Jr., a.k.a. Franchise/IndianaJones, wears one while lecturing at his university.
* Watch Colin Firth tying his bow-tie in ''Film/{{Where the Truth Lies}}''. It's mesmerizing.
* ''Film/TheDarkKnightSaga'': Lucius Fox has been seen wearing one or two.
* Another ''Batman'' example: ChristopherWalken sports one while playing ManipulativeBastard Max Shreck in 1992's ''Film/BatmanReturns''. Together with his pinstriped suit, black gloves, spats and OminousOperaCape, Max looks like some badass amalgam of 1920s gangster and medieval lord.
* In the 1988 film ''Film/{{Sunset}}'', Cheryl wears a bow-tie as part of a ploy. [[spoiler:She wants people to assume she's a lesbian; it works.]]
* Dewey Finn (Creator/JackBlack) wears one in ''Film/SchoolOfRock''.
* Max winds up sporting one in the latter acts of ''Film/{{Rushmore}}''.
* Mr. Blue in ''Film/TheTakingOfPelhamOneTwoThree'', combined unusually with a BadassLongcoat. He makes it work.
* In ''Film/{{Sabrina}}'', Harrison Ford, playing the romantic lead, wears a black-and-white spotted bow tie, although this may be because the film can't decide what decade it's set in (or it may be to hint that he's really old and shouldn't be chasing nice young girls).
* Theatre/{{Harvey}} the rabbit wears a bow-tie in his portrait with his good friend, Elwood P. Dowd.
* ''Film/JamesBond'':
** James Bond has been rocking this trope for almost fifty years now.
** Bernard Lee's M is also a bow-tie wearer, wearing one in the office.
* Buckaroo Banzai from ''Film/TheAdventuresOfBuckarooBanzaiAcrossTheEighthDimension'' frequently sports a bow-tie, following his '80s nerd-chic look.
* Gaff from ''Film/BladeRunner''. Cool is an understatement.
* In ''Film/TheImaginariumOfDoctorParnassus'', the Devil (played by Music/TomWaits) makes a red bow tie look cool.
* ''Film/PeeWeesBigAdventure'': Pee-wee wears his signature red bow-tie throughout. He buys a boomerang version at the beginning of the film, but it's his only ChekhovsGun that doesn't pay off. The scene was cut.
* Hobart Frisbee wears one in ''Film/ASongIsBorn''.
* Both the original ''Film/TheNuttyProfessor'' and its remake have the main characters wear bow-ties in their good guy personas.
* Tendo Choi sports a red one in ''Film/PacificRim''.
* Creator/LaurelAndHardy: Stan wears a bowtie.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Literature]]
* Creator/AgathaChristie's Literature/HerculePoirot.
* Robert "Scotty" Bennett and Don Crutchfield in Creator/JamesEllroy's ''Blood's A Rover''. They both wear tartan bow-ties embroidered with numbers to denote how many men they've killed.
* ''Literature/TheCatInTheHat'' title character wears a red one along with his WhiteGloves and, of course, his signature hat.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
* ''Series/DoctorWho''
** The Eleventh Doctor: The {{Trope Namer|s}}! Played with, slightly, in that [[{{Adorkable}} he's the only one around who actually thinks this]] (well, except for UNIT's Osgood, anyway). This is a RunningGag. According to ''Series/DoctorWhoConfidential'', it was Matt Smith himself who chose to wear the bow-tie as part of his official Doctor outfit. Because he knew they were cool.
*** He explained it in one of the Christmas specials.
---->'''Doctor:''' Oi! Eyes on the tie. Look at me. I wear it and I don't care. Trust me?\\
'''Kazran:''' Yes.\\
'''Doctor:''' That's why it's cool.
** The bow-tie is {{iconic| item}} enough for this Doctor that he lets it fall to the floor just before regenerating.
** It even runs in the family: [[spoiler:Amy's newborn daughter, Melody,]] apparently questions the Doctor about his fashion sense while they're conversing.
** Apparently, in the UK at least there has actually been an increase in sales of bow-ties since Matt Smith took the role.
** In ''The Eleventh Hour'', Amy Pond takes The Doctor's tie (from the Creator/DavidTennant years) and slams it in the door of a car to prevent him from going anywhere while she tries to get answers from him. Not only are they cool, but practical, though she is often heard thereafter recommending he lose the tie.
** In ''[[Recap/DoctorWhoS32E13TheWeddingOfRiverSong The Wedding of River Song]]'', The Doctor uses his bow tie in [[spoiler:a marriage ceremony to River Song in an alternate universe]].
** The Second Doctor (from whom Eleven took a few dress cues) also frequently wears a bow-tie. The Third Doctor is also known to rock a bow-tie every so often, although his are usually a bit more elegant and flashy than the other two mentioned Doctors'. The series is enough of a {{Long Runner|s}} that bow ties hadn't gone out of fashion at the time these were produced, though, so they may not count.
*** The Third Doctor's costume, at least, was outdated; although he looks like a hippy at times, the costumes were actually provided by Jon Pertwee himself, who had discovered a load of Edwardian clothes in his grandfather's attic.
** The Sixth Doctor also wore a type of bow tie, although his were over-long strips of blue or red cloth tied into a bow. It is possibly a type of cravat.
** There is also Bill Nighy's character, Dr. Black, in "Vincent and the Doctor", who wears an even larger bow-tie than the Doctor. The difference being that Dr. Black is an art historian and it's to be expected that he would look a bit old-fashioned. The Doctor makes this another excuse to use the {{Trope Namer|s}} in an attempt to convince Amy. She's unimpressed.
** Interestingly, [[spoiler:the 12th Doctor]] seems to agree with everyone else now that bow ties are most definitely ''[[IWasQuiteAFashionVictim not]]'' [[IWasQuiteAFashionVictim cool]]. (Though that hasn't stopped him from adopting an even older-style bowtie on occasion, such as in "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS34E8MummyOnTheOrientExpress Mummy on the Orient Express]]".)
** Osgood also rocks a bowtie in honor of the Eleventh Doctor in "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS34E12DeathInHeaven Death in Heaven]]". She even utters the trope catchphrase.
* On ''Series/{{Leverage}}'' this was mentioned directly by Hardison during "The Radio Job", presumably as a ShoutOut to ''Doctor Who'' as he (not to mention the producers of the show) is a confirmed fan.
* In ''Series/{{NCIS}}'', Dr. Donald "Ducky" Mallard, the service's medical examiner, ancillary CoolUncle of the main group, English gentleman[[note]]The character's technically a scot but he studied at Oxford[[/note]] and perpetual font of trivia tangential to the case at hand, always wears a bow-tie to the morgue.
** During a short fling a woman convinced him to wear a more modern tie, but he soon switched back.
** A bow tie is just practical for a medical examiner. A regular tie is likely to get dipped in something nasty.
* ''Series/BillNyeTheScienceGuy''. Quite a few scientists in RealLife also wear bow-ties because they can't fall into beakers or chemical spills like regular neckties can. No doubt Bill was just going for the {{Adorkable}} look, though.
* Dr Bashir and Garak in the ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'' Bond spoof episode "Our Man Bashir".
* [[BadassInANiceSuit Brother Mouzone]] from ''Series/TheWire''. It's hinted that he is or was associated with the Nation of Islam.
* On ''Series/TheAndyGriffithShow'', a bow-tie was part of Barney Fife's standard out-of-uniform look. Howard Sprague was partial to them, too.
* Tim Wonnacott of ''Series/BargainHunt''.
* ''Series/PeeWeesPlayhouse'': Pee-Wee Herman.
* ''Series/GossipGirl'''s Chuck Bass, especially during the third and fourth seasons, loves bow ties. One reviewer suggested this was so Blair could straighten them, allowing the two to have close and intimate moments.
* ''Series/{{Glee}}'''s Kurt Hummel and Artie Abrams both wear bow-ties fairly frequently -- though Kurt more frequently than Artie. Artie's bow-ties are typically dorky. However, given Kurt's overall fashion sense and the fact that his bow-ties have been known to feature such items as ''tiny plastic steampunky clockfaces'', he's proof of the fact that bow-ties genuinely can be cool, if they're the right bow-ties.
** Starting in Season 3, Blaine Anderson wears those ''constantly'' with almost everything. It eventually becomes a RunningGag.
* Quiz show ''Fifteen to One'' had contestant Michael Penrice, who appeared in several series and usually reached the Grand Final, in which he always wore a bow-tie.
* Alton Brown cited this trope by name as a reason he selected a contestant for his team on ''Next Food Network Star''.
* ''Series/GilmoreGirls'' has Richard Gilmore. It is a running gag in the show that Mr. Gilmore is always wearing bow ties. Lorelei even wraps her father's gift in a bow tie (the story is much longer, featuring more bow tie jokes). Since he is older, it encompasses the [[{{Elders}} Gentleman of a Certain Age]] trope as well.
* In a ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'' Presidential Debate sketch then performer AlFranken played then Senator Paul Simon. All the moderator would ask Senator Simon about was his bow tie.
* Cuthbert Sinclair, a late-surviving Man of Letters on ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'', is quite stylish in hiw bow tie. Naturally, he's quite evil too..
* ''Series/DaysOfOurLives'': during the '80s, Eugene Bradford (played by Creator/JohnDeLancie), wore a bow-tie as part of his ensemble. Being a DitzyGenius, [[ShoePhone his bow-tie was also a wireless telephone]].
* Game show host Bud Collyer donned a bow tie on the shows on which he appeared (''ToTellTheTruth, BeatTheClock, Number Please'').
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Music]]
* [[http://www.google.be/imgres?imgurl=http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_VswKK4ErKSY/TSzRqcWaKtI/AAAAAAAAIeo/EA0K7IsXlYk/s1600/stromae-cheese-cover.jpg&imgrefurl=http://bestfbothworlds.blogspot.com/2011/01/quand-y-en-plus-et-ben-y-en-encore.html&usg=__8UUR1Rg0xGCddh-9-UCMzeuTmys=&h=396&w=440&sz=75&hl=nl&start=0&zoom=1&tbnid=1QNcvJRAMWctmM:&tbnh=130&tbnw=149&ei=BEtHTaScA9GhOp3E2bkE&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dstromae%26um%3D1%26hl%3Dnl%26safe%3Doff%26sa%3DN%26biw%3D1024%26bih%3D433%26tbs%3Disch:1&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=680&vpy=129&dur=3560&hovh=213&hovw=237&tx=148&ty=190&oei=7UpHTe2oGYXtOfKkqKUE&esq=3&page=1&ndsp=12&ved=1t:429,r:10,s:0 Belgian musician]] Music/{{Stromae}}.
* Rick Nielsen of Music/CheapTrick typically dons one of these on stage.
* Dr. John [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCRrXZP8b0I rocks a bow-tie (pink, no less)]] at Music/TheBand's ''Last Waltz'' concert.
* Music/AvengedSevenfold's rhythm guitarist, Zacky Vengeance, frequently rocks a bow-tie.
* Because she is almost never seen not wearing a tuxedo, JanelleMonae is a RareFemaleExample.
* One of boyband JLS wore a pink and white bow tie when they appeared on the Graham Norton Show on 25th Nov 2011. Bow-ties Are Cool and RealMenWearPink.
* David Byrne, notably in Music/TalkingHeads' "[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1wg1DNHbNU Once in a Lifetime]]" video.
* Music/{{PSY}} is seen sporting one in the video for Gangnam Style.
* Jade Thirlwall from LittleMix has a bow tie as her ident and is often seen wearing one. In the music video for Wings, which has over 60 million views, she is seen in a room full of them. Few female celebs have been associated with it as much as her.
* Pharrell Williams sports a bow-tie in the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6Sxv-sUYtM "Happy" music video.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Pro Wrestling]]
* Wrestling/BobBacklund regularly wore one after his 1993 heel turn and descent into insanity.
* "Million Dollar Man" Wrestling/TedDiBiase always looked snappy in one. His son Wrestling/TedDiBiaseJr. opts for midcentury casual instead.
* Late 1980s/early '90s ring announcer Mike [=McGuirk=] was often seen in a white tuxedo with a bow-tie. Maybe this was to emphasize that she (yes, despite the name, [=McGuirk=] was a woman) was a female performing a traditionally male job.
* Bow ties were part of the standard uniform for a {{Wrestling/WCW}} referee.
* Jiggle-O James Johnson tends to go shirtless with a bow tie for entrance attire. Rhett Titus would later go for a similar look while in his CasanovaWannabe stage.
* Johnny Ego or Juan Francisco de Coronado as he came to be known in Wrestling/{{Chikara}} typically wears a v neck or no shirt at all with a bow tie by it's lonesome.
* [[Wrestling/{{WWE}} David Otunga]] tends to wear a bow tie when not in the ring. (He's John Laurinaitis's legal adviser, and in RealLife is [[GeniusBruiser actually a Harvard graduate]].)
* Bow ties and tiny tilted top hats are the calling cards of Wrestling/{{Daffney| Unger}}'s All-Star Squad.
* La Aristocrata of Bolivia's New Xtreme Order is another example of bow ties are sexy, and that is often all he wears from the waist up.
* A bow tie is Ricky Ruffin's [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O52pRkD-2AM official symbol.]]
* White bow ties are the accessory of choice for the World Wrestling League's Gentlemen's Club.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Sports]]
* {{Enforced|Trope}} in professional snooker: the dress code explicitly mandates vest, shirt and bow tie for all players, even women. (Only medical reasons, such as a thyroid condition, can exempt you.) Players don't particularly like the bow tie; taking it off when the opponent has nominally won the deciding frame signals "I'm not coming back to the table anymore."
* UsefulNotes/NationalHockeyLeague center [[http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lsrt0yBKI01qd6oq7o1_500.jpg Dave Bolland]], which has led to rampant specualtion of him having [[TimeLord Gallifreyan origins]]. See his listing on the linked page for more on that.
* 1958 [[UsefulNotes/FormulaOne World Driver's Champion]] Mike Hawthorne always wore a bow tie with his driving suit.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
* Although ''TabletopGame/RocketAge'' is set in the 1930s, the fact that Mr Festil, a member of the Martian Royal caste, wears one is still very unusual. [[TheFashionista He even ensures it's always a little crooked, despite how well dressed he is]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Video Games]]
* Weiss from ''VideoGame/ArcanaHeart'' likes them so much, she keeps hers after being turned into a blob by [[CastingAShadow Gier's]] [[LimitBreak Arcana Blaze]].
* ''VideoGame/BlazBlue'': Carl Clover wears a giant [[{{Zipperiffic}} Zipper Pull]] as one.
* British boxer Dudley wears one in all his ''Franchise/StreetFighter'' appearances.
* Emizel in ''{{VideoGame/Disgaea 4|APromiseUnforgotten}}'' wears a red one.
* Jeff from ''VideoGame/EarthBound''.
* Hurdy from ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyTacticsA2'' wears a blue bow, which also matches with the tiny blue bows on his shoes.
* Lex the bookworm from ''VideoGame/{{Bookworm}}'' wears a very small, bright red one.
* [[Franchise/SuperMarioBros Mario]] [[http://spriters-resource.com/nes/punchout/sheet/30144 wears one in]] VideoGame/PunchOut
* [[TokenMiniMoe Nowi]] in ''VideoGame/FireEmblemAwakening'' provides a rare female example, wearing a pink one.
* Dr. Gilbert Buford from ''[[NancyDrew Legend of the Crystal Skull]]'' wears a red bow-tie. Justified, as he's both a medical doctor and rather elderly, from [[TheBigEasy a city]] where old-fashioned styles tend to be respected rather than sneered at.
* The Spy and The Medic in ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2'' have the "Doctor Whoa", a randomly droppable, user-submitted, team-colored bow-tie that's a direct ShoutOut to ''Series/DoctorWho'''s Eleventh Doctor. It was even released on one of the yearly anniversaries of the creation of ''Doctor Who''.
* There are a few different colored bow-ties for your monsters to wear in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIII2''. Only some species like wyverns and behemoths actually wear them on their necks, though.
* In the ''Citadel DLC'' for ''VideoGame/MassEffect3'', when Liara's holographic assistant "Glyph" decides to change into a more festive outfit for Shepard's house party, he returns sporting a very large holographic bow-tie.
* The titular KillerRobot in ''VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddys'' is [[BearsAreBadNews an animatronic bear]] wearing a bowtie. Toy Freddy and Mangle, in [[VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddys2 the sequel]], also wear one, alongside all other versions of Freddy. Also, all incarnations of Bonnie follow suit, bar [[VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddys3 Springtrap]] and [[VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddys4 Plushtrap]].
* Bowties are one of your enemies in Creator/{{Activision}}'s Atari 2600 game ''VideoGame/{{Megamania}}''.
* The female protagonist of ''VideoGame/FateExtra'' wears a blue one as part of her school uniform.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Web Comics]]
* {{Walkyverse}}: Jason Chesterfield, as part of being identified as the personification of the BritishStuffiness trope. He somehow manages to see it as "dignified".
* ''Webcomic/SupernormalStep''
** Both [[HiddenAgendaVillain Mr. Kite]] and his RobotBuddy Beatle wear bow ties (Beatle's is painted on his chassis). However, they're both [[TheMadHatter certifiably]] [[AxCrazy insane]].
** Wing, a vampire from Van's flashback, also wears a bow tie.
* ''Webcomic/HarkAVagrant'': Soon-to-be Canadian PM Lester Pearson accepts the nickname "Mike" on the terms that [[http://harkavagrant.com/index.php?id=294 he be allowed to continue wearing his bow-tie]]. [[http://www.google.ca/imgres?imgurl=http://v1.theglobeandmail.com/series/primeministers/images/main-LBP.gif&imgrefurl=http://v1.theglobeandmail.com/series/primeministers/stories/lbp-20020201.html&usg=__ueJocwUfGP8kTo_Nxrbf9gyUsJQ=&h=168&w=195&sz=12&hl=en&start=0&sig2=1gXfP33u80CIhyAxLQQ8LA&zoom=1&tbnid=akQZGqxJqO52-M:&tbnh=133&tbnw=155&ei=1Ts7TZjzJcH7lwf8o6TqBQ&prev=/images%3Fq%3DLester%2BPearson%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26sa%3DN%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26biw%3D1126%26bih%3D685%26tbs%3Disch:1&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=530&vpy=107&dur=2135&hovh=134&hovw=156&tx=95&ty=82&oei=lDs7TfWpMZD3gAfFsbzBCA&esq=8&page=1&ndsp=28&ved=1t:429,r:3,s:0 He can rock it though.]]
* ''Webcomic/{{Bobwhite}}''. [[http://www.bobwhitecomics.com/?webcomic_post=20101012 This guy.]] "Look, pal, just because you look handsome and dapper doesn't mean it isn't douchey to wear a ''bow-tie''."
* Fuzzy from ''Webcomic/SamAndFuzzy'' has rocked one since the very beginning of the comic.
* ''Webcomic/{{Homestuck}}'':
** Dave Strider in his [[ItemCrafting alchemized suits]] wears a red bowtie. Compare to [[TheFool John]], whose suits just do normal ties and is decidedly not a "[[TotallyRadical coolkid]]" as Dave is.
** Most of the Felt, especially Doc Scratch, sport green bowties from birth.
** Tellingly, [[{{Troll}} undyingumbrage]] ([[spoiler:Caliborn]]) rocks this trope in combination with suspenders, invoking images of both the {{Trope Namer|s}} and TheManBehindTheMan Lord English, [[spoiler: who is his future self]].
** Seemingly in imitation of the style of LE/Felt/[[spoiler:Caliborn]], the Trickster Mode versions of both the male players in the B2 session feature bow-ties, and Jake wore one just before engaging Trickster Mode anyway.
* ''Webcomic/QuestionableContent'': [[http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=2118 Hannelore's dad]] appears to be a classic white-coat-and-bow-tie AbsentMindedProfessor.
* Dr. Phage from ''Webcomic/AwfulHospital'' has an impressive collection.
* Martin from ''Webcomic/IgnitionZero'' collects bowties. When he gets bugged by Neve's obsession with feather boas, Neve points out his obsession with bowties.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Web Original]]
* WebVideo/TheNostalgiaChick started out wearing one. She doesn't sport one nowadays.
* While he doesn't wear one, [[WebVideo/AtopTheFourthWall Linkara]] uses he line while simultaneously making fun of a ''ComicBook/{{Youngblood}}'' character's outfit.
* [[WebVideo/SadPandaQAndA Sad Panda]] spends most of ''WebVideo/ToBoldlyFlee'' cosplaying as the {{trope|Namers}} [[Series/DoctorWho namer]], including rocking a bow tie.
* Jane and Lizzie in ''The Lizzie Bennet Diaries'', a vlog adaptation of ''Literature/PrideAndPrejudice'', wear a red bow tie while impersonating Darcy. Whether or not he actually wears one is still a mystery.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Websites]]
* The logo for [=DuckDuckGo=] wears a bow tie.[[/folder]]

[[folder:Western Animation]]
* Bill from ''WesternAnimation/SittingDucks'' has a bow-tie as his sole article of clothing.
* [[MadScientist Dr. Scientist]] from ''WesternAnimation/JimmyTwoShoes'' gained a bow-tie as part of his LimitedWardrobe in season 2. Additionally, some [[WhatCouldHaveBeen early concept sketches]] showed Jimmy in one.
* Different type of neckware, but Fred Jones' stubborn attachment to his [[OutdatedOutfit apricot-colored ascot]] in some incarnations of ''WesternAnimation/ScoobyDoo'' has evolved into a similar dorky-and-doesn't-know-it schtick.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheHuckleberryHoundShow'': Huckleberry Hound, whose show was the first animated series to win an Emmy, was rarely seen without his bow tie, and his show featured a large cast of bow tie wearers, including Pixie, Mr. Jinks, Hokey Wolf, and Boo-Boo Bear.
* Other Creator/HannaBarbera luminaries that wear bow ties include [[WesternAnimation/TheRuffAndReddyShow Ruff]], WesternAnimation/{{Snagglepuss}} (who wore a string tie version), Hardy Har Har, [[WesternAnimation/TomAndJerry Jerry Mouse]] (from the 1975 reboot), WesternAnimation/TheGreatGrapeApe and [[WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls the Mayor of Townsville]].
* Max Schneider from ''WesternAnimation/GravedaleHigh'' sports a red bow-tie with white polka dots.
* Mr. Peabody of the ''[[WesternAnimation/RockyAndBullwinkle Peabody's Improbable History]]'' segments.
* Professor Frink from ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' wears a blue bow-tie.
* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic''
** In one episode, [[TheFashionista Rarity]] makes a ''GemEncrusted'' one for [[AudienceSurrogate Spike]]. And he loves it.
** [[UnclePennybags Fancypants]] dons a rather snazzy one during the party at the end of Sweet and Elite.
** Octavia, who is [[IconicOutfit almost never seen without]] her pink bow-tie, provides a rare female example.
** The Flim Flam Brothers also wear these as part of their old-timey salesman outfits.
* [[MeaningfulName Bow-tie]] from the original ''Franchise/MyLittlePony'' was fond of these, and in the cartoon she wore them in her mane.
* Ice King from ''WesternAnimation/AdventureTime'' [[spoiler: when he was once Simon Petrikov, he used to wear a red bow-tie with his suit]]
* Mr. Funny and Mr. Fussy both wear bow-ties in ''WesternAnimation/TheMrMenShow''.
* {{WesternAnimation/Babar}} wears a red bow-tie.
* "WesternAnimation/ThePenguinsOfMadagascar": [[spoiler: Private]] get one because he has worn it when he was [[spoiler: Mr. Tux]] in episode of the same name.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'': Waylon Smithers.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Real Life]]
* When ties became regarded as uncool in the 60s, bowties were the first to go (neckties were saved by getting larger). In the 80s, the bowtie had a resurgence among "yuppies", but they became passe once again by the 90s. In the early 2010's, they came back in fashion again; with everyone from high school students to dads to celebrities are rocking them.
* Many men in the printing industry wear bow-ties, as you do ''not'' want to get your tie caught in a printing press.
* Used to be a trademark of engineers, professionals are expected to wear a jacket, but having loose items of clothing, like ties flapping about near heavy machinery is never a good idea.
* They are popular for doctors, as regular ties have gained a reputation as unhygienic. (You wear them right down your front, and most need to be professionally dry-cleaned and thus seldom get washed....) You never have to untangle your stethoscope from a bow tie, either.
* Many male librarians (especially those in the public library system) wear bow-ties because they won't get accidentally shut in drawers, tangled in lanyard-style name tags or caught on equipment. Librarians who work with children also like them because of their endearingly whimsical look and are more hygienic for both them and the kids (and smaller children can't grab them).
* For similar reasons as librarians, engineers, printers and doctors, they are a rather popular alternative to the long tie in the natural sciences, especially chemistry: Having a $50+ silk tie dangle into a batch of sodium hydroxide solution is a sure way to waste both your own money (on a new tie) and that of your laboratory (for redoing the experiment); but going open-collar is usually thought too unprofessional.
* Referees for sports like boxing usually wear bow-ties.
* [[http://www.bonobos.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/Wade-Bow-tie.jpg Dwyane Wade.]]
* Howard Phillips was famous for his bow-tie during his tenure as president of the Nintendo Fun Club. It even figured into some of the ''Howard & Nester'' comics in Nintendo Power.
* Bill Nye, [[BillNyeTheScienceGuy the science guy]], is rarely seen without one.
* Pascal Ory, a French political scholar, frequently appears in public wearing a bow tie [[BunnyEarsLawyer made of transparent plastic]].
* Conservative pundit George Will frequently wears a bow-tie.
* Fellow conservative pundit Tucker Carlson used to wear them too, but in 2006 he announced on {{MSNBC}} that he would no longer be wearing them, saying, "I wanted to give my neck a break."
** Carlson's bow-tie was famously mocked by [[Series/TheDailyShow Jon Stewart]] in a live interview.
* Although he's supposed to look dorky in his, Creator/MattSmith might actually be able to bring bow-ties back. ''Series/DoctorWho'' is popular enough, and fashion is cyclical. If nowhere else, among guys trying to impress Matt Smith fangirls. Apparently, [[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/doctor-who/7656389/Doctor-Who-prompts-surge-in-popularity-of-bow-ties.html it has]].
* The HongKong politician [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Tsang Donald Tsang]] is known locally as "bow-tie" as he always wears it in cases others would settle with a necktie.
* Mathematician and Fields medalist [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cedric_Villani Cédric Villani]]. Although in his case it's actually a ''lavallière'', which brings the concept of bow-tie UpToEleven. As unusual fashion items go, he also wears a spider brooch as seen [[http://www.ens.fr/IMG/image/actus/2010/MaravalOK.png here]].
* Fox Sports baseball field reporter Ken Rosenthal has [[http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/03/30/ken-rosenthal-will-be-wearing-bow-ties-all-year-and-this-is-a-very-good-thing/ taken to donning these on the air]] for charity awareness.
* [[UsefulNotes/NationalFootballLeague NFL]] star Dhani Jones loves to wear bow-ties, and even founded his own company to sell ties. Nowadays, he [[http://bowtiecause.com/ promotes wearing them for causes]].
* The former Prime Minister of UsefulNotes/{{Belgium}}, [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elio_Di_Rupo Elio Di Rupo]], is never seen without a bow tie. The bow tie is [[IconicItem so closely associated with him]] that the coalition agreement that formed his government (after ''589 days'' during which Belgium didn't have one) is called "the Butterfly Agreement" (the word for bow tie and butterfly are the same in French and Dutch).
* Creator/LloydKaufman, chairman and face of Creator/{{Troma}} studios, and director of ''Film/TheToxicAvenger''.
* [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gordon_Gee Gordon Gee]], president of [[SpellMyNameWithAThe The]] Ohio State University, is famous for never being seen without one. He [[http://www.thelantern.com/campus/gee-s-neckwear-untying-the-mystery-1.1719052#.TxX73_k8CSo reportedly]] owns more than a thousand of them, and tries to wear each one no more often than once a year.
* [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Simon_(politician) Paul Simon]] (the politician, not the musician).
* Applies even to cats, as the new [[http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-13845025 official government cat Larry]] shows us.
* C. Everett Koop, Surgeon General of the U.S. during the 1980s, is remembered as much for his ties as he is for being the first major medical leader to speak about the A.I.D.S. epidemic.
* Longtime tennis commentator Bud Collins [[http://espn-att.starwave.com/media/motion/2009/0629/com_090629_TEN_BudCollins.jpg often favored these]] on the air.
* Legendary TV chef [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keith_Floyd Keith Floyd]].
* [[Series/GoodEats Alton Brown]] has recently been seen sporting bow ties of late, though he may well have been influenced by the Trope Namer, [[http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lzazeb73qy1r3giwmo1_500.png as he's a confirmed Whovian.]]
* Standard attire for male members of the Nation of Islam. It apparently stems from an incident when a member was nearly lynched by his necktie.
* Murray Rothbard, the late Austrian School economist and [[PrivatelyOwnedSociety anarcho-capitalist]] theorist, is well-remembered in libertarian circles for his tie.
* Jeffrey Tucker, an editor also associated with the Austrian School, is known for wearing bow-ties.
* Academic dress (sub-fusc) at Oxford mandates a white bow-tie for men (women wear a thin black ribbon around the neck). While the uniform is only required at exams and ceremonies, but you still tend to see students dressed up on regular days once in a while.
* The Polish libertarian conservative politician and the writer of the most popular blog in Poland [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Janusz_Korwin-Mikke Janusz Korwin-Mikke]] is well-known for wearing a bow-tie (but this apparently does not help him earn voters' trust).
* Retired Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens was seldom seen wearing anything else, even on the most formal occasions. He's noted for being pretty down-to-Earth, especially considering he's a retired Supreme Court Justice and patrician WASP from Chicago; his opinions are imbued with a commonsense sensibility and humor, as are his interviews (watch Creator/KenBurns' ''Prohibition''; Stevens' two interviews are positively charming).
* Canadian Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson, known for his dorky nice-guy image, was typically seen with a bow-tie.
* UsefulNotes/WinstonChurchill often wore a bowtie. And was CrazyAwesome.
[[/folder]]

-> [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwy-_jbACFM "Bow ties are, and always will be, cool!"]]
----

* Shizuo Heiwajima from ''Literature/{{Durarara}}'' has one as part of the [[WaistcoatOfStyle bartender uniform]] he constantly wears. Occasionally [[http://www.mangareader.net/manga/durarara/1117173_e.jpg he wears it unclipped]] just to add to the badassery.

* When ties became regarded as uncool in the 60s, bowties were the first to go (neckties were saved by getting larger). In the 80s, the bowtie had a resurgence among "yuppies", but they became DeaderThanDisco once again by the 90s. In the early 2010's, they came back in fashion again; with everyone from high school students to dads to celebrities are rocking them.

* HuckleberryHound, whose show was the first animated series to win an Emmy, was rarely seen without his bow tie, and his show featured a large cast of bow tie wearers, including Pixie, Mr. Jinks, Hokey Wolf, and Boo-Boo Bear.
** Other Hanna-Barbera luminaries that wear bow ties include [[TheRuffAndReddyShow Ruff]], SnagglePuss (who wore a string tie version), Hardy Har Har, [[TomAndJerry Jerry Mouse]] (from the 1975 reboot), The Great Grape Ape and [[WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls the Mayor of Townsville]].

* Both the original ''TheNuttyProfessor'' and its remake have the main characters wear bow-ties in their good guy personas.

* HuckleberryHound, whose show was the first animated series to win an Emmy, was rarely seen without his bowtie, and his show featured a large cast of bowtie wearers, including Pixie, Mr. Jinks, Hokey Wolf, and Boo-Boo Bear.

* HuckleberryHound, whose show was the first animated series to win an Emmy, was rarely seen without his bowtie, and his show featured a large cast sporting bowtie wearers, including Pixie, Mr. Jinks, Hokey Wolf, and Boo-Boo Bear.

* ''WesternAnimation/YogiBear'' wears a necktie, but a bow-tie seems to work for his pal Boo-Boo. You might say Boo-Boo is dressed sharper than the average bear.
** Other Hanna-Barbera luminaries that wear bow ties include [[TheRuffAndReddyShow Ruff]], [[HuckleberryHound Pixie, Mr. Jinks, Hokey Wolf]], Hardy Har Har, [[TomAndJerry Jerry Mouse]] (from the 1975 reboot), The Great Grape Ape and [[WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls the Mayor of Townsville]].

* [[{{Badass}} Ranma]] from ''Manga/RanmaOneHalf'' would occasionally wear a rather nice [[RealMenWearPink pastel orange]] shirt combined with a little red bow-tie.

* Another ''Batman'' example: ChristopherWalken sports one while playing ManipulativeBastard Max Shreck in 1992's ''Film/BatmanReturns''. Together with his pinstriped suit, black gloves, spats and OminousOperaCape, Max looks like some {{Badass}} amalgam of 1920s gangster and medieval lord.

** [[{{Badass}} Dave Strider]] in his [[ItemCrafting alchemized]] [[BadassInANiceSuit badass nice suits]]. Compare to [[TheFool John]], whose suits just do normal ties and is decidedly not a "[[TotallyRadical coolkid]]" as Dave is.
** Most of the Felt, especially Doc Scratch.
** Tellingly, [[TokenEvilTeammate undying]] [[NotSoHarmlessVillain Umbrage]] ([[spoiler:Caliborn]]) rocks this trope in combination with suspenders, invoking images of both the {{Trope Namer|s}} and TheManBehindTheMan Lord English, [[spoiler: who is his future self]].

* Belgian musician [[http://www.google.be/imgres?imgurl=http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_VswKK4ErKSY/TSzRqcWaKtI/AAAAAAAAIeo/EA0K7IsXlYk/s1600/stromae-cheese-cover.jpg&imgrefurl=http://bestfbothworlds.blogspot.com/2011/01/quand-y-en-plus-et-ben-y-en-encore.html&usg=__8UUR1Rg0xGCddh-9-UCMzeuTmys=&h=396&w=440&sz=75&hl=nl&start=0&zoom=1&tbnid=1QNcvJRAMWctmM:&tbnh=130&tbnw=149&ei=BEtHTaScA9GhOp3E2bkE&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dstromae%26um%3D1%26hl%3Dnl%26safe%3Doff%26sa%3DN%26biw%3D1024%26bih%3D433%26tbs%3Disch:1&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=680&vpy=129&dur=3560&hovh=213&hovw=237&tx=148&ty=190&oei=7UpHTe2oGYXtOfKkqKUE&esq=3&page=1&ndsp=12&ved=1t:429,r:10,s:0 Stromae]].

* One ''ComicStrip/FoxTrot'' strip has Jason wearing a bow-tie to school due to believing people with bow-ties look smarter. He also wore an AlbertEinstein mask until the nose was dented. It should be noted that Jason was already making A+++ and higher grades. He was just trying to pad his grade even ''more'' with this trope.

* {{PSY}} is seen sporting one in the video for Gangnam Style.

** His arch-enemies, SelfDemonstrating/TheJoker and the Penguin, tend to wear them as well as part of their old-fashion dress suits.

* ''Franchise/SailorMoon'': Tuxedo Mask's snazzy tailcoat would not be complete without a nice white bow-tie.

* In a lot of early Franchise/ArchieComics, the titular character wears a bow tie. It pops up in older comics in the digests.

* Film/JamesBond has been rocking this trope for almost fifty years now.

[[folder:Visual Novels]]
* The female protagonist of ''FateExtra'' wears a blue one as part of her school uniform.
[[/folder]]

* Bill Nye, [[BillNyeTheScienceGuy the science guy]].