Bow Ties Gifts
I remember one of my first shopping experiences as a young girl. I was with my Aunt Molly and we were looking for a ‘special present’ for dad’s birthday. I knew exactly what I wanted to buy him – a bow tie! He had worn one to my cousin’s wedding and I thought he looked so elegant! We went to a local department store and they had a big selection and it took quite a while. Aunt Molly was very patient, understanding this was important to me. I settled on a red one with blue polka-dots.
When he opened it I remember he was very happy! “Oh, just what I need” he exclaimed. He wore it the very next night to go bowling with his buddies. Looking back, I am sure he was a real hit at the alley! My dad was a blue-collar guy, very down to earth, so wearing a tie with his bowling shirt was just for ‘his girl.’ In fact, I bought him one for Christmas and his next birthday too. Then one day we went to a relative’s house. They had recently moved and dad asked mom to get the map out of the glove compartment. When she opened it, I looked inside and saw the three bow ties. I wondered why they’d be in the car. Not too much later, I understood. He was wearing them out of the house for me, and then putting them in there when he got to his destination. At first I was a little hurt, but when he explained that he wanted to make me happy, we laughed about it and I promised to never buy another bow tie for him, since he had a good supply and a small glove compartment!
Tie Bars Clasps, Advertising
I imagine that’s how men got a lot of their cufflinks and tie bars as well. While French cuffs on shirts were popular for quite a while, you could still only wear one set at a time, and a lot of little girls were buying 2 or 3 sets a year for their daddies. They have come back into popularity, or so it seems, since I do sell a number of pairs. And there are just so many variations on them. Some have company names, maybe given to a loyal employee as a reward for years of service.
Sport & Hobby Cufflinks
Others have initials or monograms. Some are hobby or sports-related, perhaps with a bowling ball, old car rifle, or team-logo. Of course, I am not forgetting the truly elegant cufflinks from the early part of the last century. These were often of 12K gold, or sterling silver, and with beautiful designs. Those are harder to find and the recent high price for precious metals has probably led to lots being sold for their cash value.
Letter "H" Cuff Links
Some cufflinks came as a set, having a tie bar that matched, or studs for the collar or lapel. Once again, harder to locate a full set. Perhaps one of the studs went missing, or the tie bar was kept as practical, but not the cufflinks themselves once the ‘special shirt’ was no longer used.
I still like to think of the ‘good old days’ when men always wore a suit and tie, whether it was a silly bow-tie like my dad’s or a classy silk one, with a pocket handkerchief that matched it. When we dine out, hubby is often the only one in the group with a tie, and then it’s with a sport coat. Call me old-fashioned, but I think men’s accessories are wonderful. They can really make the man! But, wait, a good friend who is in a managerial position in Chicago, often wears cufflinks with HER shirts, so I should stop thinking of them as a masculine accessory. Whether you continue to wear them or simply display with your collection, they are often easy to find and reasonably priced – happy hunting!
