Matt Smith’s Doctor sees surge in bow tie sales. Photocredit: Doctor Who
The background
It’s high time for tweedy academic types! Yes, not since the glory days of the Young Fogeys have tweed, brogues and bow ties been in such demand. And particularly the latter. Since Matt Smith, who plays the Doctor in the science fiction, time traveling television series Doctor Who, declared “bow ties are cool”, clothes tore Topman has reported a massive rise in sales of the neckwear. They’ve soared by 94 per cent. Commentators on the web love it.
Fezzes are red, the TARDIS is blue, bowties are cool and so are you.
— timey-wimey ❤ (@davidtfan) June 18, 2012
It’s the retro academic look
The Telegraph helpfully explained where bow ties came from – “Croatian mercenaries in the 17th century”, who used them to “hold together the opening of their shirts.” The French (of course) then adopted it; now the Doctor sports them happily as part of his “retro academic” look.
We’ve all got them hidden somewhere
John Miln of the Guild of Tiemakers said, quoted on The Telegraph : “I think most of us have got bow ties hidden away somewhere and I think we are going to be seeing more of them out on the streets.”
Smith isn’t a patch on Tennant
SFF Chronicles said that the Doctor was now a “fashion icon.” “Our memory may be rusty, but we don’t ever recall there being a surge in huge, badly knitted multi-coloured home-made scarves when Tom Baker was the Doctor.” Nor did people start wearing Edwardian cricket jumpers when the Doctor was Peter Davison. But “if Matt Smith’s Doctor wants to go for the full retro academic look, surely he should have the obligatory ovals of leather on the elbows of his jacket? That would be more than apt, too, because he isn’t a patch on David Tenant.[sic]”
Love who you are, and wear what you like!
Consider this, said Doctorwhodiatribes, who “couldn’t help but wondering about the cataclysmic knock on effect that a bow tied Britain would have.” The site imagined a parliament “full of disgruntled MPs trying to fix one another’s tie.” But perhaps the bow tie “will have similar cultural repercussions as the burning of bras.” The bow tie says “I’m quirky, controversial. I may be learned … or just parodying scholastic merits.” The lesson is “Love yourself and wear whatever the hell feels good for you!”
This hipster, from Hipster Runoff, certainly thinks bowties are cool, although perhaps you might not agree:
A bowtied hipster
There is, naturally, a tumblr entirely devoted to dogs wearing bowties: dogsinbowties.tumblr.com
Watch the Doctor saying how much he likes bow ties here:
