The French call a bow tie ‘Le Noeud Papillon’ which translates to ‘the knot of the butterfly’ and its history is derived originally from Croatian mercenaries during the Prussian wars of the 17th Century, who used a piece of cloth to shut close the collar of their shirts.

The French upper class adopted the fashion and called them ‘cravats’, derived from the French word for ‘Croat’ and with time the cravat evolved firstly into the bow tie and then later into the neck tie.

Traditionally bow ties are made of silks and, in the case of formal wear, the bow tie should match the lapel of the jacket.

The bow tie, once reserved for the cultural elite, is now accessible to all walks of life. A bow tie can be symbolic for nonchlance, flair, eccentricity, prep, intelligence, wit, charm or just plain fun. It can be worn by women and men alike - both casually and formally. A bow tie wearer often has an artist's mind, a respect for tradition and yet a renegade at the same time. We hope you like our collection and to see what inspired us, view our blog here www.lenoeudpapillon.blogspot.com