Bow Ties And Bogans

A customer of mine who lives in rural Australia wrote in to Mens Flair to complain about the Australian male psyche and the way it reacts to those that dress well. It is a great vignette, read it here: http://www.mensflair.com/news/bowties-bogans.php.

Here is the article reproduced below:

Bow Ties & BOgans

The other evening my girlfriend and I were walking down the main street of our town to an art opening at my favourite gallery; I was a bit excited about this but more excited because I was wearing my new bow tie from Le Noeud Papillion.

While we were stopped at traffic lights I noticed a car waiting there also. What drove my attention to the car was that the girl inside looked right at me, laughed, then said something to her boyfriend so he could get in on the joke. With the window down it was pretty easy to see the two of them grinning, glaring and laughing directly at me until the lights changed.

I’m new to this sort of style (it’s only the 3rd time I’d worn a bow tie) and I have to admit it got to me a little.

Had I been either more brave or petty I might of pointed out that his singlet is only meant to be an undergarment, his hat was crooked and, with a bachelor in fine arts, I can say his tattoo looked standard issue and thoughtless.

Most others in this small rural town when seeing me in a bow tie that night just looked at me like a little oddly, and I guess I was the odd one out so fair enough.

This little experience has taught me at least two things.

Firstly, wearing a bow tie in this world requires a confidence of a belly dancer (they look pretty confident to me). If you show any sign of individuality in your appearance you’ll be judged and ridiculed. You can pull it off only if you tell the world: “I’m confident in myself. No matter how ridicules you think I look I disagree and I’m not fussed with your opinion”. I was a little funny about it at first, but I look forward to wearing a bow tie at our local jazz and wine festival. I like bow ties, I look good in the bow and my girlfriend thinks so too. All the good reasons to continue wearing them.

Secondly, you should never point and laugh at people from your car when stopped at traffic lights.

Trent Beven is a fine arts graduate in rural Australia with weakness for fine hats, blazers and american folk songs.