Bolo Ties
Why Do Cowboys Wear Bolo or Bola Ties?
I found this article, and it offers a very interesting insight to where Bolo Ties started:
The History Of The Bolo Tie
Author: Morton
Have you ever seen Texans or Arizonians wearing what looks like a thin
leather thong around their necks leading from a buckle at the shirt
collar? If so you’ve probably thought it dates back to the Wild West. That’s
what I thought until a little research revealed quite a different story.
This neckwear is called a Bolo or Bola and proclaimed the official
neckwear for Arizona, making it one of the most original American styles,
the Converse All Star being another; ironically its advent was the outcome
of an accident. Had it not been for the loss of a hat in the wind and a
quick thinking Arizonian, the style would never have come to fruition? It’s
a bit like the story about the advent of the first school tie, another
accidental style, which also involved hats and hat bands and covered in a
previous article.
In the late 1940s, a silversmith named Victor Cedarstaff went riding with
friends in the Bradshaw Mountains outside Wickenburg, Arizona. When the
wind blew his hat off, Cedarstaff removed the hatband, which had a silver
buckle he did not want to lose, and put it around his neck.
When his friends complemented him on the new apparel, Cedarstaff returned
home, and wove a leather string. He added silver balls to the ends and ran
it through a turquoise buckle.
Cedarstaff later patented the new neckwear, which was called the bolo
because it resembled the lengths of rope used by Argentine gauchos to
catch game or cattle.
Now many are mass-produced, bolos are usually made of leather cord, with a
silver or turquoise buckle. They are common throughout the west and are
often worn for business. In 1971 Arizona legislature named the bolo the
official state neckwear.
Article Source: http://www.articlealley.com/article_512563_34.html
About the Author: Purveyor of finely hand crafted designer Silk Ties,
Designer Silver Cufflinks, Watches, Belts & Wallets, by, Vivienne
Westwood, Timothy Everest, Ian Flaherty, Simon Carter, Veritas, LBB
London, Toye Kenning and Spencer, Michelsons, Shane McCoubrey and Cressida
Bell
http://www.patrickmcmurray.com
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