When Tieroom started out with neckties six years ago, bow ties were of course in the back of our minds. But business and time flies, and it wasn't until three years later that we actually brought home our first bow tie collection, something we've never had to regret. About the same time ever more celebrities, like George Clooney, Brad Pitt and the likes started showing up on red carpets around the world sporting bow ties.

From a roaring kick start the increase has never stopped, popularity and sales are still on the rise. Today we almost sell as many bow ties as ties. Some patterns that always sell well - besides solid black and white - are Frej, Hamilton and Mahatma, and of course all solids, just to mention a few.

We're of course well pleased with the bow tie fad, that's actually not just a fad anymore. Formalwear really needed an equivalent alternative. Tradition hasn't given blokes many choices before. Of course, there's always been bow tie bearers, but now bow ties are really kicking in in a big way - not quite going mainstream yet, but it's not far off. It's hardly startling to wear a bow tie anymore, not even to work. But if you still want to be on the edge, you could go knitted. Knitted ties are quite common, but knitted bow ties are still quite a rare sight. Give it a try!

We're also inspired by the fact that so many bow tie bearers seem to take pride in tying themselves which can be a bit of a challenge to start with. So, about a year ago, we made a little film on how to tie a bow tie, and that has been greatly appreciated.

So, no excuses for chickening out anymore, get tie training! Here's some training equipment. One thing to bear in mind is to be careful with coarse hands that can tare up lint and sharp stubbles rubbing against the bow tie, due to the proximity to your neck and chin. This is a factor no matter how high the silk quality. 1 day stubbles are sharpest, beard is not so bad. Stubbles also vary a lot in how stiff they are.