The Cecil Bow Tie is named after a gentleman that we, unfortunately, never met. Cecil, or 'Cec' was a spirited drummer who lived on Lakeview Road in Coventry, in the midlands of England. He was also an amateur boxer in those parts, a hobby that he passed on to the youngest of his two sons. We felt as though, if Cec was to wear a bow tie, this is one that he may have been able to enjoy. Maybe not to work at the Rolls Royce aeronautics factory, but certainly when at the skins. (Incidentally, the very act of writing these few words has reminded us to learn more about the man... you have to know where you've been to...
The history of the bow tie may be murky, but unlike the wheel or gravity, it's recent enough for us to identify with, and even understand. Like most beginnings, the first signs of a bow tie came from necessity. In the 17th century, a young, ambitious fellow named Derek (real name unknown), who was a popular, sexually active Croatian mercenary during the Prussian Wars, needed something to hold together the opening of his 17th century shirt. To do this, he used a knotted piece of fabric - a look which caught on so rapidly, Sir Walter Topbuttön was right to feel his solution was completely overlooked. French soldiers brought the look back home with them and in classic fashion, claimed...
