How to Wear a Bolo Tie
A bolo is a tie for people who would rather not wear one. It goes on in five seconds, it never needs a knot, and it says more than a strip of silk ever will. Here is how to wear one, and what else belongs at the collar, the cuff and the crown.
1. Start with the shirt.
A bolo wants a collar. Button a pearl snap or a dress shirt all the way to the top, run the cord under the collar points, and slide the clasp up to where a tie knot would sit. Want it looser? Drop the slide an inch or two and open the top snap. Both are right. Our note on the shirt that works both shifts covers the shirt half.
2. Pick the slide for the room.
- The Longhorn Bolo, 14k Gold Plated: a sculpted Longhorn on a genuine brown leather cord. The easy first bolo. Works with denim or under a sport coat.
- The Longhorn Bolo, Polished Brass: the same Longhorn in brass on a genuine leather cord. Brass ages with wear, so it looks better every season.
- The Longhorn Bolo, Gold Plated on Tan Braid: a gold-plated brass Longhorn on a distressed tan round braided cord. The top of the line, for the wedding or the good seats.
All three are designed in Austin by EighteenFortyTwo and ship direct from the maker.
3. Match your metals.
One rule does most of the work: keep the metals in the same family. A gold Longhorn at the collar looks best with a gold-tone buckle at the belt. If your buckle is silver, start there and build up. Our belt guide covers buckles.
4. Dressing up? Move it to the cuff.
When the invitation says black tie, a bolo may be too loud for the room. The Longhorn Cufflinks are 14k gold-plated brass and need a French cuff. They pair with the gold bolos for the nights you want both.
5. Don't forget the hat.
The fastest way to change a hat is to change what goes around it. The Jewelry Junkie cuts these by hand in Texas:
- The Black Leather Hat Band: genuine black leather, 1.5 inches wide, 15 inches long.
- The Floral Leather Hat Band with Howlite: brown floral-tooled leather with a turquoise-tone howlite stone at the center. No two alike.
Both have long vegan leather ties, about 100 inches, so they wrap or knot at the back to fit most crowns. Band only; the hat is sold separately.
6. Wear one statement at a time.
A bolo, a turquoise hat band and a trophy buckle can all live in one closet. On one day, pick one to lead. The rest can back it up quietly.
Texas at the collar. Shop the whole case in Bolos, Cufflinks & Bands.