Deciding Exactly What Type Of Bow Tie To Wear For An Interview That Matters

Bow ties may be a little old fashioned, but the truth is that they still make an impression in more ways than one. They look nicer than your usual necktie, they suggest an old school, nose to the grindstone work ethic, and they help recruiters pick you out in a crowd. If you know what type of bow tie to wear for an interview, then, at the very least, a recruiter who's undecided will be able to say "What about the fella who came in with that snazzy bow tie?" They suggest professionalism, style, and individuality. But, you need to know what type to wear and how to wear it, or you may just wind up looking out of place in a professional environment...
Red Ties
The red tie is the most iconic of all bow ties. When we think of a bow tie, the image of a red tie comes to mind. A bow tie is a great way to leave an impression on the recruiter. BUT! You need to be very careful when picking one out. You need something that puts forth an image of professionalism and dignity, not some wacky professor over sized novelty tie with yellow polka dots.
We recommend a darker red, or at least a sort of "room temperature" red. A pastel might be okay, but we recommend sticking to the more subdued, less dramatic shades. What's more important, though, is how you wear it, the suit, the shirt, the hair, the shoes. The rule of thumb is to keep it all mellow. The suit can be darker than the tie, but not much lighter, and black might clash a bit. Try a tan or gray suit and see how it looks, use your own judgment.
For the shirt, just put on your favorite light colored shirt. Wear brown shoes, and comb your hair neatly. Again, use your own judgment, even if you find that you disagree with us. It's all about how you look and there's really no formula for it, as it's pretty subjective.
Bottom line: Be careful with red. It may be your best bet if you know how to pull it off, but this is your first time with a bow tie, you may want to go with a more mellow approach...
Black, Gray and White Ties
With these colors, you have a lot more freedom in the rest of your ensemble. The rule of thumb here is: The darker the tie, the more range you have for the shade of the suit, shoes and shirt. With a light gray tie, you'd better be wearing a lighter shirt and a matching suit. But with a black bow tie, you can wear gray, brown, or black suits.
As with the red, just comb your hair neatly. Longer hair tends to clash with any bow tie, it's a bit too much of a mix of old and new styles. But then again, if you know you can pull it off and still look professional, give it a try. At the end of the day, they're hiring you for who you are, not who you pretend to be.
You're probably wondering how we reached the end of the article while only citing four colors of tie... Well, when it comes to bow ties, the truth is that it's a tight rope to walk. Most colored bow ties just look way too flashy. When you're going in for the interview, stick with the more classic, subdued colors. You can break out the green and light blue once you've been working there a little while and can get away with bringing a little more style to the workplace.