OK, folks gather round. There are people who can make anything look like a costume and there are people whose fundamental glamour, or lack of self-seriousness, or both, makes anything look good on them. I believe it is possible, with a little patience and luck, and a whole lot of confidence ( even bottled confidence,) for people to learn to wear things like the kilt and bow ties without looking like the clothes are wearing them. I remember Robert Duvall in knickers and an argyle sweater vest in some movie. It did. not. work. I remember Bob Balaban in a bow tie and a sweater vest. It.did.not.work. But I have seen plenty of guys like our friend Phil looking good, mostly because they didn't look like they had spent a lot of thought on the whole thing. They got dressed and then they went on to whatever it was they were up to.

Bow ties are a little bit tricky. I think it is easy to spot someone who hasn't worn them quite long enough, just as you can always spot the Defendant in his New Suit down at the courthouse. Add to the bow tie any of about five elements ( sweater vest, suspenders /braces, seersucker suit, white buck shoes, feather boa) and you have to be careful. On one guy it looks classic, on another, cliched, but on the poor third gentleman, it looks clunky. The difference seems to me to be that air of not really caring. You see a lot of college guys these days wearing bow ties with khaki pants and flip flops. Like the guys in kilts with no shirt, you really don't have to worry about how seriously those guys are taking the whole clothing thing.

A dear old girlfriend once told me about HER college days. The ultimate derisive comment was to describe someone as having gotten her outfit "at the Punk department at Sears."

Sometimes, you have to mix it up a little.