The black bowtie is a timeless accessory that has been a staple in men’s fashion in the last centuries. While it has gone in and out of style over the years, it remains a versatile piece that can elevate any formal outfit.
The origins of the bow tie can be traced back to the 17th century, where Croatian mercenaries wore a piece of cloth around their necks to hold the collars of their shirts together. This style eventually caught on with the French upper class, who began wearing more ornate and decorative versions of the bow tie.
Today, the black bow tie is still considered the epitome of formal wear. It is often worn with tuxedos for black tie events such as galas, weddings, and awards ceremonies. However, it can also be worn with a suit for less formal events such as business meetings or dinner parties.
And throughout the above mentioned history and evolution of the black bow tie, I do believe that no wearer imagined that at some point we could create a black bow tie from plastic LEGO bricks and parts. Yet here we are so let’s dive in!
Some of the first frames I started playing with were black ones. I would love to say that black was the first choice due to the many black tie events I had to attend or all the tuxedos in my closet, but the reality is far from it: I just had a lot of black parts available.
Black is a great canvas for any bow tie you want to build with lego bricks. It lets everything else you add to it stand out. What I want to share with you is all the combinations and patterns I experimented with on a black bowtie base.
So Bleau, what are we talking about here? Well, there’s basic decorations, patterns, chains, studs and spikes, flames and fire, glitter and sparkles, frame alterations and second layers, minifigure combos and the list goes on.
Let’s dive in today with basic decorations. Please excuse the use of old parts for the frame here. I noticed too late that I wasn’t using new parts for the photos.
For a quick start, you can easily theme a black bow tie with any simple LEGO part or minifigure accessory. You can find a lot of 1×1 or small details to give your bow tie personality: a crab? you got it. A star or butterfly? works! How about a trophy, a parrot or a bouquet to create a flower bowtie? Yes, yes and more yes.
You can choose to ignore the center and instead play around by placing the ornaments on one of the sides or corners of your bow. Even more fun when you use fluorescent LEGO bricks or LEGO parts, like the spider below. It will definitely turn heads and stand out in the dark.
You can also choose to focus on symmetry, decorating both sides with the same element or mixing it all up. Using green scuba flippers on the sides and a green center for example, or why not 2 hand trolleys.
What’s even more fun is that you can just prepare the accessories and switch them on the same bow tie frame depending on the occasion. You can look for all kinds of small parts and accessories in your existing lego sets. Alternatively, you can check out the xtra sets from Lego, Lego’s “pick a brick” option or check out other part shops like Bricklink.
And that wraps it up for this first part of black bow tie from LEGO parts series. I hope you enjoyed it and that it hopefully sparked some ideas of your own. Feel free to share your own designs in the comment. Will happily post them in a dedicated fan/user category.
In part 2 of this series, we will have a look at using and creating patterns for our black bow ties.
Until then, if you already want to start creating and even more importantly wearing yours, check out the Bowtie Bleau shop!
I sell ready to wear handmade straps and frames that just snap together ( pun intended! ). The straps are adjustable and easy to connect to any bow you create. On top of that, you get instructions to dozens of frame shapes so you can start building your collections.
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