When the movie Urban Cowboy came out in 1980, John Travolta and Debra Winger convinced city dwellers that there was nothing cooler than the western look. Fashion became focused on cowboy boots, fringed leather jackets, chambray shirts, and cowboy hats. But if you were only looking to add a little western flavor to your city clothes, the bolo tie was the perfect accessory.
Bolo ties were skinny ropes of leather worn like a lariat. They were draped around the neck and held together in the center with a clip. The clips were generally pretty fancy – turquoise stones, steer heads, silver eagles – anything with a western influence. It was the low-key, cowboy way of wearing a neck tie.
Bolo ties also showed up on New Romantic boys in the ‘80’s, coupled with vintage sports coats and Edwardian collared shirts. The character Jon Cryer played in Pretty In Pink, Duckie, exemplified the look in the film. And he wasn’t going after cowgirls.
