The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
TAKE A BOW
The bow is enjoying a revival on necklines and accessories due in part to the popularity of Netflix series The Crown, reveals Jacqueline Wake Young
T he pussy-bow blouse can count Margaret Thatcher and Melania Trump among its fans – but let’s not hold that against it.
Mrs Thatcher reportedly said she thought a bow at the neck was “rather softening” and, like Theresa May and her golf-ball necklaces, it became her trademark fashion statement.
Now the bow is back – on collars, waistlines, shoes and headbands – and its renewed popularity is being put down to the influence of another famous figure from that era – Princess Diana.
Diana’s style has become a talking point once again after the airing of series four of The Crown on Netflix, which spans the years between 1979 and 1990.
Viewers have delighted in Emma-louise Corrin’s portrayal of Lady Diana Spencer in the series which has seen the costume department recreate some of her most memorable outfits so faithfully.
Among the most famous is the ensemble she wore for the announcement of her betrothal to Prince Charles – a royal blue suit with scalloped edging and white and blue pussy-bow blouse which provided the perfect backdrop for that huge sapphire engagement ring.
A necktie for women goes back centuries and every time it pops up in fashion it seems to do so for a reason.
A variation known as the lavalliere in 19th-century France was named after the Duchess of La Valliere, mistress to Louis XIV, and favoured by arty, liberal types.
From the 1920s, the feminine take on the necktie was a signature look for Coco Chanel who also included them in her collections.
More recently, the internet rumour mill has suggested Meghan Markle and her sister-in-law the Duchess of Cambridge have been trying to outdo each other with the pussy-bow look. Miaow!