Antiques: Are bolos on the comeback trail?
What do Johnny Depp, Clint Eastwood and Roy Rogers have in common? Perhaps not a great deal, but from time to time, all of them have been caught out wearing bolos or string ties. Nor should we forget Bruce Springsteen and John Travolta’s occasional wear of same.
It appears that bolos are making a comeback of sorts, fueled by the increasing popularity of country music, Western wear and a general decline in enthusiasm for the silk cravat. And so, addled by heat and lacking any better idea, let’s make the bolo the topic of this week’s column.
Not surprisingly, there are claims and counterclaims as to who came up with the design, but there seems little doubt that the original concept was Native American in origin. One story has it that a New Mexico retailer adopted the idea from local tribes while another claims an Arizona silversmith converted a hatband into a bolo following a moment of inspiration.
Whatever the yarn, by the 1940s, it was a symbol of the Southwestern lifestyle and received further exposure from its many appearances on Western movies and TV shows. Eventually, the bolo was anointed as the official neckwear of Arizona, New Mexico, and, not surprisingly, Texas. A higher honor than that is hard to imagine.
As the 20th century rolled along, bolos even had their moment in the overseas fashion market as the UK and later Asia picked up on the look. By the 1980s, however, bolo enthusiasm had softened here as Yuppies turned to khakis and polo shirts, and the somewhat tiresome concept of cultural appropriation made wearing bolos a bit suspect.
Nonetheless, what goes around comes around, and so it is with bolos. In 2020, no less a fashion influencer than Prada introduced a brushed leather bolo at a price that would otherwise cover the purchase of an entire pony. All the same, it is a known fact that bolos eat far less than ponies and require much less running around, so maybe that’s OK.
As to exactly what is a bolo, it is generally a circular or oval disc about the size of a silver dollar with channels on the back to accommodate a thin leather neck strap. The discs are often made from engraved silver and beautifully ornamented with coral and turquoise. In lieu of metal, polished stones such as agate are acceptable substitutes while the leather cords are frequently tipped in silver and braided with considerable finesse. Unlike a conventional necktie, bolos can be put on in a flash and adjusted to avoid the noose-like constriction that goes along with your basic cinch knot. In short, there’s a lot to like about bolos and their continued ascension in the pantheon of fashion accessories seems likely.
So there you are. If you’ve never sported a bolo, this might be the time to try one on. You’ll define yourself as a fashion trendsetter, impressing your friends and neighbors and maybe even gathering millions of followers so that you can afford not one but a closet-full of Prada bolos. You’ll find the more usual variety in Western wear stores and galleries like ours with many options to choose from. Put yourself out there and see what happens. You never know!
Mike Rivkin and his wife, Linda, are longtime residents of Rancho Mirage. For many years, he was an award-winning catalogue publisher and has authored seven books, along with countless articles. Now, he’s the owner of Antique Galleries of Palm Springs. His antiques column appears Sundays in The Desert Sun. Want to send Mike a question about antiques? Drop him a line at info@silverfishpress.com