Who wore it best? A-Z

Longer post than usual, but bear with me!
I’ve had this idea kicking around for quite some time - if I had to pick one bowtie-wearing celeb based on the starting letter of their first name, who would I choose and why?

Some basics - a feminine look is part of the enjoyment for me so tomboys tend to rank lower. I also like it when ties are worn tight, so a loose shirt may spoil otherwise flawless outfits. (For this reason I prefer a visible band, ensuring it’s not a clip-on.)

I view untied bows as the epitome of missed opportunities, so you won’t see any of them here...
That said, this is what I’ve come up with from my collection!

A: Aida Yespica

A good example of my preference for tightness. The gloves are a nice bonus!



B: Blake Lively

The most recent example on the list comes from “A Simple Favor”. Strict yet elegant - white gloves had been even better, but this is damn near flawless as movie scenes go.



C: Cheryl Ladd

Nostalgia may play a part in this pick as it was one of the first bow tie photos I found online. Still, I do love them combined with the glamour girl look.



D: Deborah Foreman

This was hard - Dita Von Teese has done it at least as good, but she’s far too camera-conscious and always posing  - which is fine, provided it’s for a photo shoot.
Instead I went for this look from “My Chauffeur” - Deb wears three bow-tied outfits in the movie, but this is the best in my opinion.



I’d also like to hand out a kind of lifetime award - Diane Keaton has worn ties of various kinds with various outfits through the years, but I think she did it the best at the premiere of “The Family Stone”:


E: Elizabeth Hulette (Miss Elizabeth)

Here’s Macho Man Randy Savage’s wife/manager at one of his matches back in ‘85 - haven’t found out which yet.
What can I say? I really like tux jackets and ties worn over dresses.



F: Fenella Woolgar

She pulled off the 1920’s look quite well in “Bright Young Things”.



G: Glynis Barber

Glynis wore bow ties like the most natural thing in the world on “Dempsey & Makepeace”.
(Her co-star could not have minded it very much - they married each other in real life.)




H: Hanna Schygulla

A pretty standard glam photo. I like that devil-may-care attitude.



I: Irina Sharipova

The shirt is just a little too loose for my liking, but those earrings and makeup make up for it.



J: Jennifer Beals

This scene from “Flashdance” is too iconic to leave out. The jacket is a bit too large, but since she planned to take it off anyway it doesn’t matter!
(Julie Andrews wear them really well, but doesn’t really go for femininity…)



K: Kim Basinger

My teenage crush on her will probably ensure she’ll always stay at the top of my list - but only in that white tux. Her other efforts have been far less impressive to me because of the bad fit. As good an example of the difference as I can provide!



L: Lauren Hutton

Had some other good L’s, but this one won out on how well she carries herself in a tailcoat - she does it effortlessly, which is more than can be said for some wearers of both genders.
Here’s a promo pic and a screencap from “Once Bitten” - the movie may be bad, her scene in this getup brief and the tie coming a bit loose during the dance routine, but damn could Lauren wear it!



M: Marlene Dietrich

Come on, who else did you expect?



N: Niecy Nash

Accessorizing at its finest - straight up tying a pretty bow around your neck and looking both happy and confident about the result.
Nice one, Niecy!




O: Olatz López Garmendia

A difficult letter - luckily there was a very nice shoot which also featured her then-husband’s grown up daughters in identical outfits.



P: Paulina Porizkova
Another iconic photo - I might have found the collar/tie too loose on another woman, but Paulina makes it work even for me.  
Those bracelets add something too.


Q: Queen Latifah

Ok, she more or less wins by default, but the tux she wore very briefly in “Chicago” is not bad at all! I believe this is a promo photo from the shooting, though - I don’t think we get such a clear look at it in the film.



R: Reba McEntire and Romy Schneider

All right, this was the one letter where I couldn’t choose just one. Reba’s look from the video for “Why Haven’t I Heard From You” is a perfect illustration of what I think female dress for black tie events should be: tux jacket over a white waistcoat instead of shirt to show just a bit of skin and optionally display any jewelry of choice - with a black bowtie around the neck, necessarily worn tight to preserve the elegance. (Hey, a guy can dream, right? )



On the other hand, Romy wore such a perfect white tux in “La Banquiere” (even taking off the jacket and waistcoat on-screen) that I simply couldn’t leave it out.


No more cheating, I promise!


S: Senta Berger

No shortage of ladies starting with S either, but I think this scene from the final episode of “Kir Royal” stands out. Shirtless collars are fine with me as long as they have wing tips, which is why I usually don’t care much for the Playboy bunny look.



T: Taylor Swift

I really enjoy when magazines get celebs to dress up for an article, especially if tuxes aren’t their usual style. Like this, for instance.



U: Uma Thurman

Not many names starting with U, but this scene from “Sweet and Lowdown” had ranked well in any competition.



V: Vanessa Williams

A great promo pic from her stint in the stage version of “Kiss of the Spider Woman” (also featured on the CD’s back cover). The pose and attitude really sells it.



W: Wendy Richard

Just one of the several times she wore a bow tie on “Are You Being Served”.


X: Xuxa

Another win by default, but this Brazilian icon really is fond of wearing ties - usually regular ones, but some bows as well!



Y: Yasmin Le Bon

Not many alternatives here - in fact, this is my only entry for the letter! Though I wouldn’t have saved it if I didn’t like it.


Z: Zeta Makrypoulia

I would have put in Zarah Leander as I’ve seen her wearing very nice top hat and tails. That photo was in a biography I don’t have, though, so Zeta wins on walkover! I love her attitude in this pic, even if the collar could have been stiffer...



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If you’ve made it this far I’m sure you disagree on some points, and maybe agree on others. Perhaps you even have more alternatives for the rarer letters!
In any case it would be interesting to hear what you think - a comment or two, a partial or full list or whatever you feel like.
Thanks for watching!

Abigail Spencer



Keri Russell



Emily Blunt


Judy Greer



Taylor Hill

My sugestions

Nice ones! Abigail Spencer was among my top picks. And Taylor Hill might very well have won my "T" IF her pictures had been in the right folder...but they are so new I hadn't sorted them yet, and I couldn't remember her name when looking!


Geri Haliwell definitely was a high-ranking contender for me too. Here's a video from that event if you haven't seen it:


The "9½ Weeks" scene would have been great if not for the fake moustache - but if you don't mind (or like) that, it's awesome.
And an interesting fact - for some reason that picture of Kim is always published mirrored; I've turned it the right way for comparison.


Keep 'em coming - very interesting to see what's popular!

Northerner, will you be coming up with a similar post for neckties?

Please do one for neckties

I don't think my collection of regular ties is big enough for a full alphabet, but I suppose I could try a smaller list:)

Anna Mila Guyenz



Beth Phoenix



Christie Brinkley



Diana Karazon




Emily Blunt



Fearne Cotton



Gal Gadot



Hannah Einbinder



Isabella Rossellini



Jessie Pinnick



Kaia Gerber



Lily Collins



Marina Arsangerieva



Nikki Reed



Olesya Rulin



Phoebe Dynevor



Rebecca Leigh Longendyke



Shailene Woodley



Taylor Hill



Uma Thurman



Virginie Ledoyen



Xiaoting Pan