 What's up guys? I'm Brian Sacawa. You're watching He Spoke Style and today we're talking all about formal bow ties. So the first thing we're going to do is to go over the five shapes that formal bow ties come in. The big butterfly, the semi-butterfly, straight end, diamond point, and the modified butterfly. Starting off here with the big butterfly. Now this is a shape that makes a statement with its size and as a result it's not going to be for everyone. Now as the general rule the size of your bow tie should be in proportion to your face. So if you've got a narrow face the big butterfly might not be the best choice for you. It's a shape that works best for wider faces and for guys who like to make a statement. Next up we have the semi-butterfly. This is going to be your most classic and conservative option. In terms of size you want to look for one with about a two to two and a half inch width at the ends. The semi-butterfly is a great choice for pretty much everyone, especially if you consider your style to be on the classic or more conservative side. Okay, here we have the straight end. For me the straight end has a bit of a cool factor to it. It's definitely a classic option, but it still looks modern and sleek. You don't see this one as often and if you wear it it will stand out as most people are going to be choosing a butterfly shape. The straight end is a good choice if you have a narrower face or if you consider yourself a traditionalist but like to stand out within that traditional framework. Next is the diamond point which is the dandiest shape of the bunch. This is actually the shape that James Bond wears at the beginning of Dr. No. Now if you're going to wear a diamond point you've got to own it and have the personality to match. And if that sounds like you the shape is going to be your favorite option. This shape will work best for people with narrower faces and big personalities. Finally we have the modified butterfly. This is a non-traditional shape that still looks traditional, but is also very intriguing. It's one of the signature shapes that my friend Nicholas from the New Papillon cuts. And as you can see it is straight on top with a regular butterfly shape on the bottom. For me this is the shape for the true sartorilus. You know it has a classic look and won't draw attention to itself, but it has that sort of almost hidden detail that not many people will notice. But the ones who do are probably the people you're already talking to at the cocktail party. Okay so those are the five shapes. Now let's talk a little bit about fabric which is very important. So you'll typically see formal bow ties in either satin or grosgrain. Satin bow ties have a smooth appearance, grosgrain bow ties have a heavier and ribbed appearance. Now the most important thing to remember when choosing a formal bow tie is that the bow tie fabric should match the lapel fabric. If you have a satin lapel choose a satin bow tie. And if you have a grosgrain lapel choose a grosgrain bow tie. Now a good question is do the bow tie and lapel fabrics need to match exactly? I'm going to say not really because unless you're getting a bow tie custom cut in the exact same fabric of your lapels or your tux and bow tie are from the same brand like Ralph Lauren for example, having them match exactly is not really possible. And that's totally fine because in most cases they're going to look close enough. Now what do you do if you have a self-facing lapel which is a lapel made of the same fabric as the rest of the jacket? In this case you can choose a bow tie in either satin or grosgrain. My wedding dinner jacket was self-facing and I wore the same grosgrain bow tie that I wore with my tuxedo during the ceremony. Okay velvet bow tie now so far as I know there are no hard and fast rules here but for me I think it looks best paired with a velvet jacket. I'm going to say that you could have a satin or grosgrain lapel and get away with a velvet bow tie as long as the jacket itself is velvet. Both items make a statement and if you're wearing a velvet jacket to begin with go all in by all means if you feel like it. I personally am not a big fan of a velvet bow tie with a traditional tuxedo or dinner jacket because I feel like it stands out a little too much and not in the best way. To each their own though and that's just my opinion you can take it or leave it. One final thing I will say and that is to always tie your own bow tie. A bow tie should not look perfect in fact one of the things that I think looks absolutely terrible is when you see one of those pre-tied department store bow ties I understand the urge to want everything with the tuxedo to be perfect. If you watched my wedding tuxedo video I talk a lot about how I wanted everything to be perfect but there's a difference between making the perfect choices versus things looking too perfect. What really needs to happen especially with the bow tie is that it needs to be perfectly imperfect if that makes any sense. For me it looks more elegant and it looks more relaxed plus the best thing about tying your own bow tie is that at the end of the night you can untie it and it's just really satisfying to untie it and have it hanging around your neck and it looks pretty cool. So finally remember that whether you're choosing a big butterfly, a semi butterfly, straight end diamond point or modified butterfly shape that the bow tie you choose should work with both your face shape and your personality. Leave your comments below and let me know what kind of bow tie guy you are. Thumbs up if you liked this video hit that subscribe button and until next time thanks for watching and stay tailored.