Conservative brand launches not-so-conservative bow ties

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Every man who has ever climbed the Montée des Marches for the Cannes Film Festival knows that a bow tie is obligatory on the red carpet (you can even buy them last-minute just before you get to the steps). But it's not just because of the ongoing festival; bow ties seem to be celebrating a stylish comeback.

One brand that no one expected to come up with the trendiest option is Brooks Brothers, but the famously conservative label teamed up with the founder of men's style blog socialprimer.com, K. Cooper Ray, for a collection of reversible bow ties.

"Inspired by Brooks Brothers' heritage of mixing vivid patterns and colors," as it reads in a statement, they feature two sides of different colors and patterns (including polka dots, florals, nautical flags, and madras plaid) and can be folded to your liking. This means that this range of bow ties allows for rather traditional wear or more eccentric styles, depending on how you tie them.

"Bow ties have become increasingly popular and Cooper's sense of style and his interpretation of an iconic, classic item have brought a new dimension to the Brooks Brothers bow tie assortment," said Jeff Blee, Brooks Brothers' divisional merchandise manager for men's furnishings.

Selling for $59.50, 16 different styles are already available via this link: http://www.brooksbrothers.com/IWCatSectionView.process?IWAction=Load&Merchant_Id=1&Section_Id=1078.

For alternatives, try Ralph Lauren's polka-dotted bow ties ($70) or the denim ones by Naked & Famous ($25).