Buckles & Bolo Ties


A belt buckle is a buckle, a clasp for fastening two ends, as of straps or a belt, in which a device attached to one of the ends is fitted or coupled to the other. It is said to have been invented during the Elizabethan era by Italian blacksmith Tomaso Kellioni. Others say the Persians introduced it to the Romans after their conquest.

In the United States, removable, ornamental belt "buckles" that generally attach to the original buckle are common.

Belt Buckles as fashion has risen to prominence, especially in the United States, over the past five years through the two innovations in the belt buckle industry. The classic Western Belt Buckle has secured a loyal following of collectors that have kept interest in the trade alive. Additionally, the Belt Buckle as an extension for gadgets and other electronic devices has renewed interest in this piece of clothing. Unfortunately, there are no existing documents which explain the methods of application for belt buckles.

Meanwhile, a bolo tie (sometimes bola tie) is a type of necktie consisting of a piece of cord fastened with an ornamental bar or clasp. The bolo tie is a North American pioneer creation that dates back to between 1866 and 1886. There is a bolo tie on display at a trading post in Zuni Pueblo, New Mexico that dates back that far. The bolo tie was created in 1949 by Vic Cedarstaff in Wickenburg, Arizona and later patented.

In the United Kingdom, bolo ties are known as "Bootlace ties". They were popular with 1950s Teddy Boys, who wore them with drape suits.

In the United States bolo ties are widely associated with traditional cowboy dress, and are generally most common in the western areas of the country. Many Native Americans have also worn bolo ties. The bolo tie was made the official neckwear of Arizona in 1971. New Mexico passed a non-binding measure to designate the bolo as the state's official neckwear in 1987. On March 13, 2007, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson signed into law that the bolo tie is now the state's official tie.

Western wear is a category of men's and women's clothing which derives its unique style from the clothes worn in the 19th-century American West.

Western wear ranges from accurate historical reproductions of pioneer, mountain man, Civil War, cowboy and vaquero clothing to the stylized garments popularized by singing cowboys such as Gene Autry and Roy Rogers in the 1940s and '50s.

The most elaborate western wear is the custom work created by rodeo tailors such as Nudie Cohn, which is characterized by elaborate embroidery and rhinestone decoration. (See also Nudie suit.) This type of western wear, popularized by country music performers, is the origin of the phrase rhinestone cowboy.

Some western companies focus on maintaining cowboy authenticity in their events, for example like Happy Pappy's Holdup outside of Hardin, Montana for reenactments, staged events, and history tours.