Once upon a time, wearing a bow tie to a date can spell death to a possible romance. After all, who wants to date-or, heaven forbid, marry-an awkward nerdy geek, right? But how times have changed! Nowadays, bow ties are cool, and almost paradoxically, they're hot! They're worn by smart people who are cool and on-top enough to get away with anything. Or at least that's how we are coming to view them. Thus, the bow tie's heyday.

Striking the right note:

In fact, the bow tie should have gotten its big break with famous wearers Albert Einstein and Winston Churchill. But both were perceived to be too eccentric, and not a lot of us wanted to talk about the speed of light or lead a country to war. So the bow tie got its big break instead in the TV series Gossip Girl, where some of the characters in the show sported their little silk bow ties in social events, and even with everyday attire. Yes, it seems that being a rich, hip, good-looking teenager with multiple romantic dalliances hit a good note with a lot of us that physics and world wars didn't.

After that, several prominent people have been caught wearing bow ties-even striped bow ties. Silk bow ties have been seen on fashion designers Manolo Blahnik and Karl Lagerfeld, and even on San Francisco Giants pitcher Tim Lincecum. Actors in the TV series "Mad Men" wear bow ties too. And with the series' witty dialogue and intelligent storytelling, the show was one of the most lauded series in the recent Emmy Awards. With Mad Men's popularity rode the bow tie, which has come to be associated with its main characters.

Nowadays the bow tie exudes confidence and intellect. It is becoming more associated with being hip, witty, and intelligent, rather than being weird, strange, and geeky. Indeed, the bow tie has evolved in a way that people have come view it as a sign that the wearer is smart but respected and definitely not afraid to have fun. So if you come to think of it, it's really no surprise that-be it with athletes, rock stars, actors, or any other celebrity-the bow tie is now more popular than it has ever been in the history of mankind.

Bow ties for kids:

And it is not only the grown-ups who get to enjoy the resurgence of the bow tie. Teenagers and young kids are starting to appreciate it as well. When the group Jonas Brothers performed wearing bow ties, adolescents everywhere discovered the strange new fashion accessory. Eventually, for some, it became a new requirement to their daily attire, in addition to their iPods, to make their cool looks complete and up-to-date. And along with bow ties, V-necked sweaters, cardigans and narrow ties are also coming in with the wave. As Eric Jennings, director of men's fashion at Saks Fifth Avenue, so neatly expresses it, "The American collegiate look is hot right now."