This city has officially become bow tie obsessed. In addition to PINO, Natural Born Elegance, and a handful of other small companies that specialize in neckwear, the latest one to pop up on my radar is Bowyer & Fletcher, headquartered about 10 blocks away from where I'm currently sitting. Committed to worldly fine fabrics ("English and American wools, Italian silks and Japanese cottons"), the resulting collection is an appealingly eclectic range of colors and prints.

Reflected in menswear looks on runways near and far, there's no doubt that the fashion industry is pushing bow ties pretty hard these days, but it was not so long ago that they were like kryptonite to the average dude. So at this point, with "nerd being the new cool" and all that, are you buying it? Would you wear one in these newly bow tie-friendly times? And perhaps more importantly, when you see them on others are they bone-inducing or boner killing? (Don't even get anatomical on me. Lady boners are a thing.)