With housing day coming up on Thursday, everyone’s readying
their house gear to wear when storming the freshman dorms. One of the more
unique house gear items is the Adams House Bow Tie (which some call “pretentious”
and others call “extremely pretentious”).

The bow tie is a terrifically chosen and designed piece of
house spirit wear for a couple of reasons. The first is it’s function – it can
be worn around the neck regardless of what you’re wearing (save perhaps a
necklace) without interference. It is worn close to your face, and is thus just
as visible as a branded hat or sunglasses, yet without blocking your vision. The
colors are distinct – no one is ever going to wear a bow tie like this unless
they are in Adams house.

It’s also well-designed because it’s a “fake” bow tie, in
that one doesn’t have to tie the knot. While that may not be the most
stylistically conservative type of tie, this serves its function – to be worn
with any clothing on housing day as a sign of Adams spirit – better than a tie
that one had to fumble with to tie would.

The classiness of the bow tie as an item is also unique, going
beyond the sweatshirt, t-shirt, hat, or sweatpants stereotypes and providing a
quirky item of clothing with which to show house spirit. Overall, the iconic Adams
bowtie is perhaps the most “Adams” Adams house gear, and is provided to every
freshman sorted into the house for that reason.