Smith’s run on Doctor Who has been an amazing adventure not just across time and space, but causing an explosion in bow tie popularity.
Case in point: One store reported a 94% increase in bow tie sales after Matt Smith’s first episode on Doctor Who.
This might be the biggest influence a science fiction TV show has had on men’s fashion.
The bow tie is the traditional “uniform” for judges, lawyers and doctors. I started wearing bow ties in January 2007 and my blog Bow Tie Law in 2008. I had entered the world of the eDiscovery speaker circuit several months before. Not being shy, nor afraid to show off my geek side, I started wearing bow ties to stand out on panels. I did not want to be just another lawyer discussing electronically stored information, the form of production and document review best practices. I even wrote an advanced eDiscovery seminar that highlighted the history of bow ties in pop culture and the law entitled “Bow Ties Are Cool” as a tribute to Doctor Who and bow tie wearing lawyers.
My mock trial students wear matching bow ties and scarves as a display of team unity. It does not hurt many of the students are also Doctor Who fans.
