What is the style of "tie" Brett used as Holmes?

It looks to my admittedly amature eye to be a bow tie with the ends tucked under the collar.

 

Most Holmes' wear that tie. Peter Cushing does, Basil Rathbone does in parts of the two films done with Fox (which are set in Victorian times). And oddly enough Cushing also wears one in the role of the elderly Professor Van Helsing in "Dracula AD 1972" made and set in (gasp) 1972.

Looking in the mirror and comparing it to some of the pictures the idea of a bow tie with the edges tucked under the collar seems right, as it's more than just a piece of silk (it has some sort of bow tie resembling knot).

 

A variant of this style --the "crossover" tie-- rose to fashion in the early 1960s. Sammy Davis Jr., Eddie Fisher and other entertainers made it popular.

 

These days it's pretty much just worn by women.

 

It is indeed a bow tie that Brett uses. You'll notice just how high up his waistcoat goes (compared to the waistcoats worn by almost every other actor in the series) - You can see in several clips in the show that the bow tie is tucked under the waistcoat as well, and that if it wasn't as high it would poke out from the collar.

Almost all the Strand magazine artwork I've looked at has shown Holmes wearing a bow tie in this style, so I think we can say it was at least acceptable in Victorian society, although likely not common.

I've tried to wear the style a few times, but my waistcoats go too low and, worse, my bow ties are too wide and poke out of the collar far too much.

 

I have one of these - black fabric joined by a round button of knotted silk cord. The fabric is a black on black pattern that I've seen on 1920s bow ties. I've always wondered what it should be worn with and for what sort of occasion.

 

This is just a random guess, but these days I would wear one on occaisions where a tie would be too formal, but you still want to look smart. Such as if you are hosting a neigbour get-together and a tie would make people feel uncomfortable, but one of these would make you look smart enough as the host. Just my £0.02 (or $0.02 for those of you on the other side of the Atlantic).

 

I wore something similar when I was in the Air Force. It was just a piece of fabric, no tying required, held in place with velcro or snaps.

I just have to say that I love Jeremy Brett as Sherlock Holmes.

 

Army and Navy have the same thing.

 

I'm rewatching the series now.

I always thought that Brett was THE Holmes, the best of any actor that undertook the role.

 

re-popularized by the Cosby Show

 

I would guess that is correct.

Edit- As demonstrated in this pic.

 

Nope. It's a bowtie, not a cravat.

.

 

I just rewatched the TNG episode, "Elementary, Dear Data." and sure enough this version of our hero is wearing a bowtie tucked under his collar.



(sorry, these were the bigggest images I could find)

 

Here's a photo of the "crossover" tie that I mentioned in my earlier post:

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