It seems reductive to categorise something such as a bow as feminine. Much like high heels and stockings, bows were originally created and worn predominantly by men before being socially aligned with women. Unless you were born centuries ago, you would have been conditioned to view bows as anything but masculine. And to a certain extent, that’s understandable.

A bow, in its typical form, has feminine codes. For one, there’s the flouncy nature of the loops—hardly a masculine trait—that are often seen as soft and graceful. Its flowing lines and curves are associated more with feminine qualities; the act of tying a bow is seen as a relatively delicate process. That latter is part of the reason bows continue to be a feminine symbol in haute couture and fashion at large. Christian Dior was fascinated by bows, likening them to a symbol of French elegance and handcrafted savoir-faire. The detail appeared many times in his designs and in different iterations. One only needs to look at the House’s haute couture archives and know the importance of the bow in the Dior universe.

Save for standard bow ties that are seen across Dior’s menswear collections by various creative directors, bows were hardly the centrepiece until Kim Jones’ Winter 2025 collection. The bow-ridden collection is a masterclass in shifting gendered perceptions in tasteful and contemporary ways. Bows are featured as masks as well as detachable accents on clothing. But perhaps the most elegant, and surprisingly so, is the incorporation of a satin bow on footwear. The Dior Palmarès boots are based on a high-cut zipped boot design. The clean lines and minimal design are embellished with a satin bow knotted at the toe cap.

There’s a certain eccentricity to the Dior Palmarès, something you’d expect a modern dandy to easily slip into. There’s also no denying that there’s an elegant air to them as they elevate an outfit. Jones had them in a more formal-leaning fashion but you could easily wear them with jeans for some added sophistication.

If a bow and its more feminine connotations inherently exude elegance, maybe we should be open to adopting more such elements into men’s fashion. Or let’s not be so obsessed with demarcating things as gendered. Because we could do with some Dior Palmarès-level of elegance in modern masculinity.