Pussy bow

Pussycat bow blouse designed by Elspeth Champcommunal for Worth London, 1945

A pussy bow or pussycat bow is a style of neckwear often associated with women's blouses and bodices. It takes the form of a bow tied at the neck, similar to those that used to be tied around kittens' and cats' necks.[1]

History

While bows at the neck had been worn since at least the nineteenth century, the term "pussy bow" or "pussy cat bow" took hold in the 20th century. In 1934 the St. Petersburg Times offered a pattern for an Anne Adams dress featuring a convertible collar which could be worn in four different ways, including as "an intriguingly feminine pussy cat bow tied high under your chin."[2] In 1947, pussy cat bows were part of the look inspired by Gibson Girls and 1890s fashions created by designers such as Omar Kiam.[3]

It was popular with designers such as Coco Chanel and Yves Saint Laurent,[4][5] and by the 1960s had been widely taken up by the American market.[6][7]

During the 1980s the pussy bow blouse became a key part of Margaret Thatcher's political image after she became Prime Minister of the United Kingdom in 1979, and became closely linked with her.[8] Thatcher reportedly said she thought bows were "rather softening" and "pretty," and at her funeral in 2013, the then Prime Minister's wife paid tribute by wearing a pussy bow blouse.[9] The Thatcher look was imitated by other female politicians.[10]

References

  1. ↑ "Marian Martin Dress - A Little Woman Style". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. 8 November 1934. Retrieved 19 April 2013.
  2. ↑ "Wear This Frock Four Different Ways: Pattern 1969 by Anne Adams". St. Petersburg Times. 16 December 1934. Retrieved 19 April 2013.
  3. ↑ "Gibson Girl is Back as Fashion Leader". Daytona Beach Morning Journal. 10 January 1947. Retrieved 19 April 2013.
  4. ↑ "Saint Laurent Shows Spring Collection". Saskatoon Star-Phoenix. 3 February 1964. Retrieved 19 April 2013.
  5. ↑ Noel, Lucie (24 February 1965). "Fashions Feature Linens, Weaves, Silk Prints". The Tuscaloosa News. Retrieved 19 April 2013.
  6. ↑ Bruzzi, Stella (2012). Undressing Cinema: Clothing and identity in the movies. Routledge. p. 49. ISBN 9781134770595.
  7. ↑ English, Bonnie (2007). A cultural history of fashion in the twentieth century : from the catwalk to the sidewalk (English ed.). Oxford: Berg. p. 38. ISBN 1845203410.
  8. ↑ Carnegy, Vicky (2007). The 1980s. New York: Infobase Pub. p. 7. ISBN 1438118945.
  9. ↑ Carter, Claire (17 April 2013). "Samantha Cameron pays subtle tribute to Margaret Thatcher's sense of style". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 19 April 2013.
  10. ↑ Siggins, Lorna (1991). Seamus Deane, Andrew Carpenter, Jonathan Williams, ed. The Woman Who Took Power in the Park; excerpt reprinted in The Field Day anthology of Irish writing. Derry: Field Day Publ. p. 287. ISBN 9780814799079.


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