Evolution Of Jared Polis’ Scene Stealing Bow Tie

Floor speeches in the U.S. House debating consumer access to unlocked cell phones rarely set social media on fire. But that’s exactly what happened to 2nd Congressional Democratic Rep. Jared Polis – and his sartorial taste.

“We were nearly successful in stopping a bad bill from moving forward that would have limited consumer choice,” said Polis.

Except Twitter users weren’t debating the pros and cons of the legislation. They were discussing Polis’ outfit: a black blazer with a purple polo buttoned up — capped with a gray bow tie.

GQ promptly declared it “the worst Congressional style ever” and offered an already accepted fashion consult.

“Of course I’m going to make sure that they’re not going to turn me into someone who looks like a Wall Street banker,” said Polis. “I want to make sure that they don’t take the Boulder out of me or the Colorado out of me.”

The bow tie look – and Polis’ general fashion sense – is “evolving” to use his words. Here’s the bow tie timeline to judge for yourself:

Feb. 9

Feb. 11

Feb. 25

Feb. 26

Feb. 27

“I happened to like it quite a bit,” said Colorado State University Political Science Professor Kyle Saunders. “I have to wonder if he borrowed it from Rep. [Barney] Frank.”

Part of the job of a politician is the staid and conventional portrayal. For someone representing a Colorado district known for jeans and polar fleece, Saunders says it works.

“He can speak to ‘This is casual Colorado, but we have a little bit of class, too,’” said Saunders. “He played it very nicely.”

So will the bow tie become the new D.C. power tie? If you listen closely to what Polis has to say, it may have never been about the bow tie in the first place.

“I think if there’s any way to highlight the issues that I care about, I’ll go to any length to do that,” said Polis. “If I was able to get more attention on these issues and show why Republicans continue to block immigration reform, I would dress up in a clown suit."