I decided that I wanted to wear a cravat to a couple of Burns Suppers this past January, to replace my cheap, pre-tied bow tie, and I researched a few web sites. I decided that I definitely wanted the traditional self-tie cravat, and eventually bought a simple black silk one from the Gentleman's Jabot site that Puffer linked to earlier in this thread. I'm more than pleased with the way the look turned out, and think this has definitely replaced my bow tie for formal events. What do you think about the comparison?

Solid black neck tie:


Solid black bow tie:


Solid black cravat:


It would have been ideal if I had a picture showing the cravat with the same Highland Granite kilt as in the first two pics, and some of the other accessories are different, of course, but you get the general idea. There is so much of our Highland Dress, especially in the more formal elements of fashion, that is inspired by the nineteenth century. I think the cravat is one elegant way of alluding to this earlier era that still is in keeping with modern fashion and style.