New Doctor Who Matt Smith sparks bow tie fashion revival

The bow tie is enjoying a fashion revival - thanks to the new Doctor Who.

Since Matt Smith, 27, became the 11th incarnation of the Time Lord on April 3, sales have nearly doubled at one chain.

A spokeswoman for Topman, many of whose shoppers are the target audience for the TV programme, said: "We have seen a dramatic rise in bow tie sales - in the past month sales have increased by 94%. Last week alone they accounted for 14% of all our tie sales."

The bow tie was probably first worn by Croatian mercenaries in the Prussian wars of the 17th century, when they used it to hold together their shirt openings.

It was later adopted by the French who designed its modern form.