A bolo is a type of
necktie symbolic of the
American West. It usually consists of a braided
leather cord with metal tips or other ornaments at its ends, and a decorative
brooch which holds the cord together around the neck. Most clasps are decorative, and many include stones associated with Southwestern art, such as
turquoise. The ends of the cord hang down below the clasp like the ends of a regular necktie.
It was invented in the Arizona city of Wickenburg, and in 1971 the legislature adopted it as the official State Neckwear. Also spelled bola.