This State Symbol Is Unique To Arizona

Arizona is one of the most unique states in the U.S., and for good reason. As one of the most biologically and socially diverse states in the nation, it's bound to have some wackiness seep through the cracks.

Arizona's state symbols paint an excellent picture of our livelihood but aside from the state bird, state flower, etc., there's one symbol we hold that no other state even comes close to.

Arizona's State Neckwear

Arizona has plenty of unique symbols, most of which is the state firearm, a symbol only ten states can call claim to, and Arizona was the second to put that through. None are more unique to Arizona though, than the state neckwear.

Officially designated in 1973, the Bola (or Bolo Tie) is the official state neckwear of the Grand Canyon State. A Bola is a necktie typically made of braided leather, secured together with a decorative clasp, mostly made of silver and turquois. This makes Arizona the only state in the country with a specified state neckwear.

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Arizona is Just One of Ten U.S. States with THIS

History of the Bola

The Bolo Tie began it's sweep of dominance in the American Southwest in the early 1930s. Members of native tribes such as the Navajo, Hopi, and Zuni began to wear them as an alternative to the standard neckties, which didn't fit the more relaxed nature of the old west.

The trend began to catch on, first in the southwest in the 1940s, when local farmers began to adopt the style, and by the 1950s it had become an international craze, though still symbolic of the native tribes of the western United States.

[AZ Governor][Palms Trading Company]