Photo courtesy of Tyler Burgess.
VHHS Principal Tyler Burgess stands with Assistant Principal Lauren Dressback. Burgess is known for wearing bow ties regularly around campus.
When Tyler Burgess was growing up, he noticed his grandfather always wore bow ties.
“He owned his own business and had to dress up a lot,” Burgess said.
The habit influenced Burgess, who has carried on his grandfather’s style.
“I just picked up the habit of wanting to wear his bow ties, so he taught me how to tie them. So as a young kid, I just started wearing them,” Burgess said.
While Burgess didn’t wear bow ties when he began his career teaching at Homewood High School, he brought them back when he took on an administrative role at the school, a practice that has carried over to his current role as principal of Vestavia Hills High School.
Wearing bow ties is a reflection of his personality, Burgess said.
“I don’t know that I would be considered a typical person in most regards,” Burgess said while sporting a Christmas sweater with a llama on the front. For past pep rallies, Burgess has also donned a Gumby costume, as well as a bunny outfit.
The bow-tie trend has caught on among students at the high school, Burgess said, though they sometimes need help getting them on.
“Kids will come up, and they don’t have a clue as to how to tie them,” Burgess said.
A common tip for those who plan on wearing bow ties, Burgess said, is to practice on your thigh, as the thigh is about the width of the average person’s neck.
It’s become so common to see Burgess in a bow tie, the staff has made him a pep rally dress-up theme two years in a row. For the 2017 and 2018 football games against Mountain Brook, staff members were challenged to “Dr. Burgess the Brook,” and wore glasses and a bow tie.
Burgess has seen his caricature on homecoming floats, alongside other Vestavia icons like head football coach Buddy Anderson.
“I guess it’s how they imagine me, glasses and a bow tie,” Burgess said.
Burgess said he has 20 or 25 bow ties and rotates them, with several of them matching school colors.
“I’ve always got my eyes open for new and different ones,” Burgess said.
Burgess’ wife, Mandi, the school’s varsity volleyball coach, approves of his fashion sense, Burgess said.
“She just doesn’t want me embarrass her,” Burgess said.
Wearing bow ties helps make what can be a serious job easier, Burgess said, and helps make school more enjoyable for students and staff at the high school.
“If there’s an opportunity to have a little fun, inject a little humor in something, then I’m certainly willing to embarrass myself enough to do that,” Burgess said. “... Whenever we can do things like that, I think it helps lighten the mood, increase the spirit and shows that you’re a real person.”
After picking up the habit from his grandfather, Burgess is now passing the bow tie trend along to his son, a sixth grader at Pizitz Middle School.
“He likes wearing them,” Burgess said. “He thinks it’s cool to look like dad.”
