Ribbon

A decorative bow: gift wrap, hair accessory, outfit detail. In a message it adds a sweet, dressed-up touch rather than a coded meaning. Next to birthday or gift talk it is the bow on the present; in a style post it is the bow in someone's hair.

Real bows have meant many things. Gold hair ribbons from the ancient Sumerian city of Ur date to 2600–2500 BCE. In France in the 1590s, men tied a long lock of hair with a bow as a sign of devotion; by the 19th century Western fashion treated hair bows as feminine. In late 1700s Louisiana, Black women decorated tignon head wraps with ribbons under laws restricting their hair, and black bows trimmed mourning dress.

In 2023 the coquette look — a romantic, bow-covered online fashion style — put bows on hair, clothes and holiday décor. A 🎀 in a style caption often points to that look.

What does it mean when someone sends 🎀 alone?

Alone, it just means cute; the words around it decide more. Gift talk points to a real present, a fashion post to the look. A lone bow does not tell you whether someone is flirting — the rest of the conversation does.