The Real Reason JoJo Siwa Wears So Many Bows

You may not keep up with every single detail about JoJo Siwa's career, but there's one thing most people do know about this Dance Moms alum: Siwa loves to wear bows. Seriously, she almost never goes anywhere without one. In fact, the look has become the YouTuber's signature look — and she even created her own line of bow merch available at stores like Claire's and Justice. And during a December 2019 appearance on The Kelly Clarkson Show, the 16-year-old explained her colorful hair accessory habit's backstory to host Kelly Clarkson. Yes, it's true: there's a very good reason Siwa wears so many bows.

Before she became a regular on Lifetime's Dance Moms, JoJo Siwa made her debut on another one of Abby Lee Miller's shows in 2013: Abby's Ultimate Dance Competition. She made it to the final five and was the youngest to compete that season, according to People. After that, Siwa was on Dance Moms from 2015 to 2016, per IMDb. Her dance background ties into the bow story.

During the talk show segment, Kelly Clarkson asked Siwa, "So why are bows your thing?" The American Idol winner admitted bows were her "thing" growing up too, "because [she] was in dance and all that." 

Siwa agreed with Clarkson, saying, "That's actually how they started for me." However, the roots go even further back. The Nebraska-native started to say she wore them at age 2, before correcting herself and continuing, "When I was born actually, my mom just kind of stuck 'em in my hair. My joke is as I got older, my bows just kept getting bigger."

Beyond the dance connection and overall aesthetic, Siwa decided to take the bows' symbolism a step further. "As I realized that bows were really, like, a part of my life, I realized that I wanted them to mean something," she said during the  talk show segment. 

The reality star refers to her fans as "Siwanatorz" and continued to explain, "If you're wearing a bow or you see someone wearing a bow, that means that they are a Siwanator. So say you're at school or don't have anyone to play with at recess or you don't have anyone to sit at lunch with, if you see someone wearing a JoJo bow, you know that you can sit with them... because that's a safe place. That person will be nice to you."

Putting that message of kindness into action, Siwa gifted bows to host Clarkson and fellow guest, country singer Jason Aldean, who clipped his denim bow on the front of his cowboy hat.

Back in a 2015 Q&A on YouTube, Siwa was asked about where she gets all her bows and explained, "My mother makes them all, it's pretty awesome." Of course, that may have changed over the years, but her mom, Jessalynn Siwa, definitely had a hand in the early days of her daughter's bows. In that same video, when another fan asked why she likes wearing them so much, Siwa proudly said, "Because bows are my life!" She later admitted she owned 527 bows, to be exact. 

However, in May 2017, Siwa appeared on Inside the Look and shared that the amount had more than doubled since then, saying, "I have over a thousand bows... that is including every single bow that I have." Shockingly, she revealed there's one time she does *not* wear bows: "I don't wear them when I'm swimming anymore," even though she used to. She explained she'll wear them to the pool, but take them out before hopping in the water so they don't get ruined.

FYI, the amount of bows she owns is nothing compared to the amount she's sold from her own collection. In January 2019, she told Jimmy Fallon, "We've sold over 45 million this year in 2018, which is crazy."

Almost four years ago in January 2016, Siwa announced she got a new puppy via Instagram. The teacup Yorkie named BowBow is her third dog, according to J-14; she also has two pups named Coco and Lulu (clearly she's a fan of two-syllable names). In what should come as no surprise, BowBow has her own Instagram page (@itsbowbowsiwa). With 1 million IG followers, the dog definitely follows in her mom's footsteps when it comes to fame and signature hair bows.

Last summer, Siwa wrote a whole book about BowBow, aptly called JoJo Loves BowBow: A Day in the Life of the World's Cutest Canine, and the pair appeared in an online game called Star Stable in May 2018. Siwa has even sold stuffed animals resembling the pup — wearing different colored bows, of course.

Bows obviously are a major part of Siwa's life — ranging from her wardrobe to her merchandise to her pet — but it's more than just a colorful, sparkly gimmick. As the teen said herself, they represent her fandom and making sure everyone feels included...sort of a "mane-bow connection," if you will.