The History of Neckties
by Alan Flusser
"A well-tied tie is the first serious step in life"
- Oscar Wilde
The history of neckties dates back a mere hundred years
or so, for they came into existence as the direct result
of a war. In 1660, in celebration of its hard-fought victory
over Turkey, a crack regiment from Croatia (then part of
the Austro-Hungarian Empire), visited Paris. There, the
soldiers were presented as glorious heroes to Louis XIV,
a monarch well known for his eye toward personal adornment.
It so happened that the officers of this regiment were wearing
brightly colored handkerchiefs fashioned of silk around
their necks. These neck cloths, which probably descended
from the Roman fascalia worn by orators to warm the vocal
chords, struck the fancy of the king, and he soon made them
an insignia of royalty as he created a regiment of Royal
Cravattes. The word "cravat," incidentally, is derived from
the word "Croat."
It wasn't long before this new style crossed the
channel to England. Soon no gentleman would have considered
himself well-dressed without sporting some sort of cloth
around his neck--the more decorative, the better. At times,
cravats were worn so high that a man could not move his
head without turning his whole body. There were even reports
of cravats worn so thick that they stopped sword thrusts.
The various styles knew no bounds, as cravats of tasseled
strings, plaid scarves, tufts and bows of ribbon, lace,
and embroidered linen all had their staunch adherents. Nearly
one hundred different knots were recognized, and as a certain
M. Le Blanc, who instructed men in the fine and sometimes
complex art of tying a tie, noted, "The grossest insult
that can be offered to a man comme il faut is to seize him
by the cravat; in this place blood only can wash out the
stain upon the honor of either party."
In this country, ties were also an integral part
of a man's wardrobe. However, until the time of the Civil
War, most ties were imported from the Continent. Gradually,
though, the industry gained ground, to the point that at
the beginning of the twentieth century, American neckwear
finally began to rival that of Europe, despite the fact
that European fabrics were still being heavily imported.
In the 1960s, in the midst of the Peacock Revolution,
there was a definite lapse in the inclination of men to
wear ties, as a result of the rebellion against both tradition
and the formality of dress. But by the mid-1970s, this trend
had reversed itself to the point where now, in the 1980s,
the sale of neckwear is probably as strong if not stronger
than it has ever been.
How to account for the continued popularity of neckties?
For years, fashion historians and sociologists predicted
their demise--the one element of a man's attire with no
obvious function. Perhaps they are merely part of an inherited
tradition. As long as world and business leaders continue
to wear ties, the young executives will follow suit and
ties will remain a key to the boardroom. On the other hand,
there does seem to be some aesthetic value in wearing a
tie. In addition to covering the buttons of the shirt and
giving emphasis to the verticality of a man's body (in much
the same way that the buttons on a military uniform do),
it adds a sense of luxury and richness, color and texture,
to the austerity of the dress shirt and business suit.
Perhaps no other item of a man's wardrobe has altered
its shape so often as the tie. It seems that the first question
fashion writers always ask is, "Will men's ties be wider
or narrower this year?"
In the late 1960s and early 70s, ties grew to five
inches in width. At the time, the rationale was that these
wide ties were in proportion to the wider jacket lapels
and longer shirt collars. This was the correct approach,
since these elements should always be in balance. But once
these exaggerated proportions were discarded, fat ties became
another victim of fashion.
The proper width of a tie, and one that will never
be out of style, is 3 1/4 inches (2 3/4 to 3 1/2 inches
are also acceptable). As long as the proportions of men's
clothing remain true to a man's body shape, this width will
set the proper balance. Though many of the neckties sold
today are cut in these widths, the section of the tie where
the knot is made has remained thick--a holdover from the
fat, napkinlike ties of the 1960s. This makes tying a small,
elegant knot more difficult. Yet the relationship of a tie's
knot to the shirt collar is an important consideration.
If the relationship is proper, the knot will never be so
large that it spreads the collar or forces it open, nor
will it be so small that it will become lost in the collar.
Standard neckties come in lengths anywhere from
52 to 58 inches long. Taller men, or those who use a Windsor
knot, may require a longer tie, which can be special-ordered.
After being tied, the tips of the necktie should be long
enough to reach the waistband of the trousers. (The ends
of the tie should either be equal, or the smaller one just
a fraction shorter.)
After you've confirmed the appropriateness of a tie's
shape, next feel the fabric. If it's made of silk and it
feels rough to the touch, then the silk is of an inferior
quality. Silk that is not supple is very much like hair
that's been dyed too often. It's brittle and its ends will
fray easily. If care hasn't been taken in the inspection
of ties, you may find misweaves and puckers.
All fine ties are cut on the bias, which means
they have been cut across the fabric. This allows them to
fall straight after the knot has been tied, without curling.
A simple test consists of holding a tie across you hand.
If it begins to twirl in the air, it was probably not cut
on the bias and it should not be purchased.
Quality neckties want you to see everything: they
have nothing to hide. Originally, neckties were cut from
a single large square of silk, which was then folded seven
times in order to give the tie a rich fullness. Today the
price of silk and the lack of skilled artisans prohibits
this form of manufacture. Ties now derive their body and
fullness by means of an additional inner lining.
Besides giving body to the tie, the lining helps
the tie hold its shape. The finest-quality ties today are
lined with 100 percent wool and are generally made only
in Europe. Most other quality ties use a wool mixture. The
finer the tie, the higher the wool content. You can actually
check. Fine linings are marked with a series of gold bars
which are visible if you open up the back of the tie. The
more bars, the heavier the lining. Many people assume that
a quality tie must be thick, as this would suggest that
the silk is heavy and therefore expensive. In fact, in most
cases it is simply the insertion of a heavier lining that
gives the tie this bulk. Be sure, then, that the bulk of
the tie that you're feeling is the silk outer fabric and
not the lining.
After you've examined the lining, take a look at
the tie just above the spot where the two sides come together
to form an inverted V. In most quality ties, you will find
a stitch joining the back flaps. This is called the bar
tack, and it helps maintain the shape of the tie.
Now, if you can, open up the tie as far as possible
and look for a loose black thread. This thread is called
the slip stitch and was invented by a man named Joss Langsdorf
in the 1920s to give added resilience to the tie. The fact
that the tie can move along this thread means that it won't
rip when it's being wrapped tightly around your neck, and
that it will, when removed, return to its original shape.
Pull the slip stitch, and the tie should gather. If you
can do this, you've found a quality, handmade tie.
Finally, take the tie in your hand and run your
finger down its length. You should find three separate pieces
of fabric stitched together, not two, as in most commercial
ties. This construction is used to help the tie conform
easily to the neck.
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