BestMensTies.Com Blog
Short history of men’s ties – so short it will not bore you
November 6th, 2011 | BestMensTies.Com
Men’s ties as we know them today have been around since 1650s - in different shapes and sizes though. But the history of ties goes back to 3rd century BC when they have been worn by Chinese warriors, serving to protect their necks from cold weather. And the fact is, as with so many other things in life, that men’s ties have first existed for centuries only in military troops, before being adopted by the masses.
The story continues to unfold in 1650s when Croatian troops, who were fighting for King Louis XIII, started wearing knotted scarf-like ties, that would eventually be called ‘cravats’, for the same reason as their Chinese predecessors wore their ties so many centuries before, to protect them from cold. But because of Croats’ successful fights in the field, they caught attention of the King and King’s military cohorts, and it was their ‘cravats’ that were immediately linked to success and victories of the Croatian troops. It was something that was special in those times and no one but Croatians wore anything similar. Very soon the new trend caught on when French fashionistas took this detail and incorporated it into the style of those days. The bright future of men’s ties could begin!
From 17th to 20th century the world had seen tens of different styles of men’s ties taking a central place in the wardrobe of a contemporary fashionable man of that time. From Macaronis to Incroyables, from Bow ties to Ascots, the tie was developing, taking many shapes and sizes, till it became what we know today in early 20th century.
It was in 1924 that a New Yorker Jesse Langsdorf patented the design of men’s ties as we know today. And we are still using the same system and design.
And what about bow ties? Men’s bow ties also descended from the cravat and came onto the scene somewhere at the end of 19th century when, for practical reasons, much smaller men’s ties were required. Since its birth, the bow tie existed in many forms and sizes as well: floppy, stiff, geometric, bigger, smaller, until the beginning of 20th century when the bow tie as we know today came onto the scene. And stayed there.
Since their origin, men’s ties have always been made of the finest materials: lace, muslin and silk, just to name a few. Nowadays, men’s silk ties are the standard for ties and silk is definitely the fabric of choice for ties. Besides being soft and smooth, silk thread is very strong and resilient to stretching. That makes it perfect material for knotting and unknotting the tie so many times during its lifetime.
Many of the most respected designers throughout history have used mainly natural materials to design and make men’s ties. Silk, cotton, wool are materials that quality men’s ties are made of. A blend of these materials is also acceptable. You will not find any men’s designer ties today that are not made from these three basic fabrics for ties.
Some cheap men’s ties will be made of synthetic fibers such as polyester. These are novelty materials that have definitely not taken the central place for quality ties. They are cheaper than silk or wool ties, but they don’t have the elasticity, or strength of natural materials.
If you wish to go into more details on any of these aspects, you can - there are many books written on the topic. If not, this will be enough to wear your tie having some knowledge of its long history and tradition and what it represented throughout centuries. Men’s ties are rooted deeply into our culture and are here to stay!
The story of men’s ties gets interesting with Croatians
The story continues to unfold in 1650s when Croatian troops, who were fighting for King Louis XIII, started wearing knotted scarf-like ties, that would eventually be called ‘cravats’, for the same reason as their Chinese predecessors wore their ties so many centuries before, to protect them from cold. But because of Croats’ successful fights in the field, they caught attention of the King and King’s military cohorts, and it was their ‘cravats’ that were immediately linked to success and victories of the Croatian troops. It was something that was special in those times and no one but Croatians wore anything similar. Very soon the new trend caught on when French fashionistas took this detail and incorporated it into the style of those days. The bright future of men’s ties could begin!
From 17th to 20th century the world had seen tens of different styles of men’s ties taking a central place in the wardrobe of a contemporary fashionable man of that time. From Macaronis to Incroyables, from Bow ties to Ascots, the tie was developing, taking many shapes and sizes, till it became what we know today in early 20th century.
It was in 1924 that a New Yorker Jesse Langsdorf patented the design of men’s ties as we know today. And we are still using the same system and design.
And what about bow ties? Men’s bow ties also descended from the cravat and came onto the scene somewhere at the end of 19th century when, for practical reasons, much smaller men’s ties were required. Since its birth, the bow tie existed in many forms and sizes as well: floppy, stiff, geometric, bigger, smaller, until the beginning of 20th century when the bow tie as we know today came onto the scene. And stayed there.
What materials have been used for men’s ties?
Since their origin, men’s ties have always been made of the finest materials: lace, muslin and silk, just to name a few. Nowadays, men’s silk ties are the standard for ties and silk is definitely the fabric of choice for ties. Besides being soft and smooth, silk thread is very strong and resilient to stretching. That makes it perfect material for knotting and unknotting the tie so many times during its lifetime.
Many of the most respected designers throughout history have used mainly natural materials to design and make men’s ties. Silk, cotton, wool are materials that quality men’s ties are made of. A blend of these materials is also acceptable. You will not find any men’s designer ties today that are not made from these three basic fabrics for ties.
Some cheap men’s ties will be made of synthetic fibers such as polyester. These are novelty materials that have definitely not taken the central place for quality ties. They are cheaper than silk or wool ties, but they don’t have the elasticity, or strength of natural materials.
If you wish to go into more details on any of these aspects, you can - there are many books written on the topic. If not, this will be enough to wear your tie having some knowledge of its long history and tradition and what it represented throughout centuries. Men’s ties are rooted deeply into our culture and are here to stay!