The history of the tie

Summer is also synonymous with weddings and ceremonies, and no accessory adds as much charm to a man’s look as the tie. The vicissitudes of this iconic fashion accessory have spanned centuries of history and social change. Its origins can actually be traced back to the military.

Whilst in China the earliest evidence is found in depictions of the famous Terracotta Army, whose soldiers are shown wearing a handkerchief tied round their necks, in Europe the first traces date back to the 17th century. During the terrible Thirty Years’ War, in fact, Croatian mercenaries in the service of the French army wore distinctive linen or silk scarves tied around their necks, which served both to hold up their shirts and as a distinguishing mark for identification.

It was the French court itself – always keen to identify trends and fashions – that was quick to adopt this curious item and give it a more noble and refined connotation. According to tradition, King Louis XIV was particularly struck by the elegance of these soldiers and helped to popularise the accessory amongst the French aristocracy.

It was from the word "Croates", the term the French used to refer to Croats, that the word "cravate" was derived. During the 18th century, the cravat spread rapidly throughout the continent’s major courts. The fabrics became increasingly fine, and the ways of tying it multiplied. Wearing a neatly tied cravat was a sign of good manners, wealth and membership of a particular social circle.

With the advent of the Industrial Revolution, men’s clothing began to become more understated and practical. Elaborate lace and embroidered ties gradually gave way to increasingly simple designs, eventually leading, by the 20th century, to the accessory’s current form. The economic boom, coupled with the rising popularity of the businessman’s aesthetic, brought renewed popularity to the tie, which became the quintessential symbol of the businessman and career man: an almost indispensable item, to the point of becoming a requirement in certain professional sectors.

It was precisely for this reason that rebellious artists such as David Bowie embraced it, playing with it through flamboyant patterns and unconventional geometric shapes. Women, too, could not resist the allure of provocation: Julia Roberts became one of the champions of the garçon look when, to collect her Golden Globe for the film "Steel Magnolias", she appeared on the red carpet in a men’s suit and a tie that proved sexier than any low-cut neckline: a subversion that became a celebration.

Today, the tie has shed its bourgeois connotations as a business uniform and, whilst remaining a symbol of elegance, is simultaneously reinterpreted in a preppy or unconventional style: a few centimetres of fabric that have spanned over 400 years of history without ever going out of fashion.

Ph: Mrcitizenx, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons, particolare.