Tuesday, July 9, 2013

The Origin And History Of Neckties

By Leanna Freeman


Most people usually wonder why such an apparently useless piece of clothing as the necktie was ever designed to be worn. Some anthropologists are of the thought that it might have been the earliest clothing item ever worn, and it took the form of fur strip around our ancestors necks. In actual sense, the origin of neckties is not merely fashion history, but also part of the history of the world.

This clothing accessory that is either loved or hated by men has taken quite a path throughout the ages. These ties have evolved by the unique influences of events which affected mens fashion in Europe, Asia, and the Americas. The earliest evidence of people wearing neckties was by the Chinese. Shih Huang Ti, who was the first emperor of china, was so afraid of death that he gave orders that replicas of his army personnel be buried with him for protection. His death occurred in 210 BC, and upon the discovery of his tomb in 1974, each of the elaborately detailed terracotta replicas preserved inside wore neck ties or cloths.

The ties were also seen during the Roman Empire era. The Emperor Trajan celebrated one of his numerous victories in 113 AD by erecting a marble column. The column was made up of reliefs featuring thousands of soldiers, a majority of them wearing a necktie. It is believed that the soldiers wore them either to absorb sweat or to protect them against cold weather.

Although the tie has been around for centuries, they became a fashion statement thanks to the Croatians donning them n the 17th century. After King Louis the 14th helped the Croats win a battle pitting them against the Hapsburg Empire, he was presented with an army of thousands. These soldiers included a regiment of Croat elite marines, some of them donning colourful cravats.

These adornments impressed the French, who had never seen such clothing items before, and they soon adopted wearing such cravats. Up until the French Revolution that took place in 1789, the French maintained an elite regiment referred to as the Cravate Royale. The word cravat itself is coined from the French word cravate that means Croatian.

The wearing of the neck ties did not take too long to spread. In 1660, Charles II returned to England from exile to get back the throne he had lost when the English Civil War broke out. He was accompanied by aristocrats who introduced the cravat to the English people, where it underwent transformation into a necktie. Its popularity soon soared, spreading as a statement of fashion in Europe, the US, and across the world.

A major contributor to necktie development was an American tie designer known as Jesse Langsdorf. He came up with the simple idea of cutting three pieces of fabric and the sewing them together. He also invented the slip stitch, whose aim was to close the envelop at the back of the tie. This stitch also eliminated the need for iron the tie and damage resulting from frequent use.

Saying that neckties will be here for long time would not be an understatement, given their history and the way various cultures contributed to their existence. In addition to becoming a tradition, they have become vital components of mens fashion.




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