Neckties History

"Neckties" terminology wasn't used until about 1840. Neckcloth or neckwear was generaly used due to the fact that it was a piece of fabric wrap around the neck. Neckcloth was used as a protection against the cold in ancient time, and it also absorbed the sweat of the neck.

259-221 B.C : first recorded neckcloths were in China

The first recorded existence of neckcloth lies in the tomb of China's first emperor, Qin Shih-huang-di (259-221 B.C.) . An army of 7,500 sculptured terracotta soldiers sport knotted neckerchiefs were found in an underground mausoleum in 1974. The Roman legionaries were believed to wear neckcloth really early. The marble Column of Trajan, erected in Rome by Emperor Traianus in AD 113, protrays some 2,500 carved figures, many depicted with neckcloths.

1630's : neckties evolved in England

The neckcloth, or cravat, evolved in England during the 1630's. At this date the fashionable male doublet was accompanied by a broad linen shirt-collar, edged with lace, which spread over the chest and shoulders. As men's hair was worn longer, however, the lace began to be obscured and the weight of the hair tended to push the collar towards the center front where it fell in loose folds. It became the practice to tie the ends of the collar together with a ribbon and before long the collar itself was replaced by a separate length of linen and lace which could be tied or knotted at the throat. With a mass of hair falling over the shoulders this had, at first, been a practical measure but it also allowed the lace, previously hidden, to be more prominently displayed, hanging down rather than spread across the chest.

Lace was expensive and valued highly both as a form of decoration and as a distinctive mark of social standing. Only the visible parts of the cravat - the ends - were trimmed with lace, and the main part, surrounding the neck, was made of linen. By the 1660's the most fashionable lace was the Venetian 'gros point' which was too heavy to tie in a knot; instead, the ends of the cravat were caught together with a ribbon. One or more ribbons could be used and they were often colored. In the 1680's the ribbon, or cravat-string, was tied in a wide, stiff bow which was worn beneath the fall of the cravat.

In the last decades of the seventeenth century the cravat grew much longer (the one on the effigy of Charles II in Westminster Abbey, dating from about 1685, was 86.32cm (thirty-four inches) long and 15.23cm (six inches wide)). Lighter, more delicate laces such as Mechlin also became fashionable so that the cravat could be self-tied, in a knot, twist or fold. Some cravat ends were edged with fringes or knots and others were quite plain.

The derivation of the word 'cravat' is not altogether clear. A popular theory is that it comes from 'Croat' and that French soldiers fighting with Croatian mercenaries in the Swedish army during the Thirty Years War adopted their fashion. It appears, however, that neckcloths were already worn by the western military by that time and were not exclusive to the Croats. It seems more likely that the name originated from the French term 'rabat' or 'crabbat', meaning a lace collar.

1680 : the Steinkirk, popular form of cravat

In the last years of the seventeenth century one of the most popular forms of the cravat was the Steinkirk. The name refers to the distinctive way in which it was arranged: it was passed round the neck and folded over, with the long ends hanging in front; the ends were then twisted together and one of them was passed through a buttonhole of the coat to keep it in place. It was popularly believed that the style was created during the battle of Steinkirk in 1692 when French soldiers, caught unawares, had no time to do more than twist their neckcloths carelessly round their throats; but there is little if any evidence to support this theory. The cravat 'a la Steinkirk' replaced the shorter, beribboned neckcloth of the 1680's and was worn well into the next century, although from the 1730's to the 1770's only by older men or those of more conservative habits.

1740 : stock and 'solitaire', a necktie or ribbon worn over the stock

By 1740 the stock had become much more popular than the cravat. The stock was essentially a made-up neckcloth: a long piece of fine lawn or muslin was gathered or pleated into a slightly stiffened band which fastened at the back of the neck. It was fashionable for most of the eighteenth century and during the second half of the period it steadily increased in height, often stiffened with pasteboard. The stock was generally white, but black was worn with military dress and sometimes for sporting wear.

Both the cravat and the stock were worn over the shirt collar, which was a deep standing neckband attached to the shirt. Whereas the hanging cravat had concealed the front opening of the shirt, the stock left it uncovered and provided further scope for the display of fine lace. The edge of the opening was trimmed with a gathered frill of linen or lace, which showed just above the top of the waistcoat. Stock-buckles were often decorative although they were not visible beneath the longer style of wig; they could be made of silver and set with stones or paste.

A necktie or ribbon might also be worn over the stock. The so-called 'solitaire' became fashionable in the 1730's and it was almost always worn with a bag wig. A length of black silk ribbon attached to the draw string of the wig bag encircled the neck and was tied in front with a bow. The bow was quite stiff and sometimes very large.

Although the stock was more common than the cravat, the cravat returned to fashionable wear in the 1780's. The cravat of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries was a large square of lawn or muslin folded scarf-like into a triangle and then into a band which could be passed round the throat, and knotted or tied in a bow. Its general effect was similar to the stock and it was worn equally high but it did not require such heavy stiffening, and was only lightly starched. Cravats were, as a rule, made at home by a man's family.

1828 : H. le Blanc's art of tying the cravat

In the early years of the nineteenth century men's dress looked dramatic and romantic with its stark combination of black and white. The black or dark-coloured garments were thrown into relief by a sparkling white collar and neckcloth. The points of the shirt-collar - which was deep and worn upright - showed just above the top edge of the cravat and almost encased the lower part of the jaw. The neck was entirely swathed in the neckcloth, which must have been considerably restricting. George Brummell could apparently spoil several cravats each time he dressed, before achieving a satisfactory arrangement of folds and creases. One of the early manuals on the art of tying the cravat to be published in England was H. le Blanc's book of 1828, which included thirty-two methods, each with its own name.

The stock did not pass immediately out of use and was worn by old-fashioned men until the 1850's. It was lined and stiffened with horsehair, pig's bristle or whalebone to form a deep, curved band; it could be made of silk (often black), and decorated with a ready-made bow attached to the front. A style called the Royal George (after George IV) was made of black velvet with a satin bow. By the early nineteenth century the stock was no longer worn with full dress and the cravat was usual for formal or evening wear. After the mid nineteenth century the stock was confined to sportswear and, in particular, hunting.

1840 : the term 'necktie' began to be more generally used

The cravat continued to be fashionable during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries but during this period its shape and appearance altered. After about 1840 the term 'necktie' began to be more generally used and the different ways in which it was tied or worn were given individual names.

1840's : bow tie was the correct form for evening dress

By the end of the 1820's men had begun to shed the dramatic intensity of their dress, with its strong contrasts of black and white, although white was retained for evening dress. In the 1840's colored silk neckties were usual with ordinary clothes and contributed to the general air of flamboyance and color then fashionable. Changes also occurred in the shape of the cravat, there was less emphasis on the swathing round the neck and increased attention to the bow, which became the focal point and grew considerably larger. During the late 1840's the bow was both large and loud and could be worn with boldly checked or patterned trousers and florid waistcoats. A bow tie was by this date the correct form for evening dress and it was worn with a decorative shirt-front.

The cravat tied in a bow was not, however, the only fashionable arrangement. A variety of knots were possible and it could also be simply folded end over end or across the shirt-front, with a stick-pin to secure it in place. There was a general trend towards loosening up and the cravat appeared much softer and fuller. The broad ends could, in the 1840's, entirely cover the shirt-front above the waistcoat opening and by that stage it was often referred to as a scarf rather than a cravat.

In the early years of the nineteenth century it had been fashionable for some young men to wear a cravat or scarf loosely knotted about the neck with the ends hanging free to give a casual, romantic effect. This style came to be popularly associated with Lord Byron and with all those with poetic aspirations. More than one style of cravat was called after Byron and in the 1840's a narrow, shoe-string necktie was still known by his name.

1850's : American magazines began to reproduce new styles in men's neckwear

The moderately broad necktie tied in a flat bow in front continued to be worn during the 1850's. It was about this time that American magazines began to reproduce new styles in men's neckwear, whereas before this date American fashions had been based on English and French fashion periodicals.

1860's : the knotted necktie, then called the four-in-hand became popular

In the second half of the century the cravat had become a long, shaped band, wider at each end than at the centre. By the 1860's the necktie had changed its general character and was altered to fit the new, lower shirt-collar. The cravat was cut narrower and tied in a small flat bow or knotted and fixed with a pin. More informal shirt-collars were turned down over the necktie. The knotted necktie, then called the four-in-hand became popular, probably because it stayed tidy. Neckties continued to be narrow while the collar was low and during the 1870's and 1880's their importance was further diminished by a fashion for buttoning the coat and waistcoat high to the neck. The so-called 'once-round' tie with a small flat bow over an upright, stiffened collar was usually worn by professional men.

1880's and 1890's: more freedom of choice for neckties and neckwear styles owing to the influence of the United States

The shirt-collar rose during the late 1880's and 1890's and attention was again focused on the neck area with a variety of different neckwear styles. The stricter rules of etiquette were beginning to relax, owing in part to the influence of the United States, and there appeared to be more freedom of choice in the arrangements available. Neckties were worn in varying widths and the most popular versions were the bow tie, the four-in-hand and the wrapped or folded cravat called the ascot. In the late 1890's the bow tie was the most fashionable shape, worn quite small. Stripes (in two colors only) were the favorite design. Another style was the Sailor's knot, a long necktie with a reef knot. It was worn in the early years of the present century but was discontinued after the First World War.

A white bow tie remained correct for evening dress; it was small and neat and altered comparatively little. The small white plain cambric bow continues to be the correct thing for evening wear. Black bow ties could be worn with evening dress but after the First World War it was customary to wear one only with a dinner jacket.

1920's : silk was the principal fabric for neckties

In the first two decades of the twentieth century the established styles remained in fashion. During the 1914-18 war, however, many rules of etiquette and outmoded traditions were swept away for good. In the 1920's the ascot cravat tended to be worn only with formal morning dress and the most usual neckties for day wear were the bow and the long, knotted necktie. The bow and long ties were made of silks in various colors and patterns. Diagonal stripes were popular especially in school, regimental or club colors, as introduced during the 1890's. Spots were also worn. The bow tie continued to be worn with the wing collar, by day and for evening dress; when black, it was made of silk or satin, while the white tie was made of cambric or cotton pique.

1940's : artificial silk (rayon), wool, linen and poplin were frequently used for neckties

In the first half of the century the necktie was still an important accessory to dress but altered very little in general appearance. Minor variations were introduced in the size of the knot or the shape of the blade or in the materials and patterns worn. Silk was the principal fabric but by the 1940's artificial silk (rayon), wool, linen and poplin were frequently used. Woolen neckties were more informal and as a rule worn in the country where they were thought suitable because less likely to spoil in the rain. By the 1930's the necktie was being expertly cut (on the cross grain of the fabric) and lined to ensure a satisfactory fit and appearance. It was the apparent increase in uniformity.

1946 : American Cecil Gee introduced many styles and patterns of neckties

After the 1930's America devised many of its own styles and patterns for neckties instead of following those produced in Europe and, in time, England began to imitate some of the American fashions. In the 1940's colorful, patterned neckties, many of them hand-painted, were popular and these were introduced into England by Cecil Gee in 1946. With his 'American Look' clothes he sold neckties painted with cowboys and Indians and other devices. Ten years later another American fashion was revived, the white necktie worn with a black shirt which was originally associated with the American gangsters of the 1920's.

1950's : necktie became a much more colorful and highly patterned dress accessory

The general mood in British men's fashions in the 1950's was conservative and understated, but by the late 1950's the necktie was worn much narrower and a thin, knitted necktie with square-ended blades was fashionable. In the course of the next few years the necktie was in fact to become a much more colorful and highly patterned dress accessory.

The kipper-shaped necktie with a broad, pointed blade as much as five or six inches wide was introduced in the mid 1960's in a striking range of new designs and bold colors. Floral patterns, in particular, became popular and were soon added to general stock ranges. It was also fashionable to wear a shirt and necktie of matching patterned fabric, often in black or navy and white 'op art' designs.

1960's : necktie was remained a necessary and accepted feature of formal dress

By the end of the 1960's men's neckties had, in general, moved away from conventional patterns of spots and stripes in club colors. Shirts and neckties together burst into color, creating a dazzling new effect which confirmed the necktie in its position as an important item of male dress. At the same time, however, a counter-trend during the decade was discouraging the use of the necktie at all. Many younger men preferred to wear an open-necked shirt or a polo-necked sweater for all informal occasions. The necktie was perhaps less generally worn than previously but it remained a necessary and accepted feature of formal dress. A collar and necktie were required uniform for most men working in offices or professions and the absence of a necktie continued to be only really permissible with informal clothes.