History of Ties

Men's neckwear has been made of every kind of material: silk, cotton, wool, leather, rope, string, lace, linen, rayon, and polyester. And have been worn in many styles from cravats to bandanas, bolos to bootlaces, bows to handkerchiefs, or simply ties.

Ties have been used to display occupation, status, identity, membership of a group or cause. Neckwear has also had utilitarian purposes—to protect the neck or hide buttons on a shirt.

The earliest known version of the necktie has been found in the massive mausoleum of China's first emperor, Shih Huang Ti, who was buried in 210 B.C. Afraid of death, the emperor wanted to slaughter an entire to army to accompany him into the next world. His advisers ultimately persuaded him to take life-size replicas of the soldiers instead.

The result is one of the marvels of the ancient world. Unearthed in 1974 near the ancient capital city of Xian, the tomb contained an astonishing 7,500 life-size terracotta replicas of Shih Huang Ti's famed fighting force. Legions of officers, soldiers, archers and horsemen, all carved in meticulous detail, guard the emperor's sarcophagus. The armour, uniforms, hair, and facial expressions of the soldiers are reproduced in exquisite detail. Each figure is different - except in one respect: all wear neck cloths.

An ancient mystery
Historians say other records indicate the Chinese did not wear ties, so why the emperor's guards wore carefully wrapped silk cloths remains a mystery. Since silk was a great luxury, the cloths could indicate the ultimate honour Shih Huang Ti bestowed on his soldiers; they were trusted enough to guard him until the end of time. 

In 113 A.D., one of Rome's greatest Emperors, the military genius Trajan, erected a marble column to commemorate a triumphant victory over the Dacians, who lived in what is now Romania.
The 2,500 realistic figures on the column sport no less than three different styles of neckwear. These include shorter versions of the modern necktie; cloth wound around the neck and tucked into armour; and knotted kerchiefs reminiscent of cowboy bandanas.

While Roman orators often wore cloths to keep their throats warm, soldiers did not cover their necks. In fact, writers such as Horace and Seneca said only effeminate men covered their necks.

Skilled warriors 
Trajan's column is the only representation of legionnaires with neckwear. Historians believe the legionnaires wore cloths for reasons similar to those of Shih Huang Ti's terracotta army. Truly great fighters must be visibly honoured. And, the legionnaires were so skilled in battle that they were immune to perceptions of appearing feminine. 

"The Sun King," Louis XIV of France, was intrigued and delighted by the colourful silk kerchiefs worn around the necks of Croatian mercenaries. A crack regiment, the soldiers were presented at court around 1660 so the King could thank them for a victory against the Hapsburg Empire.

Many experts believe the French word for tie, cravat, is a corruption of "Croat." In fact, French kings maintained an elite regiment, the Cravate Royale, until the French Revolution of 1789.

Other sources say cravat is derived from the Turkish word kyrabacs, or the Hungarian, korbacs, both meaning "whip" or "long, slender object." Researchers have also noted the word cravat appeared in French before the arrival of the Croatians. They suggest the term is a corruption of rabat, French for a hanging collar.

One thing is certain: the elegant French courtiers and the military immediately began copying the Croatians. Ordinary soldiers began adorning their necks with lace, while officers sported muslin or silk, possibly trimmed with embroidery. Even poor people wore cotton cravats, sometimes of pleated black taffeta. 

In 1660, King Charles II returned to England and reclaimed the throne that had been lost during the Puritan revolution. After nine years in exile, aristocrats flooded England, bringing with them a passion for the pleasures of the European courts. 
Weary of war, and tired of the austerity imposed by Oliver Cromwell; England wanted to have fun. Gambling, drinking, music, dancing, parties, theatre, elaborate clothes, grand wigs, and yes, the stylish, new cravat, were suddenly all the rage. 

Art museums throughout the U.S. and Europe are full of paintings from the 17th and 18th centuries showing generals, politicians, and aristocrats resplendent in their lace cravats. Lace was used for trimming, both men's and women's clothing, and also for decorating. Windows, beds, chairs, and tables were all festooned with lace.
Although England produced prodigious quantities of lace itself, lace from Flanders and Venice, considered the best, was imported in vast quantities. Because of strict trade regulations, lace smuggling became an international pastime.

For those who could afford it, no price was too costly. King Charles II is said to have once spent 20 pounds and 12 shillings on a single cravat. This was as much as five times an annual middle class salary.

Lace was not the only material used for cravats. Plaid scarves, ribbon, embroidered linen tasselled strings and ordinary cotton were all pulled into service. Some neckwear was so thick it was able to stop a sword thrust.

Pulling No Punches for Bandanas

 
A few years before 19th century trendsetter Beau Brummell, a rugged young prize-fighter of working class origins named Jem Belcher took to wearing a blue silk bandana covered with large white spots containing pale blue bird's eye centres. Soon, working class Englishmen by thousands were wearing collared bandanas.
In so doing, they were adopting a trend already common in America. Only rich colonists wore cravats made of lace. America was already adopting a casual, practical attitude toward fashion.

Derived from the Sanskrit word, bandanna, or bandhana, meaning "tying", bandanas were first imported from India around 1700. The original bandanas were silk and came in an array of colours, including red, blue, green, brown, black and white, pink, and yellow. bandanas could also be hand printed or tie-dyed with flowers or bird's eye patterns.

Cowboys used red or blue bandana to keep dust from the face. Bandits also used bandanas as masks. bandanas today are an integral part of western style, and are often worn square dancing. 

In the 18th and 19th centuries, British sailors often wore white and blue uniforms, complete with a silk or cotton bandana, or scarf, usually blue.

The sailor suit began to be worn in the mid 1800s as yachting became popular. This has had its greatest impact on clothing for women and children. The modern sailor's suit was introduced for boys around 1860 and became an instant success. Still worn today, the white and blue outfit also comes with a dress for girls. 

The well-dressed man about town should wear clothes that are simple, functional and discreet, George Bryan "Beau" Brummell commanded in the early 19th century. By advocating well-cut, tailored clothes, Brummell essentially invented what has come to be known as the "British look."
Brummell rejected 18th century frills. His mandate, a dark blue coat, buff-collared pantaloons and waistcoat, black boots and a clean white neck cloth, survives today as the dark business suit and white shirt, and as crisp white sportswear.

Cravats
He was particularly adamant about the whiteness of his cravats. As he made his daily rounds from the park, various gentleman's clubs and fashionable homes, Brummell would stop and change his cravat as often as three times a day. He preferred neck cloths that were lightly starched and carefully folded.

The simplicity of Brummell's uniform was adopted by everyone from many working men to his friend, the Prince Regent, later King George IV. For the first time, poorer men hoping to make their way in the world could easily imitate upper class fashion.

The I Zingari Cricket Club, founded by a group of Cambridge University students in 1845 is believed to have created the first sporting colours. They designed a flag of black, bright, orange-red, and gold, symbolizing "out of darkness, through fire, into light." Blazers, caps, and ties were eventually created in these colours.

Rowing colours
In 1880, the rowing club at Oxford University's Exeter College One men's club, invented the first school tie by removing their ribbon hat bands from their boater hats and tying them, four-in-hand. When they ordered a set of ties, with the colours from their hat bands, they had created the modern school tie. School, club, and athletic ties appeared in abundance. Some schools had different ties for various grades, levels of achievement, and for graduates.

Middle class pretensions
Ties had enormous appeal to the vast Victorian middle class. As industrialization allowed for mass consumption of material goods, men wanted to stand out, to assert their social superiority, or to proclaim their allegiance to a group.

In the 1880s the British military finally decided abandon its array of brightly collared uniforms that had always made such good targets. But they retained the beloved old military colours on the stripes of the neckties each regiment would come to adopt. These ties not only preserved the traditional colours, they provided the only creativity for the drab new uniforms.
The Royal Rifle Corps sported rifle green and scarlet ties, while the stripes of the Artists' Rifles were black, grey, and red; the Inns of Court wore green and blue stripes.

Exclusivity remains
Rules on who may wear the more than 200 regimental ties can be quite strict. Some of the prestigious London stores sometimes ask customers to indicate they have the right to wear a particular tie. This pushes up the price collectors are willing to pay for an especially rare tie. Some unusual or rare ties will change hands for thousands of dollars.

The bow tie gets its name from the French, jabot, (pronounced ja-bow), a type of ready made 17th century lace cravat. In the 18th and 19th centuries, bow ties came in various materials and styles.

The enduring popularity of the black bow tie dates to 1886, when Pierre Lorillard V invented the tuxedo as an alternative to the tailcoats worn with white bow ties. The new dinner jacket got its name from the resort of Tuxedo Park, New York, where it was first worn. Black bow ties and tuxedo are now standard at formal evening occasions. But bow ties have lost favour for business because they are complicated to tie and must be made in the correct collar size. The bow tie gets its name from the French, jabot, (pronounced ja-bow), a type of readymade 17th century lace cravat. In the 18th and 19th centuries, bow ties came in various materials and styles. White bow ties were formal, but others were collared. For example, 19th century Irish immigrants to America favoured brown, green, or red bow ties.

As more and more public schools in Britain began competing against one another in sporting events, students looked for ways to display their school colours. First it was with ribbons around their hats, then with scarves. Finally someone thought of a school tie. School or club ties show the colours of the school displayed in diagonal stripes. Strangely: In Britain, tie stripes traditionally slope downward from right to left. But in America, the stripes traditionally slope down from left to right. Here at Tie Specialist our stripes go both ways.

Whilst you are here, please browse our tie shop by clicking on the categories to the left. We ship worldwide for free and have 100's of the finest quality woven silk ties made in the UK.