Neckties From A Historical Perspective
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.
Loved and hated by men in equal measures, this clothing item has gone through a lot in the course of time. The ties underwent evolution through unique influences of certain events, later affecting mens fashion in the Americas, Asia and Europe. The oldest evidence of neckties being worn by people can be traced back to the Chinese. The first China Emperor, named Shih Huang Ti, had mixed feelings about death hence he ordered replicas of his army bodyguards to be buried alongside him, apparently for protection. When his grave was discovered back in 1974, every one of the replicas preserved in it had neck cloths or ties.
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.
Despite the necktie being around for several decades, it is Croatians who can be credited with transforming them into fashionable statements, back in the 17th century. Following French King Louis the fourteenth assistance in a battle of the Croats versus the Hampsburg Empire, he was rewarded with an army of several thousand soldiers. Among the soldiers were elite Croatian marines who wore cravats.
These clothing items fascinated the French, who had not previously seen such fashion statements previous, and who soon adopted wearing them. Up until 1789, when the French Revolution occurred, French army had an elite unit known as the Cravat Royale. This word cravat is derived from a French word cravat, which when translated means Croatian.
It did not take long for the wearing of a necktie to spread. Charles II returned from exile to England in 1660 to reclaim the throne he had lost in the course of the English Civil War. Accompanying him were aristocrats who brought with them the cravat to England, where it transformed into the necktie. It soon became popular, spread as a fashion statement throughout Europe, then to the United States, and then all over the world.
A significant contribution to the necktie was by Jesse Langsdorf, an American tie manufacturer. He had a simple idea whereby three pieces of fabric were cut and sewn together, and the slip stitch was invented to close the envelop along the tie back. This stitch eliminated necktie damage and ironing.
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.
Loved and hated by men in equal measures, this clothing item has gone through a lot in the course of time. The ties underwent evolution through unique influences of certain events, later affecting mens fashion in the Americas, Asia and Europe. The oldest evidence of neckties being worn by people can be traced back to the Chinese. The first China Emperor, named Shih Huang Ti, had mixed feelings about death hence he ordered replicas of his army bodyguards to be buried alongside him, apparently for protection. When his grave was discovered back in 1974, every one of the replicas preserved in it had neck cloths or ties.
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.
Despite the necktie being around for several decades, it is Croatians who can be credited with transforming them into fashionable statements, back in the 17th century. Following French King Louis the fourteenth assistance in a battle of the Croats versus the Hampsburg Empire, he was rewarded with an army of several thousand soldiers. Among the soldiers were elite Croatian marines who wore cravats.
These clothing items fascinated the French, who had not previously seen such fashion statements previous, and who soon adopted wearing them. Up until 1789, when the French Revolution occurred, French army had an elite unit known as the Cravat Royale. This word cravat is derived from a French word cravat, which when translated means Croatian.
It did not take long for the wearing of a necktie to spread. Charles II returned from exile to England in 1660 to reclaim the throne he had lost in the course of the English Civil War. Accompanying him were aristocrats who brought with them the cravat to England, where it transformed into the necktie. It soon became popular, spread as a fashion statement throughout Europe, then to the United States, and then all over the world.
A significant contribution to the necktie was by Jesse Langsdorf, an American tie manufacturer. He had a simple idea whereby three pieces of fabric were cut and sewn together, and the slip stitch was invented to close the envelop along the tie back. This stitch eliminated necktie damage and ironing.
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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