Women have a lot of accessories to help spice up their outfits. Men are more limited which is one reason why the necktie has become such an important part of mens’ fashion.
While the tie as we know it is a fairly modern invention, specific neckwear was worn by Romans in a similar way to accentuate and identify the military or in sports today to identify a team or troop.
Cravat, which has become universal for tie origins are based in the Croatian mercenary’s terminology. The Croatian mercenary’s who fought with the French during the 30 Years War wore cloth around their necks both as decoration and to tie their shirts. “Croat” became “cravat” and the origins of the necktie were born. King Louis IV, who wore lace cravats when he was a boy, liked cravats so much he made them mandatory attire at Royal gatherings. Soon enough, the always chic Parisian nobility started wearing them and the cravat craze spread to other parts of Europe.
The natural progression from the cravat was the bow tie. While the bow tie has evolved over time the early renditions were difficult to knot and easily loosened, making them impractical for men who worked in physically demanding jobs. By the beginning of the 20th century, instead of being tied into a bow, the fabric was knotted to hang down from the neck. This is how the necktie came into fashion. Made from silk, it often had stripes. While it was easier to knot than a bow tie, it was hard to keep the fabric straight.
In 1924 an American tailor, Jesse Langsdorf, tried cutting the fabric at a 45-degree angle across the silk’s grain to see if it would stop the problem of curling at the bottom and give the tie a neater, sleeker look. He also cut the fabric into three sections, two equally long sides and a shorter piece to go around the neck in such as way so that the seams would match. This design also made it easier for men to loosen the tie without it becoming undone.
What became known as the Langsdorf tie has been the standard for the last 90 years. While patterns, fabrics, lengths and widths have come and gone, the basic cut has not changed. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it and this accessory has seemed to work well for men, and even women, who want to spice up their look. Accessories such as ties are key points in emphasizing the style/look of a uniform.
