Men love to criticize it, they often complain about it and swear they can do without it but in reality they love the elegance that the tie gives to their clothing. An accessory that says a lot with little and that has really accompanied the beauty of gentlemen for millennia and is not a way of saying! Discover “everything you wanted to know about the tie” and take a journey through time and the story of style. And how it was born.
The tie begins with the Romans
The history of the tie begins with the ancient Romans, even if they were the first to realize it. In fact it was not an elegant accessory then . The ancestor of the tie was in fact an anti-dust handkerchief that soldiers used during battle and on long journeys. It was used to cover the face to avoid breathing dust and smoke, which is why it was worn around the neck. And it often took on very specific colors, which were used to identify the members of a specific legion.
Over time this custom gradually disappeared, at least in the West . Instead, it remained in vogue in the eastern part of the Empire and therefore in Eastern Europe. And when, centuries after Rome, European men had forgotten that famous handkerchief, it was the Croats who reminded them that it had existed . And they did it with so much style that it became .. a real fashion!
The Hrvata becomes the Tie
During the long Thirty Years War (1618-1648) which involved France, Bohemia, Denmark and other regions of Northern and Eastern Europe, the uniforms of Croatian soldiers caused a sensation . These were characterized by colorful scarves that were worn tied around the neck and made them look charming. From the name of these men, hrvati, the scarf took the name of hrvata . This is the origin of the name Tie.
The first to succumb to the charm of that handkerchief was the French king Louis XIV , who had one made of lace and lace in 1648. He was little more than a child then, but he was among the first to use the “Croatian scarf ”As an element of beauty for one’s clothing. From that moment on, the tie became a fashion. For the next two centuries it remained in the form of a handkerchief that was pinned to the chest with a pin. Later it was knotted in an artistic way. It shortened considerably between the end of the eighteenth century and the beginning of the twentieth.
It first became a staple, the famous bow tie . Following the famous strip of fabric that is knotted with the passages we know today.
The modern tie
The tie today serves to elegantly hide the buttons of the shirt. It is knotted with four “ four-in-hand ” steps invented by a London club in the 19th century. But it can be knotted with different types of knots: half Windsor (six passes), Windsor (eight passes), St Andrews (seven) and so on. The most refined knot, which does not even ruin the fabric of the tie, is the “ Onassis passage”Which is completed with tweezers that lock the bow. The tie knot also becomes an art and a testimony of style and elegance. And sometimes, especially among the younger ones, it becomes a father-son moment, with the pope teaching how to tie the knot. In some cases, for the most bungling, the knot is made by the girlfriend / wife, with care and love.
The kingdom of ties today is in Italy, especially in the city of Naples! But now any fashion house knows how to make and sell this particular garment. Among the best ties we can mention those of Marinella, Stefano Ricci, Gucci, Hermes, Armani, Trussardi, Bram.
Our post dedicated to the history of the tie ends here. See you next time with the insights related to the history of fashion, by our portal!
