Neckties Through the Ages | Ascots Cross the Finish Line
Updated February 21, 2017 | Factmonster Staff

Ascots Cross the Finish Line
In Europe an ascot is a wide cravat of pale gray patterned silk only worn with very formal morning wear, to weddings, or England's Royal Ascot races, where it gets its name. In the U.S., ascot means cravat. The ascot was commonly worn for business in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.