Neckties Through the Ages—Introduction

Updated February 21, 2017 | Factmonster Staff


2,000 Years of the Necktie

The history of America's favorite Father's Day gift


by David Johnson

NECKTIES

THROUGH THE AGES
 
210 B.C.

China's First Emperor



113 A.D.

Did Romans Wear Ties?



17th Century

Croatian Cravats for the King of France



Cravats Go to England



Real Men Wear Lace



18th Century

Cowboy Bandannas from India



Sailing the Seven Seas



19th Century

Business Suit Takes Shape



Cambridge & Oxford School Ties



Ties Fit for Officers and Gentlemen



Bow Ties Center Stage



A Tie Singing Dixie



Lord Byron's Legacy



Women Tie the Knot, Too!



20th Century

Paris Presents Designer Ties



Celebrities & Rock Stars



Ascots Cross Finish Line



Bolo: The Tie That Won the West



Turtleneck: The Anti-Tie



 
Click Here for the Next Tie Entry


Former president Clinton liked his colorful, while Regis Philbin wants his to match his shirt. The Duke of Windsor had a vast collection, but Col. Sanders always wears the same black one. And many men won't wear them at all.



Like them or not, neckties are the Father's Day gift. Americans spend more than $1 billion each year to buy a staggering 100 million ties. That's roughly one tie for every male over the age of 20 in the United States.



Male Identity



Men's neckwear has been made of every kind of material: silk, cotton, wool, leather, rope, string, lace, linen, rayon, and polyester. And whether they were called cravats, jabots, bandannas, bolos, ascots, bootlaces, bows, butterflies, kerchiefs, or simply ties, neckties have been closely linked to the male ego.



Ties have been used to proclaim status, occupation, and even identity, as well as allegiance to a group or cause, often military. Neckwear has also had utilitarian purposes—to protect the neck or hide buttons on a shirt.



The earliest known version of the necktie was worn by Shih Huan Ti, China's first emperor...





RELATED LINKS


Knotty Questions




How Wide Should You Tie?



From Brooches to Pins



A First Class Tie



Care for Your Tie





Sources: Neckwear Association of America, The Tie, by Sarah Giddings, Columbia Encyclopedia, fifth edition; Time Almanac, 1999; The Last Resorts, by Cleveland Amory, and the following web sites: http://web.mit.edu/invent/, http://www.chass.utoronto.ca/, http://www.ties.com

Sources +