Originally worn for warmth bysoldiers, the tie appeared in France during the reign of Louis XIII. At that time, Croatian soldiers were recruited by the king of France. They wore a knotted scarf around their necks. Some historians even think that the word for tie in French, cravate, is a deformation of the word croate.
Around 1650 ties were worn at the court of Louis XIV. There was competition to see who could sport the most elegant and audacious apparel by adding lace and silk ribbons. This fashion spread throughout Europe.
Worn by the rich and by dandies, the tie remained fashionable during the following century. It also underwent several changes.
A more functional tie developed during the second half of the 19th century due to the influence of the industrial revolution on textiles. A new tie appeared, longer and straighter. This new style of tie, named the REGATTA, was widely worn, and is the basic model of today’s tie.
In 1926, Jesse Langsdorf, a New York inventor, had the idea of cutting the form of the tie diagonally across the fabric and of making it with three separate pieces. This gave a more supple tie. Our modern tie was born.
Today, every day, school children in Nepal, businessmen in Manhattan, and hundreds of millions of men throughout the world wear ties.