Ever Wonder About the Origin of Neckties?

So, you are dressing up for work and you casually pull out a pair of trousers, a shirt and a necktie from your wardrobe. Then, among other things, you go to work, have lunch, get some more work done, come back, have dinner and go off to sleep. The next day, you repeat the same cycle all over again. In all this activity, do you ever wonder why you wear a necktie to work? Exactly when did the idea of a necktie come into being so much so that it has in fact become an integral part of our daily ritual?

Let me use this blog post to tell you about the origins of neckties, which nobody really talks about, despite neckties being such an important part of the formal, even casual, dress code.

Where Do I Begin?

The concept of neckwear began perhaps as early as 210 BC, when China’s first emperor, Shih Huang Ti’s, mausoleum revealed neckties around each of his militia member-replicas. After that, in 113 AD, early Roman orators were known to tie neckerchiefs. This practice allowed their vocal chords to remain warm. At this time, soldiers were not known to wear neckties as part of their military uniform. In fact, according to Horace and Seneca, men with feminine traits were known to sport such cloths around their neck.

However, the Roman emperor Trajan’s militia was said to have worn neck cloths as part of their military apparel. According to historians, Trajan’s column is the only one to have worn neck cloths in Roman history. It was not considered feminine, this was their way of honoring great warriors.   

In 1650, this Roman style was adopted by France as fashion. These neckties were called ‘la cravate’ by King Louis XIV’s court. Forty years later, another fashion came into existence. It is believed that this sprouted from the fact that many French soldiers, when caught by surprise by attacking enemies, did not have the time to tie their neck scarves properly and hence, simply tucked them in their buttonholes. Hence, the battle of Steinkirke gave rise to The Steinkirke, a neck cloth worn in a disheveled manner, with two long lace ends.

Finally, it was in 1784, that neckties started being associated with a person’s individuality, personality and self expression. This concept was given birth by Beau Brummel, who was an authority on men’s fashion in Regency England. From then on, neckties became popular and the 1800s saw the emergence of neckties as a personal style statement.

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