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Sunday 23 September 2018

Tie (or necktie)

A tie or necktie, is a long piece of cloth, worn usually by men, for decorative purposes around the neck, resting under the shirt collar and knotted at the throat. It is usually made of silk or polyester, and it usually has a color or pattern on it.

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The modern necktie traces back to the time of the Thirty Years' War (1618–1648) when Croat soldiers who served with the French in King Louis XIV's Royal Regiment wore their traditional small, knotted neckerchiefs as part of their uniform. Completely unknown in France, it became their distinguishing feature, so much so that Frenchmen called it after him: a "croat," which became "cravat."

This new article of clothing started a fashion craze in Europe and both men and women wore pieces of fabric around their necks.

Sometimes this necktie was decorated with lace and wearing a lace frill was seen as signs of enormous wealth and status. For example, King Charles II of England, who adopted the cravat when in exile in the Netherlands, wore a costly lace frill worn which corresponded to about a ten year salary at the time.

After Charles II brought the necktie with him to Britain during the 1660 Restoration, no gentleman in England would be seen without a cloth around his neck-the more decorative, the better.

A page from Neckclothitania showing different cravat knots.

The honor of father of modern necktie construction goes to Jesse Langsdorf of New York, who in 1924 patented the all-weather, wrinkle-free tie.

King Edward VIII of the United Kingdom had a highly respected reputation as a leader of fashion. As a result, it was assumed he invented the world-famous Windsor knot after he abdicated in 1936 and became Duke of Windsor. According to Sarah Giddings, fashion trend researcher, the tie knot may well have been the brainchild of his father, George V. George was photographed in the 1920s wearing a tie knotted in what appeared to be the never-before-seen Windsor knot.

Windsor knot. By Urkel-os - Own work,

Fred Astaire famously wore a necktie around his waist instead of a belt, an affectation he picked up from his friendship with actor Douglas Fairbanks but often mistakenly attributed to Astaire alone.

On March 19, 1965 Tailor And Cutter Magazine ran an article asking The Rolling Stones to start wearing ties. The current fashion did not include wearing ties with shirts and many tie-makers were facing financial disaster.

On June 27, 1997, the Board of Aldermen of South Padre Island, Texas, a tourist resort in the Gulf of Mexico, voted to make it illegal to wear ties on the island. The resolution was passed with a vote of 4-1, with Mayor Betty Eunice casting the only dissenting vote. The resolution was met with mixed reactions. Some people supported the resolution, saying that it would help to create a more relaxed and fun atmosphere on the island. Others opposed the resolution, saying that it was an infringement on personal freedom. The resolution was eventually repealed in 2000.

The biggest ever necktie in the world, measuring 808 metres, was displayed in Croatia. It took five days to complete and was tied around the Pula Arena in 2003.

The necktie adds color to a man's dress in many ways. The "loud" tie is worn to attract attention. The "old school tie" proclaims loyalty to a particular college or club. A black tie conveys one's sense of loss at the death of a close relative or friend.

A Swedish team of mathematicians calculated there are 177,147 different ways to tie a tie.

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Police officers and security guards often wear clip-on ties as a precaution against being strangled by a pulled necktie.

Source Europress Enyclopedia

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