The Evolution of the Necktie, From Croatian Mercenaries to Silicon Valley's Rejection

The necktie's origin is military. During the Thirty Years' War, Croatian mercenaries in France wore knotted cloth scarves. The French court adopted the style and christened it la cravate, a corruption of Croate. By Louis XIV's reign, elaborate cravats were essential aristocratic markers.

The modern tie took shape in the 1920s when Jesse Langsdorf patented cutting fabric on the bias from three pieces. This allowed smooth draping, knot recovery, and consistent manufacture. By mid-century the necktie was the universal white-collar uniform.

Width and pattern fluctuated: wide and hand-painted in the 1940s, narrow knit in the 1960s, the red power tie of the 1980s. Perennial patterns endure: regimental stripe, Macclesfield neat, solid grenadine, and ancient madder print.

Italian makers elevated the accessory. Marinella of Naples, founded in 1914, produces ties from hand-printed Como silk with rolled edges and slip stitches allowing the tie to flex without distorting (https://www.marinella.it). Drake's of London applies similarly artisanal methods.

Construction is visible if you know where to look. Turn a tie over and pull gently at the back seam: the slip stitch, that loose loop of thread running the length of the blade, should give a few millimetres before stopping. Without it the tie puckers within a season. Count the folds too. A standard tie is three-fold over a wool interlining; six- and seven-fold ties dispense with interlining and use the silk itself for body, which drapes beautifully and knots enormously.

Grenadine earns its reputation. It is woven on antique Jacquard looms in and around Como, with the Fossati mill the name most often on the ticket, and the open leno weave gives enough texture to carry a plain suit and a plain shirt where a solid satin looks flat. Garza fina is the finer, denser version; garza grossa is chunkier and better with tweed. Neither carries a pattern to argue with anything else you own.

The twenty-first century brought the tie's most significant challenge. Zuckerberg's hoodie, Jobs's turtleneck, and workplace casualisation turned the tie from requirement to option. Wearing one to a tech meeting could signal you were hopelessly out of touch.

For those who still wear ties, width should match lapel width. Length should bring the tip to the belt buckle. The four-in-hand knot is most versatile. Silk is the default but wool, linen, and cotton offer textural variety.

Ties die from handling rather than wearing. Untie the knot each night by reversing the sequence instead of dragging the narrow blade back through it, then hang or loosely roll the tie and give it a day to recover before wearing it again. Silk will not release oil or wine, so blot rather than rub and accept that some stains finish a tie. Press through a cloth on low heat, never directly, and never across the rolled edges.

The necktie is not dead; it has become voluntary, arguably healthier. When chosen today the gesture carries more meaning. Choose well-made ties in versatile patterns, store them rolled or hung, and wear them when the occasion or your mood calls for that finishing touch.