The necktie worn by men all over the world has its origin in Croatia.  King Louis XIV of French and his court switched to the soft neck scarves worn by Croatian mercenaries.  They found that these neck scarves were much comfortable to have around the necks than the stiff lace ruffs that they favored earlier.  However the real credit for having invented a neck wear is given to the Chinese emperor Shih Huang Ti and his court.  The emperor and his court wore a neck piece which was a silk cloth carefully arranged around the neck.

The Necktie In English Society

The silk tie and neckties were brought to England by King Charles II.  They came to be called cravats and became highly popular in fashionable society.  Complicated techniques of cravat tying became the craze and the beaus and dandies loved to attend balls and other fashionable events with these artistic creations around their necks.  Cravats were made of linen or silk and there were reportedly more than 100 different ways of tying the knots in these cravats.  Of course since most of the fashionable men did have personal valets to take care of their dressing, maintaining the cravats and making sure the knots were in keeping with the fashion was their responsibility.

Changes To The Necktie

With the passing of years and the Industrial Revolution, men could no longer afford to spend long hours in front of the mirror.  They had to do hands on work and no longer had the time to indulge in such elaborate rituals.  At the same time, they felt the need to have something to tie around their necks and thus was born the bow tie.  The style of the cravats changed to finally become the necktie as it is worn today.  Before the Industrial Revolution, neckties and mens ties were used by the upper crust of the society only.  It was made of the purest linen or silk and out of the reach of the commoners.  After the industrial awakening, neckties came within the reach of the common man too.

Symbolism In Ties

The modern silk ties come in all colours and designs.   Black mens ties are worn usually for formal occasions.  While red ties stand for passion and leadership, the blue tie symbolizes peace.  Although there have been periods through the years when men have defiantly shunned the use of silk ties, the use of the necktie has never really died down.  The most rebellious teenager will also bring out his necktie to be worn for a solemn occasion.