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Ties, they come in all shapes, colours and sizes. They range
from the luxury silk bow-tie to the inferior clip-ons, the skinny ties of
modern times to the neckerchiefs of old. Teachers often wear garish ones and learning
to tie a Windsor knot is a rite of passage for many young men. And, in spite of
the casual anti-tie approach of the 90s and 00s, the modern, more sartorial man
still regards a good tie as a staple wardrobe item. In the spirit of all things
tie, we’re giving you a brief history lesson on this most refined of
accessories.
221 BBC – The
first emperor of a unified China, the great Qin Shi Huang, had a “Terracotta
Army” built to protect him in the afterlife and the statues of soldiers wear a
form of necktie.
1818 – Neckclothitania
or Tietania is published with illustrations on the 14 different ways to tie a
cravat. Before the days of online fashion, this was the go-to guide.
1840 – The term
“tie” enters into common parlance, replacing the necktie.
1936 – The Windsor
knot is invented by none other than the Duke of Windsor.
1950s – The skinny
tie becomes a trend, popularized by The Beatles among others, and remains
popular over the coming decades (see the iconic cover of Blondie’s Parallel Lines from 1978). You can find
a remarkably similar example on the yd clothing store online of this classic tie.
1971 – The iconic
bolo or bootlace tie was made the official neckwear of Arizona. Commonly
associated with Western wear, it’s an accessory as common as the Stetson and
cowboy boots.
Today – The
skinny tie is still popular but the styles have greatly expanded, giving the
tie-wearer an impressive array of choice.
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