“The origin of the necktie dates back to the 17th century in France. During the 30 years war Croatian mercenaries went to France to show their support to King Louis. The Croats used to wear a scarf like piece of clothing to tie the top of their uniforms. Not only did this serve a practical purpose such as protection from the wind and the cold, but it also had a decorative purpose. When the war ended, King Louis was impressed with how brave the Croats had fought. He also found liking in their scarves, and ended up adopting this piece of clothing for formal gatherings. To honor the Croats, he gave the scarf the name “La Cravat”, a name still used in France today.”
For covering up buttons… and they can also be used for an impromptu garrotte or when combined with a stick or something it makes for a nice tourniquet to prevent bleeding out of a newly severed limb… ties are quite useful indeed
Ties are my favorite accessory. You can do so much with them to accent your outfit. From adding a complimentary pattern to a contrasting color. Not to mention they elongate your form and break up the monotony of your shirt.
But yes, the modern necktie was originally created to hide the shirt’s buttons.
Ties were designed to remind men they are slaves on a tight leash. It is a throwback to the slave collars and chains worn hundreds of years ago. They are lame and should be shunned by all who are forced to wear them.
I recently had the idea that if two men were wearing a very similar suit, that the odds of them wearing the same tie would be small. Therefore, the tie could always differentiate two outfits to where no one could say “Did you guys call each other and figure out what to wear tonight?” Ha.
@evelyns_pet_zebra – During the 1970’s members of certain rock and roll bands were infamous for stuffing a pair of socks inside their pants. Wouldn’t this serve as a primitive form of codpiece resurgence?