The modern necktie is descended from the cravat. Croatians serving in France during the Thirty Years War in the 17th Century wore small, knotted silk neckerchiefs, which aroused the interest of the Parisians. The name cravat comes from the Croatian word Hrvati and the French word Croates. Louis XIV started wearing cravats and set the trend for French nobility. From this the Jabot later emerged.
In the 18th century, neck stocks emerged, originally a leather collar to keep soldiers heads held high in battle and to protect their necks.
A style manual called Neckclothitania was published in 1818 which contained illustrations on how to tie cravats in 14 elaborate ways. It was the first book to use the word ‘tie’ to refer to neckwear itself. At this time, black stocks as well as scarves or bandanas were worn with their ends slipped through a ring instead of being knotted.
With the Industrial Revolution, people wanted something easier to put on that would last intact the whole work day. This is the beginning of the modern necktie, which dispensed with the complicated array of knots and styles of cravats. Ascot ties were also worn for formal dinners and had wide flaps that were crossed and pinned together.
In the 1850s, the four-in-hand necktie was fashionable in Britain. It was a rectangular strip of cloth with square ends. The four-in-hand driving company was founded in 1856 and its members used a four-in-hand knot. Eventually, the term fell into disuse and was replaced with simply ‘tie’.
In the Edwardian era, pleated Victorian cravat ties were still worn. There were also puff ties, neck scarf ties, Windsor bowties, muffler scarf ties, four in hand ties, imperial ties and narrow ties (to go with sack suits). The 2” knit wool tie with square end first appeared in the 1910s and has gone in and out of fashion various times ever since. 
In 1922, a New York tie maker, Jesse Langsdorf, came up with cutting the tie on the bias and sewing it in 3 segments. This allowed the tie to hang from the knot without twisting. This was the birth of the true modern necktie. They were approx. 2.5” wide to begin with.
In Britain and commonwealth countries, diagonal Repp or regimental stripe ties have been used to denote association with a corp, service or institution since the 1920s.
Scarf ties and bowties were worn up until the 1930s, which then left the necktie to dominate. In the 30s, widths were at about 3.5” and Art Deco designs were popular.
During war time, silk supplies ran short and rayon ties came into popularity, tied with a Windsor knot. Wool and wool-cotton blends were also popular. One brief trend around 1942 was the centre striped tie consisting of one long vertical stripe down the centre of the tie. Tie-swaps and tie-swapping clubs grew to be popular gatherings and scantily clad pin-up girls painted on the back side of a tie became a fashionable secret.
After WWII, wide hand-painted ties were very popular in the United States and continued into the 1950s. Ties reached maximum width of 5 inches with the Bold Look when returning soldiers wanted a break from uniformity. They also featured bright colours and bold designs including geometric patterns, hunting scenes, tropical themes and more!
1940s hand painted rayon necktie
1950s ties could be very artistic featuring Cubist and Modern designs. They are highly collectible now.
1950s abstract print rayon tie
The Esquire ‘Mister. T’ new trim look replaced the Bold Look in the mid 50s with slimmer and more modest tie designs. Fabrics like synthetic Dracon knit, cotton, shantung and coarse silk were used along with traditional wool and silk. Square end ties were also fashionable.
Men started wearing their trousers lower and absconding waistcoats in the 1960s and so, tie lengths increased to conceal the tips. Foulard deigns and stripes were popular as were solid colours. Ties slimmed to as little as 1 inch wide- ‘skinny ties’ were embraced by mods of the time. The silk ascot also returned.
Turnbull & Asser introduced pop art inspired ties in 1965.
The late 1960s and early 1970s saw an exuberance of styles including the Kipper Tie created by London designer Michael Fish.
70s kipper tie
By the late 1970s, ties were being sold along with shirts as a set. The silk neckerchief also became popular. Nature and paisley prints were in.
The 1980s saw tie widths of between 1.5” and 3.5”.
The 1990s began a fascination with novelty and kitschy designs such as those featuring cartoon characters and commercial products. The standard length became 57 inches and remains so to this day.
We have an extensive collection of vintage neckties available in our store. Browse through the links below: