   #copyright

Necktie

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Everyday life

   Blue necktie.
   Enlarge
   Blue necktie.

   The necktie (or tie) is a long piece of woven or knitted material worn
   around the neck, under the shirt collar and knotted at the throat with
   the blades resting on the shirt front. The modern necktie, ascot and
   bow tie, are descended from the cravat. Ties are mainly worn by men as
   a regular part of office attire, formal wear or uniform. A few women
   also wear ties as part of a uniform (e.g. military, school), office
   attire or as a fashion accessory.

Cravat

   A cravat is the neckband forerunner of the modern, tailored necktie.
   From the end of the 16th century, the term "band" applied to any
   long-strip neckcloth that was not a " ruff"; the ruff — a starched,
   pleated white linen strip — started its fashion career earlier in the
   16th century as neckcloth that could be changed-a-fresh to keep the
   neck of a doublet from becoming too-soiled or as a bib or a napkin. A
   "band" could indicate a plain, attached shirt collar or a detachable
   "falling band" that draped over the doublet collar.
   Necktie fashions have changed over time. This 1818 pamphlet depicts
   various styles of tying a cravat.
   Enlarge
   Necktie fashions have changed over time. This 1818 pamphlet depicts
   various styles of tying a cravat.

   The modern cravat originated in the 1630s. Like most men's fashions,
   between the 17th century and World War I, it had a military origin. In
   the reign of Louis XIII of France, Croatian mercenaries were enlisted
   to a regiment supporting the King and Cardinal Richelieu against the
   Duc de Guise and the Queen Mother, Marie de Medici. The traditional
   military kit of the Croats aroused parisian curiosity in and about the
   unusual, picturesque scarves distinctively knotted about their necks.
   The scarves were made of cloths ranging from the coarse-finish material
   of common soldiers, to the fine linens and silks of the officers'
   cravats. The word "cravat" derives from the French cravate; many
   sources state it is a French corruption of "Croat" — Croatian "Hrvat" —
   however evidence shows the word use in 14th century France and in 16th
   century Italy. In a ballad, French writer Eustache Deschamps (c.
   1340–1407), wrote the phrase "faites restraindre sa cravate" ("pull his
   cravat tighter").

   Considering the interdependency of many European regions (particularly
   the French) with the Venetian Empire, and that said empire once
   occupied most of Croatian coast, cross-culturalization would not be
   unprecedented. Whatever the word's origin, the new element of male
   dress became known as a cravate and the French quite readily
   surrendered the starched linen ruff and adopted the new neck fashion of
   loose cravates of linen or muslin with broad lace edges.

   On returning to England from exile, in 1660, Charles II took back with
   him the latest, new word in fashion:

          "A cravatte is another kind of adornment for the neck being
          nothing else but a long towel put about the Collar, and so tyed
          before with a Bow Knott; this is the original of all such
          Wearings; but now by the Art and Inventions of the seamsters,
          there is so many new ways of making them, that it would be a
          task to name, much more to describe them". (Randle Holme,
          Academy of Armory and Blazon, 1688.)

   A gentleman's cravat would be made of fine lace. Grinling Gibbonsthe
   famous carver and sculptor, carved a realistic cravat from white
   limewood.

   During the wars of Louis XIV of 1689– 1697, except for court occasions,
   the flowing cravat was replaced with the more current and equally
   military "Steinkirk", named for the Battle of Steenkerque in 1692. The
   Steinkirk was a long, narrow, plain or lightly trimmed neckcloth worn
   with military dress, wrapped once about the neck in a loose knot, with
   the lace of fringed ends twisted together and tucked out of the way
   into a button-hole (coat or waistcoat). The steinkirk proved popular
   with both men and women until the 1720s.

   The macaronis reintroduced the flowing cravat in the 1770s, and the
   manner of a man's knotting it became an indicative of his personal
   taste and sense of style, to such extent that, after Waterloo, the
   neckwear, itself, was referred to as a "tie".

Tie variants

   The cravat also spawned the following variants which are still worn
   today:
     * 19th century: Bow tie; the process of the cravat changing into the
       bow was gradual, and a definite line is difficult to draw.
     * 1850s: Four-in-hand, see below; also known as the "long tie", it is
       the variety most people mean when they just say "tie".
     * 1880s: Ascot tie.
     * 1940s: Bola tie (also called a string tie or bolo tie); a tie from
       the Southwest United States consisting of a cord with a clasp.
     * Clip-on tie: see Clip-on tie

Four-in-hand

   The four-in-hand necktie was fashionable in Britain in the 1850s. Early
   neckties were simple, rectangular cloth strips cut on the square, with
   square ends. The name "four-in-hand" originally described a carriage
   with four horses and a driver; it also later was the name of a
   gentlemen's club in London. Some etymologic reports state that carriage
   drivers knotted their reins with a four-in-hand knot (see below),
   whilst others claim the carriage drivers wore their scarves kotted in
   the four-in-hand manner, but, most likely, members of the club began
   wearing their neckties so knotted, thus making it fashionable. In the
   latter half of the 19th century, the four-in-hand knot and the
   four-in-hand necktie were synonymous. As fashion changed from stiff
   shirt collars to soft, turned-down collars, the four-in-hand necktie
   knot gained popularity; its sartorial dominance rendered the term
   "four-in-hand" redundant usage, shortened "long tie" and "tie".

   In 1926, Jesse Langsdorf from New York introduced ties cut on the bias
   (US) or cross-grain (UK), allowing the tie to evenly fall from the knot
   without twisting; this also caused any woven pattern such as stripes to
   appear diagonally across the tie.

   There are four main knots used to knot neckties. The simplest, the
   four-in-hand knot, probably is used by the majority of wearers. The
   others (in order of difficulty) are the Pratt knot (the Shelby knot),
   the half-Windsor knot, and the Windsor knot (also erroneously called
   the "double-Windsor"). The Windsor knot is the thickest knot of the
   four, since its tying has the most steps. The Windsor knot is named
   after the Duke of Windsor, although neither its inventor nor user. The
   Duke did favour a voluminous knot, however he achieved such by having
   neckties specially made of thicker cloths. In the late 1990s, two
   researchers, Thomas Fink and Yong Mao of Cambridge University's
   Cavendish Laboratory, used mathematical modelling to discovered that
   eighty-five (85) knots (within the constraints of wearing a necktie)
   are possible with a conventional tie. They found that in addition to
   the four well-known knots, six other knots have aesthetically pleasing
   results.

   Today, four-in-hand ties are part of men's formal clothing in both
   Western and non-Western societies, particularly for business. They have
   also found their way to the wardrobes of trail-blazing, fashionable
   women.

   Four-in-hand ties are generally made from silk or cotton. They appear
   in an unlimited number of colors and patterns, notably striped
   (diagonally) and paisley.

   Some psychologists think that wearing a long necktie is a man's
   subconscious effort to draw female eyes towards his genitalia.

Seven fold tie

   The seven-fold four-in-hand necktie is a more expensive necktie
   construction method. The method was almost forgotten, but revived after
   the austerity of the Great Depression. These ties, although they seldom
   carry a designer label, often sell for a minimum of $160 USD.

   The seven-fold necktie construction method was originally how ties were
   constructed. No liner is used, be it wool, cotton, or canvas, and
   rarely any silk that has a pattern not woven in. The construction is,
   by far, the most simple among of necktie construction; however it
   requires almost an hour to produce a necktie, whereas a typical
   department store tie can require a third of an hour. A square yard of
   silk is folded to seven sections of silk between the folds. The edges
   of the cloth are saddle-stitched to prevent the edges fraying. Then a
   long, thick strand of twine or silk fastens the folds. The resulting
   seven-fold four-in-hand necktie is distinctive.

   The seven-fold tie is durable and luxurious; its weight and body derive
   exclusively from the layering of silk. This gives the necktie a
   distinguishable, consistent, and noticeable dimple, which is the crease
   that forms just below the knot when formed a certain way. Seven-folds
   are resilient; oftentimes one discovers that a common necktie is
   permanently furrowed if its knot is left tied for longer than the work
   day, but this does not happen with a seven-fold four-in-hand necktie.

   Designers may seek to take advantage of the seven-fold's name and
   produce a hybrid namesake necktie with some aesthetic similarities, but
   none of the practical virtues. These still contain liners, and are not
   made solely of silk. Normally, they have the series of folds that is
   observable at the bottom end of the tie, however, careful examination
   of thickness at mid-tie exposes the sudden end of the silk folds.
   Comparatively, these faux seven-fold neckties don't behave as do true
   seven-fold four-in-hand neckties. Despite being constructed of the same
   high-quality silks as seven-folds, they knot like regular lined ties.
   Such neckties are known as 'double four folds'.

   Seven-fold neckties are distinguished by the absence of secondary
   material, such as a lining visible between the layers or a sudden
   change in consistency along the length of the body. Generally, the
   necktie's back shows the fabric's inverse weave pattern.

Clip-on tie

   The clip-on tie is a tie (bow tie or four in hand) which is permanently
   tied into its knot, and which is fixed only to the front of the shirt
   collar by a metal clip. It is primarily a 20th-century innovation. They
   are widely considered stylistically inferior, but are sometimes
   required in professions such as law enforcement where it would be
   dangerous for the wearer to have a tie that an assailant could use to
   choke him.

Ties as signs of membership

   The two variants of the school tie for Phillips Academy.
   Enlarge
   The two variants of the school tie for Phillips Academy.

   The use of coloured and patterned neckties indicating the wearer's
   membership in a club, military regiment, school, et cetera, dates only
   from late-nineteenth century England. The first, definite occurrence
   was in 1880, when Exeter College, Oxford rowers took the College-colour
   ribbons from their straw boaters and wore them as neckties (knotted
   four-in-hand), and then went on to order a proper set of ties in the
   same colours, thus creating the first example of a College necktie.

   Soon other colleges followed suit, as well as schools, universities,
   and clubs. At about the same time, the British military moved from
   dressing in brightly and distinctively coloured uniforms to subdued and
   discreet uniforms, and they used neckties to retain regimental colours.

   The most common pattern for such ties was, and remains, diagonal
   stripes of alternating colours (running down the tie from the left in
   the UK and most of Europe, and running down from the right in the
   U.S.). A frequent alternative is either a single emblem or a crest
   centred and placed where a tie pin normally would be, or a repeated
   pattern of such motifs. Sometimes, both types are used by an
   organisation, either simply to offer a choice or to indicate a
   distinction among and levels of membership. Occasionally, a hybrid
   design is used, in which alternating stripes of colour are overlaid
   with repeated motif pattern.
   A cryptic motif on the official WE.177 project tie.
   Enlarge
   A cryptic motif on the official WE.177 project tie.

   Many British schools use variations on their basic necktie to indicate
   the wearer's age, house, status (e.g. prefect), or participation in
   competition (especially sports). Usually, the Old Boys and Girls (
   alumni) wear a different design.

   In the late 1970s, at the time of the Iranian Islamic Revolution, the
   mainstream U.S. press labelled Islamic fundamentalist hardline
   revolutionaries "turbans", and the modernist moderates "neckties".
   Culturally, in theocratic Iran, neckties have been denounced as
   decadent, un-Islamic, and symbolic of the Western oppression. Since
   then, most Iranian men have worn long-sleeved shirts with collars, but
   not neckties.

Ties and associated health issues

   The debate between proponents and opponents of the wearing of neckties
   generally centre on issues of conformity, expectation, and expression.
   Frank Lloyd Wright said of great architecture (himself quoting another
   great architect, Louis Sullivan, who was also his mentor), " Form
   follows function". Applied to fashion, the tie's function as decoration
   stands criticised by the same principle. Arizona State University
   recently passed a resolution (2005) to have no discrimination based
   upon gender preferences, including cross-gender choices. However, as it
   takes some time to change policies and sentiments, they retained a rule
   requiring all men to wear ties and all women to wear hose and heels in
   the Office of the President for any ambassadorship visits or official
   meetings. Some men have been turned down for employment and even fired
   with or without explanation after appearing without the "expected" tie.
   For women, on the other hand ties are considered used to classed as
   'improper' but due to the sexism issue, more and more employers are
   forcing women to wear ties to create a unified dress code.

   Opponents of necktie wearing have cited risks associated with the
   wearing of neckties as an argument for discontinuing the practice.
   These risks have primarily involved entanglement, infection, and
   vascular constriction. The risk of entanglement is generally well
   understood by people working around machinery or in situations where
   person-to-person confrontation may occur (e.g., police and prison
   personnel, and in certain medical fields). The answer is generally to
   avoid wearing ties, or use the clip-on variety which detach from the
   wearer when grabbed. The risk of cross-infection of patients by doctors
   wearing ties is being treated seriously by hospitals, it being noted
   that ties are cleaned less often than most items of clothing and can
   carry bacteria. Doctors routinely lean across patients and ties
   frequently come into contact with patients, therefore bow ties have
   traditionally been popular with doctors. The risk of vascular
   constriction, in cases where ties are worn with over-tight collars, has
   been noted. Studies have shown an increase in intra-ocular pressure in
   these cases which can worsen the condition of people with already
   weakened retinas. People with glaucoma should exercise special care. In
   all cases sensible precautions can mitigate these risks; the danger
   lies in lack of awareness of the risks. Paramedics performing basic
   life support remove the tie from a victim as one of the very first
   steps when a victim is unconscious or has difficulty breathing to
   ensure it does not compromise the airway.

Anti-tie sentiment

   Removing the necktie as a social and sartorial requirement (and in some
   cases the forbidding of ties) is a modern trend that historians
   attribute to the rise of popular culture in the 1960s. While still
   common as late as 1966, over the years 1967 to 1969, the necktie began
   falling completely out of fashion nearly everywhere, except where
   required. After a brief fashion resurgence in the 1980s, the 1990s saw
   the appearance of Internet-based (or dot-com) companies, where most
   workers did not feel the need for fashion when facing clients, since
   the business's public image and appearance was websites rather than
   face-to-face meetings. There also was a sentiment of independence
   (general liberalism) and a new way of doing things.

   Large teams of telephone-salespeople also were increasing as pools of
   workers. Many such men and women were required to wear neckties,
   because it was perceived as improving work attitudes, morale, and
   sales. Casual Fridays became a very popular tradition in that time, in
   which employees were not required to wear ties on Fridays, and then —
   increasingly — on other, announced, special days. Some businesses
   extended casual-dress days to Thursday, and even Wednesday; others
   required neckties only on Monday (to start the work week). Eric Crown,
   CEO of Insight Direct, which was beginning to effect substantial
   on-line sales via website, along with more than $1 billion yearly
   dollars telephone sales, announced one morning, in 1995, that none of
   its 800 telephone salesmen would any longer be required to wear a
   necktie. After studying casual-dress day sales patterns, management
   announced the decision by having each salesman's necktie cut in half
   with scissors, by the receptionist, as they entered the workplace
   lobby.

Tie racks

   An example of an electronic rotating tie rack
   Enlarge
   An example of an electronic rotating tie rack

   Ties are popularly given as gifts and wearers often accumulate a large
   collection. While a man's selection of suit and shirt is somewhat
   restricted for business wear, he usually faces more difficulty in
   choosing a tie. Even a conservative dresser may entertain a dozen
   possibilities and these must be considered in light of the day's other
   clothing. This daily chore has given rise to the tie rack. These may be
   simple panels of pins or elaborate revolving, motorized, illuminated
   gadgets.

   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Necktie"
   This reference article is mainly selected from the English Wikipedia
   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
   of authors and sources) and is available under the GNU Free
   Documentation License. See also our Disclaimer.
