Iannuccilli: Why Wear a Necktie?
Monday, December 02, 2019
I once met a friend who asked, “Why are you wearing a necktie? Nobody wears them anymore.” I explained to him that I learned from my Dad. He never left the house, be it to go to the bank or the shoemaker or to visit his friends, without being well-dressed; the necktie a sartorial part of his garb. I was not quite as compulsive as he, though I felt underdressed if I went without.
Dad tied two knots … the Windsor, invented by the Duke, which I rarely used, or the simple flip over and under, my choice.
How, when and why did the necktie come to be such an important part of a man’s wardrobe? Very likely, it originated in the 17th century during the 30-year war in France. King Louis XIII hired Croatian mercenaries who wore a piece of cloth around their neck as part of their uniform. The cloth served little function save as a decorative effect, but it was a look the King liked so much that he made them a mandatory accessory for Royal gatherings. To honor the Croatian soldiers, he gave this clothing piece the name, la cravate.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTThe functional purpose of the necktie was to tie down the top of a shirt or other garment and to keep heat from escaping from the top half of the body. (Or maybe the men were just trying to hide a hairy neck). Nonetheless, it became a fashion and a necessary accessory for someone who wanted to dress well. It complemented their wardrobe.
Here was a kind-of functional tie my grandmother used for a sore throat. She tied an egg-white soaked mopine (dish towel) around my neck. It hardly looked fashionable, and when it hardened to a misshapen crust of granite, making it near impossible to turn my head, I removed it and hustled away or she might summon the great “final” remedy the evil eye, the mal’occhio. Sorry, I digress.
Early on, cravats and ascots were popular, but soon men’s fashion became more casual as haberdashers put more emphasis on comfort, functionality, and fit. When WWII ended, the style became more liberating. The paisley or the repp-stripe were my favorites in college. I had a brief period when I wore that skinny bolo. Gad awful! And never since when Mom dressed me, did I wear a bow tie (with the exception of with a tuxedo).
The necktie is purely a decorative accessory, and not everyone loves them. There is no good reason to wear one, particularly since it doesn’t keep us warm and certainly does not add comfort. Yet many, myself included, love wearing them.
Do you see ties ever becoming almost nonexistent as did top hats and spats? I see fewer men wearing them these days. Casual seems to be the norm.
Now that I am retired, I’ve taken more to turtle necks in the winter and a casual sweater in warmer weather. But I’m an old necktie dude and love to wear them when I can. I predict that they’ll be back.
Ed Iannuccilli is the author of "Growing up Italian" and "What Ever Happened to Sunday Dinner?" and "My Story Continues" can be found here.
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