When you stop and think about it, men’s neckties are pretty weird. How did we come to think that a thin strip of cloth tied in a noose-like fashion around a man’s neck was stylish and fashionable? Who invented the necktie in the first place? And why?

The answers to these questions will take us back to 1618, the start of the Thirty Years’ War. King Louis XIV of France, the Industrial Revolution, and the Roaring Twenties all played a hand in today’s neckwear fashions, as we will see in these colorized photos.

The Thirty Years’ War

The aptly named Thirty Years' War lasted from 1618 to 1648 and was one of the deadliest wars in European history. It has been estimated that between 4.5 and 8 million people, both soldiers and civilians, were killed in the conflict. It all began when Ferdinand II was ousted as the King of Bohemia and replaced by Frederick V of Palatinate. The Palatinate, now southern Germany, was a strategic location so the rulers of other nations got involved to ensure that their interests in the region were upheld, turning an internal conflict into a war that involved most of Europe. The Thirty Years' War disrupted the balance of power in Europe. 

Toward the end of the Thirty Years’ War, the French military hired Croatian mercenaries to turn the tide of war. When the Croatian soldiers were presented to the king for his inspection, they wore their traditional uniforms which included a neckerchief knotted around their necks. The neckerchief served a practical function. It held the upper part of their coats closed and protected them from the winds. It was more comfortable and practical than the stiff, starched high collars that were fashionable at that time.

King Louis XIV took note of the neckerchiefs worn by the Croatian soldiers of fortune. He liked what he saw. The king was young at the time – not yet ten years old – yet he fancied himself a fashion trendsetter. He ordered his royal tailor to make him a similar neckerchief and he began to wear it everywhere he went. He called the neckerchief “la Cravate”, after the Croatian soldiers. Since the king was wearing a cravate, other members of the nobility also adopted this fashion trend. In fact, King Louis XIV made the accessory mandatory, ensuring that all men were wearing them at royal events and gatherings. Soon, men across France were wearing them and the fashion trend was spreading to other European nations. 

The original cravate is more scarf-like than necktie-like. As the lower classes of society began to copy the nobility by fashioning their own neckerchiefs, they did so more frugally. Instead of using large pieces of fabric, they made their cravates thinner and narrower. In time, fashion designers toyed with the cravates as well, introducing different variations. The wide, scarf-like cravate fell out of fashion and the narrower necktie took its place. Bow ties and ascots were variations on the cravate.

Neckwear was a staple of men’s fashion. A man was expected to wear a necktie whenever he was out in public. But the industrial revolution made that problematic. Bulky neckwear was uncomfortable for a man to wear all day long, especially when he was working in a hot, sweaty factory. Simpler, smaller neckties were more practical. They could be tightly knotted so they wouldn’t come untied during the work day. This version of the necktie is nearly identical to the neckties men are still wearing today.

The most notable changes in necktie fashion trends came in the 1920s. A New York tie maker and designer named Jesse Langsdorf tried cutting the fabric of the neckties in a different way that lent itself to innovations in knot tying. The Langsdorf tie was the fad of the decade. Another necktie innovator was the Richard Atkinson and Company tie makers of Belfast which introduced slip-stitched neckties in the 1920s.  

Although they can be seen as out-of-date and impractical, it appears that neckties are not going out of style any time soon. The width and length of the fabric have changed over the years, but neckties remain a favorite fashion accessory for every stylish man. Today, it is possible to purchase neckties in every color or pattern. They can be formal and classic or fun and whimsical. The neckties can allow the wearer to make a personal statement and jazz up an otherwise boring suit. Who knew that we could thank Croatian mercenaries for all this?