Why the Necktie?

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By contributing writer D. Weisbeck

Why the Necktie? (and a guide to tying our favorite knots)

The next time you are dressing for the office and you have just donned a fresh, crisp shirt, you open your wardrobe and reach for a tie… but stop! Do you know why you are searching through all the colorful strips of fabric and what the reason is that you choose one, tie it around your collar, shrug on your jacket and rush off to work?

This ritual is exactly what millions of men do every morning, yet do you ever wonder why a tie is an essential element of modern menswear? While you’re sipping your morning cup of java, (or a refreshing glass of rosé in the evening), allow me to enlighten you…

Between 1618 and 1648 the Thirty Years War raged in Central Europe. King Louis XIII of France needed to expand his militia, so he hired Croatian mercenaries. To differentiate the various groups of Croatian soldiers, regiments wore a length of colored cloth around their necks so they could identify each other during battle.

King Louis found the tied fabric of the mercenaries extremely attractive, so much so that he decreed that the new menswear accessory was compulsory to all who attended royal gatherings and voilà, a fashion statement was born. (A fashion command, in this case.) In honor of the Croatian soldiers, he christened the neck cloth “La Cravate,” the name in French for necktie, which is still used today.   

Much has happened in the annals of necktie history since that time, and the story gets more fascinating the more research one does, but we’ll save that for another blog. For now, we will concern ourselves with “How to tie a tie,” for which we are referring to the Half Windsor and the Four in Hand, the most popular necktie knots used today.

First, How to Tie a Half-Windsor Knot:

The Half-Windsor Knot creates a larger knot than the Four in Hand and is more symmetrical and triangular shaped. This knot is simple to tie and very versatile. It looks especially smart with suits and a semi spread or a cutaway collar. It creates a medium sized knot and produces a great looking dimple when tied correctly.

First, flip up your collar and follow the steps below. It may be easier to do this in front of a mirror:

Step 1

To start, place the tie around your neck with the wide end (blade) on the left side of your body and the narrow side (tail) on your right.  It is important to have the small end reach right above your belly button and the wide side to be the longer of the two.

Step 2

Cross the wide end of the tie to the right over the tail to form an “X.”

Step 3

Wrap the wide end under the tail toward your left.

Step 4

Next, bring the wide end up and over the neck loop.

Step 5

Then, pull through the neck loop and down to the right.

Step 6

Next, wrap the wide end around the front of the knot to the left.

Step 7

Bring the wide end of tie up through the neck loop.

 Step 8

Take the wide end up over the front of the knot and down through the loop that you just created.

Step 9 

Tighten the knot by pulling down on the wide end. 

If you want to add a dimple, pinch both edges of the tie in the knot while simultaneously pulling the front end of the tie to bring the dimple through and tighten the knot.

 To see this “How-to” demonstrated, please refer to our illustrated guide:

https://www.lesovs.com/blogs/blog/how-to-tie-a-half-windsor-knot

Second, How to Tie the Four in Hand Knot:

The Four-in-Hand knot may be the most popular necktie knot of all. It makes a slightly asymmetrical knot, but it is the ultimate in ease and simplicity and can be tied quickly. This is generally the first knot parents will teach their young sons to tie, or older brothers will demonstrate to their younger brother. Because the Four-in-Hand knot is somewhat narrow, it works well with the standard button-down dress shirt or a semi-spread collar dress shirt. This simple knot is self-releasing, so one pull and it opens, without untying.

Step 1

To start, place the tie around your neck with the wide side (blade) of the tie on the left side of your body and the narrow side (tail) on your right.

Step 2

Cross the wide end of the tie over the tail to form an “X”.

Step 3

Wrap the wide end under the tail toward your left.

Step 4

Wrap the wide end around the front of the tail and to the right. You can wrap the tie around a second time if you want a thicker knot.

Step 5

Take the wide end up and through the neck loop while using one or two fingers to keep the front of the knot open for the next step.

Step 6

Take the wide end and pull it through the open loop in the front.

Step 7

To finish, tighten the knot by pulling down on the wide end to create a knot you are comfortable with, then, pull the knot up to your neck while holding down the tail.

To see this “How-to” demonstrated, please refer to our illustrated guide:

https://www.lesovs.com/blogs/blog/how-to-tie-a-four-in-hand-knot

The sartorialist jury is still out on who is actually to be credited with the creation of the Half-Windsor knot. Many accounts state that the Duke of Windsor, famous as a fashion leader of his day, invented this famous knot, while other references state it was his father, King George V. We will have to delve deeper into the history of neckties to satisfy your curiosity.

The Four in Hand can also boast an illustrious past within the neckwear chronicles. Many menswear scholars insist that the Four in Hand tie knot was first worn by ancient Chinese warriors, as evidenced by the Terracotta Army, unearthed in 1974, by local farmers in Shaanxi, China. These impressive sculptures, all wearing the precursor of the necktie, depict the military forces of the first Emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang. The earthenware army of over 8000 soldiers was buried with the emperor in 210–209 BCE, to protect him in the afterlife. Other scholars insist the ancient Roman Legions sported the forerunner of today’s necktie. Who’s to decide? More research is required here.

In the meantime, please peruse our assortment of exceptional silk ties, crafted in Italy. Designed for the modern man, our magnificent ties will create so many options for your incomparable wardrobe.

You’ll find our extraordinary selection here: LESOVS ties.