Ties Are Weird

Are neckties a status symbol?   

16th Century Neck Cloth

 

 You have to look at the history of fashion and ties to understand this question. The wearing of neckties has been and still is the definition of distinction of men. More often than not, usually only successful men dress up, as wearing neckties has become a sort of novelty in men´s fashion lately. Therefore it is a valid statement that men wearing neckties is a recognized icon of status. This has more or less been the case with the exception of the middle of the last century when almost all men wore ties. None-the-less it has always been perceived that a man wearing a suit and tie signifies stature and class.

Neckties are a fashion accessory that many men really like to wear and with good reason. It is because they look really good dressed up wearing ties. It is just that simple. Looking good or looking ridiculous? That would be a good question as what was fashionable correct and accepted once may be really strange now and visa-verse. Over the course of history since the Middle Ages ties or neck clothes have been unusual and weird to say the least. I found a really great article on a blog called Sex and Status that sorts this out in both an illustrative and written manner. This is an historical view of how strange ties have evolved to what contemporary ties are today. You may be surprised to discover how and why neckties have evolved and how weird neckties really are or were.   Jeffrey Hunter


Here are excerpts from the article



Napolean Bonarparte

Ties are weird. I mean...I like ties. Or rather - I like the way men look in ties. But what ARE they? Where did they come from? When you think about it, its a pretty ridiculous accessory... Here are excerpts of the article: 

Made of fine linen or silk, the shirt originally had a wide neckline and very full sleeves (good for range of motion for your sword arm, fashionable to pull through the fancy slashes on your doublet). The only period in history where men’s exposed collarbones are considered sexy, the fabric was finely pleated into a decorated band at the neck.

It gets really interesting so check it out.   link below   The article ends as follows,

  

So...ties. You're never fully dressed without this long skinny thing around your neck. It doesn't keep you warm, it doesn't hold your clothes together, it doesn't provide comfort...it doesn't serve any practical purpose at all. But they sure look good, despite the obscurity of where they came from. And never let it be said that men don't participate in impractical, unnecessary, status-conscious, fashion-following rituals. Sheep, the lot of us. But well-dressed sheep.

 

Check the entire article out at Sex and Status

Sex and Status - a blog for regular people about clothing and fashion, and the difference between the two