Italian Ties: Amazing Elegance and Classic Style
When you look at well-dressed guys wearing designer suits and silk Italian ties, it’s hard to imagine that this must-have piece of neckwear has been around in some form or other for about 2000 years. Believe it or not, Emperor Shih Huang Ti’s world famous life size Terracotta Warriors of 210 BC were depicted wearing silk tied round their necks. (Not by Valentino though!)
Move forward to the 17th century and it was French king Louis XIV who copied the brighlty colored neckscarves of the Croatian military. Soon the fashion caught on and the scarf developed into the cravat, made famous by such English dandies as Beau Brummel in the 18th century, someone so revered that people used to come from miles around just to watch him get dressed every day!
It wasn’t until 1837 that the name “tie” came to be used regularly as these neckcloths became, literally, easier to “tie”. Then someone for no obvious reason decided to knot his long scarf like the reins of a “four in hand” carriage team of horses and so started the rage for the long knotted tie that we still use today. Many different styles of knot evolved into the 20th century, from the Duke of Windsor’s triangular collar cover up, to the complex nine move Hanover knot, and ties themselves ranged from fat kippers to skinny leather cords, depending on the fashion of the day. Tie-wearing was no longer the privelege of the upper classes but spread across the social divide.
Nowadays men have a vast choice of different tie designs, fabrics and ways to wear them. There are wool ties, linen ties, bow ties, silk ties and printed ties. But when it comes to sheer fashion savvy, nothing beats Italian ties. The big designers and fashion houses have each got their signature styles or fabrics, from Versace’s sleek medusa signature logo to Bulgari’s handmade silk seven fold origami tie. Some adventurous women also sport men’s ties, either wearing real men’s ties or a smaller and thinner ladies version of the real mccoy.
There’s no doubt that all the best necks wear Italian neckties. So whether you are choosing for yourself or a neck that you love, take a look at our hand selected Italian ties and get ready to be amazed.
Dig deeper and shop:
Versace Ties: The New Business Elegance