Father's Day Ties

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Many say the origin of the necktie can be traced back to Shih Huang Ti, the first emperor of Mainland China in 259 -210 BC. During archeological expeditions when the emperors tomb discovered he was buried with life size replicas of his army. There were over 5000 highly detailed statues. Each of statues was unique having different eyes, faces and hair, additionally they were dressed in armor and uniforms and many were adorned with silk neck cloths. Historians familiar with the time period believe silk was a highly prized luxury fabric that was outside of the financial reach of most people of the time.

Throughout history we find evidence of men wearing neckwear from the time period of the Roman Empire through that of Louis XIV of France. Roman columns contain carvings with male figures wearing different styles of neckwear. Historical scholars believe the French copied the neckwear of the Croatian mercenaries, as they admired the colorful silk kerchiefs they wore around their necks. The French word for this piece of clothing in known as a cravat, and many entomologists believe it's a derivation of the word 'croat'. Most cravats of the day were made from lace or silk and were worn as decoration around the necks of men.

European men in the 17th century wore lace cravats, as lace was popular material of the time used to decorate everything from windows to chairs. The first American neckwear was worn by early American plantation owners and was made of ribbons tied into bows and was worn with a low collared shirt. The heat and humidity in the southern states prevented gentlemen from wearing lace or silk.

The first designer ties were developed by Jean Patou in the 1920's from women's clothing material. These expensive ties were marketed toward female purchasers and became very successful. Designer ties are still popular today, and Americans spend over 1 billion dollars each year on ties. Ties are still the most popular gift for Fathers Day.

Father's Day