Fashionably Late - A Brief History of Neckties

Imagine, if you will…

You’re sitting in your weekly board meeting as your boss monotonously drones about workplace safety or whatever and your mind begins to wander. Desperate for some sort of distraction, you look down to the strange piece of fabric draped around your neck and wonder. Does this have a practical purpose? Who started wearing the tie and when? And why? Why are we all wearing this peculiar strip of material?

Let us put your mind at ease.

Croatian dudes and bros have been wearing pieces of fabric around their necks dating all the way back to the 17^th century and the Thirty Years’ War. Originally a part of the Croat military uniform, these ancient ties essentially held together the soldiers’ jackets and acted as an extra defense against the blistering cold of the Croatian winter.

French King and style god Louis XIII took a liking to these unusual accessories and decided to adopt them into circles of French high society. He dubbed them “la cravate” as a salute to the Croat soldiers who first wore them. Cravate remains the French word for tie to this day. 

This style of tie remained popular throughout Europe and its colonies throughout the next 200 years. It wasn’t until the 1920’s and following decades that the party really got started and men’s neckties began to take the form we recognize them as today.

We must admit-- here at Bombora we are fashionably late to this party.

Inspired by our predecessors, we’ve infused our ties with our own unique style and modern materials.  Our water-repellant, stain-resistant neckties are so stylin’, even our boy Louis would have to double take.