Brioni, The Regiment Tie, Purple. The Regiment Tie communicates respect for convention, seriousness, straight-talk, and perhaps a little “frat boy” churned into the mix. Serious or relaxed…a perfect choice; but, be careful not to infringe upon a regiment or club by wearing a regiment tie that has been designed to represent a specific organization.

Consider the power of a rather small piece of apparel such as the necktie. This slice of fabric can make or break a job interview, determine admittance or rejection into a fine restaurant and be a key factor in whether a man is to be taken seriously, or not. And it is fascinating to consider that a man’s choice of a necktie may give insight into his personality.

Stefano Ricci, Lavender Gray Paisley. A nice paisley conveys boldness and when well chosen, displays a strong flair for style and a penchant for nostalgia.

The vintage Sulka Tie is now an ultra rare deadstock item that the most every tie aficionado may seek to own.

From Drakes, London: “There’s a touch of sartorial audacity in a silk knitted tie that’s oddly liberating and we’re proud that our knits continue to set the standard. Starting with the finest quality spun raw silk they’re knitted on hundred year old looms that produce the distinctive crunchy ‘cri de la soie’ hand, the true mark of quality and authenticity in knitted silk ties. Spots are sewn on by hand. Made in Germany, 100% silk, 7cm width”

AN UNLIKELY BEGINNING

The first known version of the necktie is located in the massive mausoleum of China’s first emperor, Shih Huang Ti (buried in 210 B.C, and whose tomb was unearthed in 1974 near the ancient capital city of Xian).

Inordinately afraid of death, the emperor wanted to slaughter his entire army to accompany him into the next world. Persuaded by his advisors to take life-size replicas of the soldiers instead, astonishingly, his tomb contains 7,500 life-size terracotta replicas of Shih Huang Ti’s regal fighting force. Reproduced in painstaking detail are their armor, uniforms, hair, and even facial expressions of the soldiers. Each figure is different – except in one respect: all wear neck cloths.

Other records indicate the Chinese did not wear ties, so why the emperor’s guards wore carefully wrapped silk cloths around their necks is unknown. With silk looked upon as a great luxury, the neck cloths were likely a symbol of high honor and prestige.

THANK YOU, CROATIA

Hats off (or on) to Croatia for the contribution of introducing the necktie globally. As early as the mid-1600s, during the European Thirty Year War, from around 1618-1648, Croatian soldiers fought in various regions of Europe. The traditional Croatian military dress included a noteworthy scarf tied around the neck, which is very similar to the style in which the necktie is worn today.

The setting is now in Prague; the year, 1618. Some Prague agents of the Holy Roman Emperor were in a state of dissent when a group of citizens threw the agents out of a window. The agents landed on a dunghill and happened to survive. Being foul tempered because of this angst with Prague, it is said that the 30 Year War ensued soon after, which gave way to an immediate need for Croatian mercenaries. Although these Croatians were rough-and-ready fellows, they held fast to making a style statement by displaying notable neckwear.

Some postulate that the word “‘cravat” is a derivative of the word “Croat”. It is an enigma as to why the Croatians exacted such imitation. Still, as these Croatian soldiers were stationed in Paris during the reign of Louis XIV, the Croatians’ overall style greatly impressed their French counterparts and French men rather quickly borrowed from their sense of fashion–most notably when it came to neckwear.

The tie gained entry into the bourgeois style circle of that era as a sign of elegance and cultivated elitism and soon after, the rest of Europe fell at the cravate’s feet. Of course today we witness the power of the necktie in practically every culture, with up to 85 different tie methods (as found in The 85 Ways to Tie a Tie by Thomas Fink and Yong Mao) and a wide array of materials and colors.

A SIGN OF OUR TIMES: OLD IS NEW

After a few generations of aiming towards exaggerated convenience in most every area of life, recently we have witnessed a hunger for handcrafted items. We have grown fatigued with all of the computer and machine generated merchandise. Herbs and natural remedies often are favored in place of chemically produced drugs. Handwritten notes are more valued than the common email. And, a taste for meticulous custom-clothing has caused a case of amnesia when trying to remember the need for a shopping trip to the mall.

Today, the celebrated necktie has seen a revival in many houses in Italy and in France where more and more “old seven fold ties” are offered by small houses like, for example, Howard’s in Paris (see below) :

THE NECKTIE: NOT TO BE FEARED

And so, whether you resent having to dress for an occasion or find pleasure in doing so, we must admit that the necktie is a wondrous opportunity for a man to express himself in a way that makes people take notice. The necktie can give a man the chance to portray power or humility, seriousness or humor, status or convention. If more men looked at the tie as a tool for self-expression (and we know how the male species loves tools), then maybe we can accelerate even further this era of a return to style.

Sonya Nicholson for Parisian Gentleman.