To paraphrase Charles Dickens’s immortal words from his novel, A Tale of Two Cities: “It was the best-dressed of times…” 100 years before Dickens’s most illustrious work of fiction, the French Revolution was in full swing, bringing about significant political & societal change across France. At the same time – although only marginally lower down the scale of important moments in French history - fashion also experienced its own revolution. Louis – Le Juste – XIII, was inspired by France’s Croatian military allies’ soldierly garb. The Croat mercenaries of the time tied their jackets around their necks, when they weren’t wearing them. The French King saw this trend; liked what he saw; and, prescribed that members of his court assume a similar style for his trendy royal gatherings. Thus, the necktie as we know it today, was born.
In the 233 years since The Storming of the Bastille (1789), the necktie has undergone various reiterations & reinventions; and, has come to stand as a symbol of power, status & authority. A well tied Double Windsor knot; or, a flamboyant pastel paisley print can send a less than subtle message that you are ♯living_your_best_life. What is more, as sartorial style – in particular men’s formal attire – has become more uniform, more neutral & more boring in general, the necktie is a bastion for individualism & expressionism.
But is that still the case? Rather than as a symbol synonymous with ‘power dressing’, the ‘power tie’ has become more a uniform for the powerless, than the powerful. As white-collar powerhouses like JP Morgan, Goldman Sachs & PwC relax their dress codes, swapping suits & ties for hoodies & trainers, the era of casual Fridays and working from home has caused people to visit the tie rack far less often than ever before. That said, comparatively, salespeople, bank clerks & estate agents cannot shirk off the corporate noose as easily as lawyers, architects & tech pioneers have done. In fact, if you find yourself with your top button done-up, choosing between a Four-In-Hand, a Kelvin or a Prince Albert, the chances are you are attending an interview, or giving testimony in court. Can you imagine the immaculately tailored Don Draper in such a suppliant position? A character who once delivered the audacious line: ‘Success comes from standing out, not fitting in’. I didn’t think so.
So does this spell ‘au revoir’ to the French/Croat invention. Ironically, with so many people having buried their tie racks in the back of their wardrobes, inspiration for ‘standing out’, according to Don, may yet be found in being the only subscriber to the necktie. Although some colleagues might consider your wearing a tie as outlandish as you dressing as Louis XIII himself (including the ruff!), it is this author’s opinion that a well-tied tie still has the ability to make you look more professional & more confident generally, than your peers. Accordingly, you may do well to save your tie collection from the mothballs.
If the necktie hopes to stand the test of time, men’s sartorial style might also do well to learn from that of the fairer sex. Vibrant colour palettes & daring custom-cut silhouettes make women’s tailoring a far more exciting conversation in recent times. Perhaps the only way to inspire our Gen-Z’s to suit up: a generation, whose personal idols, professional mentors & celebrity icons are progressively dressing-down rather than smartening-up, is to recapture the spirit of ‘joie de vivre’; and, to explore & experiment in the same way. Black, blue & grey won’t cut it anymore.
The future of the tie is anyone’s guess. I suppose ‘qui vivra verra’ (‘we’ll have to wait & see!’).
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