The Rise of the Necktie
in America

As many of you already may know, the appearance of neckties around the broad, muscular necks of the great American male could not be found until the American Civil War had achieved its decisive climax (not that the two are related, it simply happened that this one clothing element began to be seen at the same time that this one historic event came to a close). Yanks took this fashion tip from the Homo Europaeus, that odd breed of male found far across the Atlantic who had been wearing ties in ever growing numbers since the mid 1850s. This column points out a number of interesting historic facts about ties in America; most notably that up until 1865 the preferred form of neck wear in the U.S. was a pre-tied bow that fastened in the back. In the 1920s the United States became the premiere manufacturer of men’s neckties – a record that was comfortably held for some time afterword.

Click here to read about the fabric restrictions imposed on the American fashion world during the Second World war.

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