It is a normal occurrence to find a man almost choking himself with a tie every morning.
To them, this is almost as natural as taking a walk in the park or brushing your teeth. For the most part, it is the wife who always helps at times in picking and even tying the man’s tie.
There are many different types of custom ties on the market today that come suited for many different occasions. The type of suit a man wears also influences the type of tie he ties. The different fabrics, different colors, different styles, and everything else that makes different ties unique can make someone curious at one point.
You may even start wondering where these men’s wears came from in the first place. Luckily, that is what this article is all about: exploring the fun and rich facts about the neck ties that we have been wearing for many decades.
To give you some fun and interesting insights about ties and some of the reasons why men, and even women, have so blindly tied these silk cloths under their collar without questioning their existence. Keep reading to find out more.
- Grabatologist - This is the name given to the person who collects ties. Yes, these people have names and collect ties for a living. You want to remember that the next time you meet one on the National Bow Tie Day. You can make a living collecting ties.
- Neckties are banned in Iran. As unbelievable as this sounds, you cannot tie a necktie in Iran for any reason. And the reason behind it is so ridiculous but expected. Iranians do not tie neckties because they are Western. No wonder you always see Mahmoud Ahmadinejad only in jackets and suits. But never will you ever find him in a tie. Makes you wonder if the jackets and suits are Eastern, right? Fun though.
- Americans spend close to or over a billion dollars yearly in buying new ties. To be more specific, 100 million ties a year. To make things more interesting, to make good quality tie, the tie makers will need to use 110 silkworm cocoons. Makes you wonder the number of silkworms have to ply their trade for all the Americans to get their 100 million ties. The number lies somewhere in the upwards of 11,000,000,000 silkworms.
- The length and width of ties have changed incessantly from the time they came to be. After World War II, most Americans turned to the bolder look using their ties ready to live large. Most of the ties from that era were made as wide as 5-inches. However, this trend only lasted for about two years, and all the ridiculous sizes and garnish prints were done away with. The tie margins dropped to 2.5-inches in width to the 1970s when the crazy cravings for the wider ties. The 1960s saw the tie width shrink to as low as 1-inch which is the lowest ever recorded. Today, ties are about 3.5-inches wide.
- Ties were not called ties initially. Interestingly, ties were known as cravate before they came to be called ties. They came to be called cravates when the Croatian soldiers used silk scarfs to protect themselves from the cold. The actual origin of ties and wearing them can be linked as far back as 210 BC when being worn by a Chinese emperor Shih Huang Ti.
- To date, the tie remains the most popular present for Father’s Day around the world. The difference in tie sizes, color, and styles that fathers get on Father’s Days also vary. But, at the end of the day, the number of ties in the drawers and wardrobes increase during each of these holidays.
- The woolen bow tie was invented in 1993 by Marv Bellof. At first, he only sold nine basic homemade styles. He then insisted that these were the best ties to have around. And the only things that would damage these ties would be the ‘flies and termites.’ Of course, that was one big humours. Not true.
- The world’s most expensive tie cost a whopping $250,000. It was created by Satya Paul, an Indian designer for a fashion show in Mumbai in 2004. One of the main reasons why the tie was so expensive was that it was made of pure silk. It was also studded with 261 diamonds. This is the tie you want to have around your neck when going to dine with royalty. You had to be bonkers to buy this tie, but if it were worth the money, you would do good to get it for your most prized possessions.
- Currently, there are only four main knot types that you can tie. Here are the four knots.
- The four-in-hand knot – among all the knots you can use to tie your tie, this is the most common as it usually involves four steps to be successful.
- The prat knot – this knot takes as few as six easy steps to complete. It is also called the Shelby.
- The half Windsor – this knot is a bit more tricky to pull as it involves nine different steps. However, it is the best and most favored knot to tie if you are planning to dine with royalty. It is the knot to go for if you plan to attend important events.
- The Windsor – from its name, this knot sounds and looks a lot fancier than the half Windsor. This knot is, however, a lot thicker and also revolves around the same number of steps as the half Windsor.
10. You can actually find and buy a bulletproof tie now. Unbelievable as it sounds, the bulletproof tie can stop a 9 mm bullet. Yes, it can actually be what saves your life the next time someone points and shoots at your chest. You would, however, have to be one lucky person to have a bullet aimed directly at your bulletproof tie. On the bright side, you can still use it for your normal business events and occasions.
