A well-knotted cravat is the first serious step in a man’s life.
-Oscar Wilde
A brief history:
Ties (or cravats) were first inspired by the scarves Croatian soldiers used to close their shirts in the 1630s (men's fashion was predominantly militaristic in origin between the 17th and early 20th century). When the soldiers were enlisted to assist King Louis XIII, the French appropriated the look under the name "cravat" (derived from "Croat") and from there, it spread throughout Europe. Varying tie styles proliferated (including the Bow Knott) while the English eventually solidified its permanent role in social aesthetic etiquette.
To its devotees the bow tie suggests iconoclasm of an Old World sort, a fusty adherence to a contrarian point of view. The bow tie hints at intellectualism, real or feigned, and sometimes suggests technical acumen...But perhaps most of all, wearing a bow tie is a way of broadcasting an aggressive lack of concern for what other people think.
-Warren St. John, The New York Times
