Every year on October 18, Necktie Day is celebrated. The name of the holiday is often mentioned with the prefix World or International. Despite the lack of official status as a world holiday, it is gaining more and more fans and continues to gain popularity in different countries.
The accessory of men's and women's wardrobes has its own history. It is generally accepted that it came into fashion thanks to the French king Louis XIII. Fashion historians point, however, to the fact that a semblance of ties, originating from neckerchiefs, was also present in the culture of an earlier period of history. Thus, neckerchiefs can be seen on the figures of warriors of the terracotta army in China, as well as on individual sculptural images of Roman warriors.
Nevertheless, it was at the court of King Louis XIII that neckerchiefs entered everyday life as an element of fashion. This was facilitated by a coincidence of circumstances related to the presence of a regiment of Croatian mercenaries in Paris. They were the ones who wore neckerchiefs as an element of form, and it was from them that the French king borrowed it, introducing it into fashion.
In French, this accessory is called «cravat» (from the French word «croat») and remains similar in the languages of many European peoples. The Russian-language name «tie» takes its roots from the Dutch or German version (Halstuch).
Having become fashionable in France, neckerchiefs are gradually becoming popular in other European countries, and primarily – in England. Here, wearing a tie was elevated to a special ritual. Experiments began with the length and shape of the tie. Many ways to tie it have appeared. Over time, the neckerchief, and then the tie in the modern sense of the word, became part of women's fashion, acquiring their own characteristics.
It is these three European countries: Croatia, France and England that treat Tie Day with special trepidation. However, Croatia – first. Here, Tie Day has been celebrated annually, and at the national level since 2003.
A giant installation has become a tradition, expressed in the fact that the Roman amphitheater in Pula wraps like a neck in a giant scarlet tie. Over time, many monuments in Croatian cities on this day « carry a tied scarlet neckerchief, similar to that of the honor guard, the main guards part of the country. Every year, thousands of local residents and tourists gather in the square in front of the parliament in Zagreb to watch a military ritual performed by Croatian guards dressed in historical national military uniforms. There is a weapons inspection, guard training in front of the entrance to the church, and a parade.
On social networks, the holiday is celebrated by holding various competitions, quizzes, and master classes on tying tie knots.
Among the unusual ties, it is worth noting the most expensive (worth 250 thousand dollars), created by an Indian designer and decorated with diamonds. In addition to it, the – is a color-changing tie created in Croatia in 2014, as well as armored (bulletproof) ties.
Most importantly, the story of this fashion accessory for men's and women's clothing continues!
Postcard «October 18 — Tie Day»