The Bow Tie

The bow tie originated among Croatian mercenaries during the Prussian wars of the 17th century; the Croats used a scarf around the neck to hold together the opening of their shirts. This method was soon adopted (under the name “cravat”, a name perhaps derived from the word Croat) by the upper classes in France (then a leading country in the field of fashion) and flourished in the 18th and 19th centuries. It is uncertain if the cravat then developed into the bowtie and necktie, or if the cravat gave rise to the bow tie, which in turn lead to the necktie.