Thin Ties Are In Style Again
What comes around goes around. A perfect example is men’s narrow neckties. They first appeared at the beggining of the 20th century, only to reemerge in the 1950’s and return in the 1980’s. Today they are returning to fashion again with the likes of Leonardo DeCaprio, Will Arnett and other celebrities choosing thin black ties to accessorize their tuxedos at the recent Golden Globes Awards.
Skinny Neckties during the 20’s
It is generally accepted that thin men’s neckties vary in width from 1 to 3 inches across the widest section of the necktie. Both traditional ties and flat bottom skinny ties during the first ten years of the last century were slender, varying from 2 to 2 ½ inches wide. Some ties measuring as slim as 1 ½ inches, were even referred to generally at the time as string neckties. Styles didn’t change the succeding decade because of lack of materials brought about by World War I. 2 inch wide ties stayed fashionible through the 1920’s and then disapeared until the 50’s.
In the meantime, as notes Sarah Gibbings, in her fantastic book “The Tie: Trends and Traditions”, the shortages of WW II left no funds, no extra materials or factories in Europe. The United States became an originator of change and positive postwar plans for war ravaged Europe. Ex soldiers wanted bright colors and bold patterns, something exuberant and upbeat. The US delivered with a toward the broader, florid and extravagantly colored neckties which continued to set the style for the 40’s and early 50’s. To show off these neckties, the men’s jacket lapels became wider and suits were buttoned lower which gave the man the open space for the necktie.
50’s Thin Neckties
The American psyche of the mid 1950’s was dampned by the Korean War, Cold War and a recession. Men’s style reflected the world’s more restrained attitude. Styles were becoming more conservative, with tighter trousers, less wide lapels and slimmer neckties to match. Vivid and outragous color combinations were substituted by subtle patterns and plain colors. Thus the quintessential thin black necktie was reborn.
As popular celebrities such as Elvis began to wear thin neckties, the teenagers imitated their fashion. By the mid 1960’s ties as thin as 1 inch were worn by most business men and young men alike.
The 80’s Comeback of the Skinny Necktie
As the extravegant style style of the 70’s dissapeared the skinny tie reapeared, generally as a rejection of the former decade’s flights of fancy.
The Popular Trend Towards Skinny Neckties
Thin neckties are here today. Just the other day attorney Anthony Romero, executive director of the ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) appeared on the Colbert Report wearing a dark narrow necktie. During the segment, Stephen Colbert asked him to show something wrong with him. After a brief look at Colbert’s wide yellow foulard style necktie, Romero quickly replied, “That tie is not my favorite”, which predictably got plenty of giggles at Colbert’s expense.
Style is a matter of personal taste and fashion trends but a well dressed man wearing a extraordinary thin necktie will always stay in style. Original vintage thin ties from the 50’s, 60’s and 80’s are available online when searching for “vintage skinny ties”. Try one today!
Mail this post
Tags: 1950's, 1980's, 50's, 80's, fashion, mad men, Men's, narrow ties, neckties, skinny ties, style, thin ties, ties, vitage ties
Leave a Reply