A colleague of mine once described a necktie as an elongated piece of fabric worn around the neck for no apparent reason. I’m sure some of our more fashionable friends might disagree. After all, even with questionable functionality the necktie is certainly a fashion statement.

The necktie is purported to have arisen from a scarf worn by Croatian mercenaries back in the 17th century. At that time the scarf was a functional item that kept the neck of a shirt closed. The French adopted this type of scarf, named it cravat – French for Croat – and made it into a fashion item. Not many cravats are worn today, but their fashion descendants, neckties, are still hanging around. In general, that item of apparel known as a necktie falls into one of three general types – long tie, string tie or bow tie.

The long tie is also known as a four-in-hand tie. Apparently a tie of that design first appeared in England, worn by drivers of four-horse carriages. The four-in-hand name refers to the fact that such drivers held the reins of the four horses that pulled the carriage.

The long ties that first adorned the neck of the carriage drivers of “Merry Old England” were probably a rather dull, solid color. In spite of such a staid beginning, long ties can now be found in almost any color and pattern imaginable. Tie designs include all geometric shapes, lines, plants and animals, including insects.

Some tie designs represent schools or social organizations. I suppose it is appropriate considering that the tie originated in England that many British schools have official school ties. Both girls and boys wear ties as part of a school uniform. Our children attended St. Edward’s school when we lived in Windsor, England. They both wore a maroon- and blue-striped school tie.

Today long ties are often worn as office attire or as formal wear. But the tradition of wearing a tie in the business world isn’t what it used to be. Many newly established modern companies such as those in the computer industry often shun ties as a necessary item of apparel in the workplace. Even companies where employees normally wear ties are treated to “tieless Fridays” on occasion. A second type of necktie is known as a string tie. Such a tie is just as it sounds – a piece of string draped around the neck. The ends of the string are held together with a decorative clasp of some sort. These ties are also known as bolo ties or shoestring ties. String ties have come to be associated with western wear, along with cowboy hats and boots.

Another type of necktie is the bow tie. No one knows if the cravat evolved first into the bow tie or the long tie. For sure, the bow tie has not had the popularity of the long tie for business wear. The bow tie is more used for formal wear such as a black tie affair.

Historically the bow tie has been associated with certain professions such as architects, university professors, attorneys and waiters. Some medical doctors adopted the bow tie because long ties seemed to be in the way in medical practice. That is especially true of pediatricians who found it beneficial not to a have a long tie in grabbing range of their patients.

Bow ties are like long ties in that they can both be purchased as pre-tied ties – think clip-on ties here. The earliest bow ties were fitted in length to the neck size of the wearer just as collar sizes on shirts are. Today both pre-tied bow ties and those that have to be tied are often attached to a strap that can be adjusted in length to fit the neck of the wearer.

There are two general shapes of the bow tie. The first is called the batwing where the ends of the tie resemble a bat from the game of cricket. The other is called the butterfly wing because the ends are similar in shape to butterfly wings. Appropriately this later shape is known as a butterfly bow. I do own six butterfly bow ties. Four are pre-tied. Two are the clip-on type. Two that look like actual butterflies – a monarch and a swallowtail – are on an adjustable strap. The last two are self-tie. One is adorned with crickets and the other with beetles. Hey, what more could a professor of entomology desire than a butterfly bow with a cricket design?