TIE

Tie or necktie is a piece of cloth worn as a fashion accessory and tied around the neck with both ends coinciding and meeting at belly. As a youngster I was fond of tying the knot though not so fond of sporting a tie . As a nine year old , I had learnt to tie American Knot , English Knot , single knot and double knot. In my growing years I have seen men of taste sporting tie as a necessary complement to a lounge suit. For sure , it looked elegant and helped make the ensemble complete. Ties can be had in different colours and shades, of different width , made of a variety of fabric. Striped ties appear more in vogue , though plain ties and the ones with other designs also find favour with some. In earlier times, when ready made hard collars did not exist, collars of especially white shirts were starched to present a crisp look if a tie was to be worn. Googling the word ‘Tie’ leads one to sites not only telling about the different types of knots but also the manner or method of tying a knot. I have come to know the Windsor , half Windsor and many other knots. 

The origin of a tie is traced back to 17th century France during Louis XIII regime. It was he who mooted the idea to wear a tie as an accessory and troops were also made to wear it as a part of uniform. The present form of tie is only a hundred year old as of now and undergone some periodic changes since then. It has been a necessary part of school uniform in Public Schools. For smaller classes, the tie comes with a ready made knot through which passes a string which is tied to the neck. In College and Unversity , I used to wear a tie . Later it was reserved for special occasions like interview and social gatherings. Over the years people seem less interested in wearing a tie and keep the collars loose and open . Of course the collars are crisp and look good with or without a tie.