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The tie can proclaim an allegiance to the most conservative institutions, or hint that the inner man is a flamboyant free spirit. The very emblem of formality, it also affords the businessman his greatest opportunity for self-expression.

Like everything else in the world – except sharks and violins – ties are continually evolving. Most obviously, the width of ties seems to increase or diminish over time, generally moving in tandem with the silhouette of tailored clothing. If you bought your ties five or six years ago, they probably now seem too broad. Standard width (measured at the blade, the broadest point of a tie) has recently diminished from 10 centimetres to a range of 7 to 8½ centimetres – quite a noticeable difference but one that mirrors the narrowing of lapels on a modern jacket.

Fabrics vary, too. Over the years, we’ve seen ties made of cotton, linen, wool, even leather, though silk has always been the mainstay of neckwear, whether woven, printed or knitted. Patterns also come in and out of fashion: sometimes everyone seems to be wearing striped ties, then plain colours are everywhere, then geometric patterns are all the rage. (Need it be said, the humourous novelty tie is never appropriate.)

Does all this matter? Yes it does. Never mind Dr. Freud’s contention that a necktie is a phallic symbol communicating virility on a subconscious level, your tie is the first thing other people notice about the way you are dressed. It draws attention to your face and makes a statement about your taste. And a new tie can work wonders with the rest of your wardrobe, giving new life and variety to a familiar suit, letting you get the most out of your clothing.

The origins of the tie
History does not tell us who first decided that a piece of cloth could be tied around a man’s neck, but the idea is an old one. The terra cotta warriors buried with Emperor Qin Shi Huang in 210 BCE wear neckcloths; so did the legionaries of ancient Rome. French king Louis XIV popularized cravats in 1660 after admiring them on Croatian soldiers (Hrvat is the Serbo-Croat word for Croatian, cravat its Gallicization); later dandies preferred a billowing eruption of lace.

Neckwear we might recognize began to appear in the mid-1800s but the father of the modern tie was an American tailor called Jesse Langsdorf. In 1924 he hit upon the brilliant notion of cutting the woven cloth on a 45-degree bias rather than straight down the weave, allowing it to hang straighter and last longer. He also patented the idea of making neckties by sewing together three pieces of silk instead of one, and invented the slip stitch, a loose thread that holds the folds of a tie together but still allows it some movement. As yet, no one has improved on his design.

Printed or woven?
A printed or a woven silk tie – is one more desirable than the other? As with most of life’s finer things, it’s a matter of personal taste. There are two processes for creating the patterned silk fabric that will ultimately be cut, folded, lined and sewn to make a tie. Silkscreen printing onto raw silk is like printing onto paper: it allows almost unlimited gradations of colour and tone and a greater sense of perspective in the image. A printed crepe de Chine tie also feels more lightweight than a tie made of woven silk, as the fabric itself is finer.

To make woven ties, silk threads already dyed in the desired colours are woven on a loom. In Italian or English mills, a modern, computerized, high-speed jacquard loom can weave 350 silk threads per inch to produce three metres of fabric in an hour. While this allows extraordinarily intricate designs, the process cannot quite match the detail or colour range of printing. However, many men enjoy the weight and brilliance of woven silk, just as they appreciate the elegant, more traditional look of most woven designs.

During the past decade, there has been a revival of interest in the woven tie, but the printed tie still has a strong following. When choosing between the two, consider the texture as well as the look. Try the tie on – a woven tie usually creates a larger knot than a printed tie. Let your eyes and fingers decide.

Please click here for more on caring for your ties.