Vintage Thin Ties Are Back
All old things are new again. A perfect example is men's skinny neckties. They first came into style at the beggining of the 20th century, only to become the dominant style in the 1950’s and again in the 80's. Now they are returning to fashion again with stars like Leonardo DeCaprio, Will Arnett and other celebrities opting for skinny black neckties to wear with their tuxedos at the recent Acadamy Awards.
Skinny Ties fashionible in the 20's
It is generally agreed that narrow mens ties range in size from 1 to 3 inches across the widest section of the necktie. Both traditional neckties and flat bottom skinny neckties during the beginning of the last century were thin, varying from 2 to 2 ½ inches wide. Some ties measuring as slim as 1 ½ inches, were even referred to by people at the time as string neckties. Due to lack of materials brought about by World War I, ties remained unchanged for the next several years. 2 inch wide neckties remained fashionible throughout the 20's and then disapeared until the 1950's.
In the interim, as notes Sarah Gibbings, in her fantastic book "The Tie: Trends and Traditions", the rationing of WW II left no money, no available supplies or manufacturing base in Europe. This compelled former soldiers to look to the new world for a new direction, a style to reflect their upbeat postwar expectations. Returning soldiers were looking for colorful and bold, anything exuberant and upbeat. The US responded with a toward the wider, exciting and brightly colored ties which went on to dominate the 40's and early 1950's. In order to display these neckties, the men's jacket lapels became broader and suits were buttoned lower which gave the man more area for the tie.
Skinny Neckties of the 1950's
By the mid 50’s, the world's reaction to the a recession, the Korean War and the Cold War dampned the American attitude. Men's style reflected the country's more restrained mood. Suits were becoming more conservative, with slimmer pants, smaller lapels and thinner neckties to match. glowing and outragous color combinations were replaced by restrained patterns and plain colors. Thus the quintessential narrow black tie was reborn.
As popular celebrities such as Elvis began to wear thin neckties, the young men imitated their style. By the mid 60's ties as narrow as 1 inch were worn by most business men and young men alike.
The 80's Comeback of the Skinny Tie
Thin neckties returned in the 80's, especially in the new wave music scene, which was a repudiation of the flowery and excessive fashion of the 70’s.
The Popular Trend Towards Narrow Ties
Thin ties are here again. Just the other day attorney Anthony Romero, executive director of the ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) appeared on the Colbert Report wearing a dark skinny necktie. During the show, Stephen Colbert asked him to find something wrong with him. After a quick glance at Colbert’s wide yellow foulard style necktie, Romero promptly pointed out, “That tie is not my favorite”, which predictably brought lots of of laughs at the host’s expense.
Fashion is a matter of personal taste and fashion trends but a well dressed man wearing a distinctive skinny necktie will always stay classy. Original classic narrow neckties from the 50's, 60's and 80's can be found online when searching for "vintage skinny ties". Try one today!