A curiosity of curiosities, the tie has accompanied men for centuries without any apparent use. It does not keep you warm, is not particularly practical, does not protect you from anything except drafts; and it is certainly not for their comfort that these gentlemen tie it tirelessly. A stylistic incongruity if ever there was one, it asserts itself as the only accessory in the wardrobe displayed for itself , exclusively valued for its aesthetic power . Whether you like it or not, a piece of fabric made indispensable by its superfluity deserved the guide that follows.
Daughter of the jabots and granddaughter of the strawberries
While its history can be associated with the ancient Chinese Empire or the Roman focalium , the roots of the modern tie seem to date back to the 17th century. At the time, what was still just a scarf was worn around the necks of the Croatian hussars mobilized by Louis XIII to support his troops during the Thirty Years' War.
In combat, the latter distinguished themselves by their bravery, which earned them the honors of Louis XIV upon his accession to the throne. In 1667, the latter gathered the remaining forces to build a light cavalry regiment, which he gave the name of Royal-Cravates (by deformation of the word "Croatian"). An aesthete as well as a strategist, the Sun King took the opportunity to personally adopt the strip of fabric of his riders. A few years later, he would even go so far as to create the position of cravatier, a squire reporting to the "Grand Master of the Wardrobe". His role? To choose and adjust the monarch's tie. A stressful job to say the least, if you ask us.
Soft, light and delicate , this gradually replaced the lace jabot at Court, which had itself supplanted the imposing and uncomfortable ruff a little earlier. A strip of cotton and/or linen , generally decorated with colored ribbons, it was tied around the neck to leave two ends hanging on either side.
Over time, the way of tying this piece of fabric evolved so much that a certain Baron Émile de l'Empesé (pen name of the serialist Émile Marco de Saint-Hilaire) published in 1827 his "Art of putting on your tie in all the known and used ways, taught and demonstrated in 16 lessons".
This anthology then listed 32 different knots , of which only a handful remain today. And for good reason, the sophistication (and complication) of the knots of the time gradually gave way to the "regatta", which is truly the ancestor of those we know today. Borrowed from the world of sport and appreciated for its sobriety and the simplicity of its realization, it has continued to gain ground since the middle of the 19th century, until it established itself as the absolute contemporary reference.
The making of Hast ties
The historic cradle of silk that became the capital of the tie , Lombardy has been able to accompany the evolution of this not-so-accessory accessory to modernize its practices while maintaining age-old know-how . Jumping on the industrialization train without abandoning its rich artisanal heritage, the Como region (in Italy) has thus established itself as one of the most expert in terms of manufacturing, which is why we have chosen to set up ours there.
Unsurprisingly, its craftsmen have perfectly mastered the two major manufacturing processes that coexist today: assembly and folding.
The assembly, first, is the simplest and most widespread on the market. Most Hast ties are made using this method which consists of wrapping a triplure between a dress fabric (the visible side) and a lining (the body side). Also called "3-ply ties", these are flexible and stripped down , ideal for crowning your most formal outfits.
Folding , on the other hand, is a more traditional technique that allows you to make a tie from a single piece of fabric. No interlining in this case, since it is the folding of the fabric on itself that will give it its structure and hold. More expensive in terms of material, more delicate and most often done by hand, this process is all the more expensive and meticulous as it has folds: 5, 7 or even 9 if you are ready to spend several hundred euros for a tie. At Hast, we stopped at 5 folds to create our anniversary tie for our 10th anniversary , which seems to us to be more than enough to give ourselves an extra touch of sophistication without going overboard.
Ties that hold their shape
If the tie is similar to a simple strip of fabric tied around the neck, its history shows us how much it has changed shape over time. If it seems stable for a century, it is partly thanks to a certain Jesse Langsdorf, a New York manufacturer who filed a patent in 1923 soberly titled "Necktie" , today considered the birth certificate of the modern tie with its famous point.
On the market as in our wardrobe, this model largely predominates and remains both the most common and the most universally accepted (especially in the professional context). Despite more or less successful variants - very wide in the 70s and very thin in the 2000s - the average width of ties tends to stabilize around 6 to 8 cm. In any case, these are the proportions thatwe have opted for at Hast , considering them to be the most harmonious and balanced.
That being said, there is one diehard that still resists the hegemony of its sister, and that is the square-end tie . More textured and generally knitted , it displays a pearly relief that evokes more of a rebellious spirit than decorum. Historically associated with the working classes, who knitted them at home to appropriate the codes of a world where the quality of a man was measured by that of his tie , it took its rebellious accents from the necks of Ivy League students and then from that of English mods. More modern and less formal than the "Langsdorf", the square-end tie thus constitutes an alternative of choice for those who want to enter this universe through a less intimidating (but no less elegant) door than that of the classic tie.
Colorful (or not) ties
Other parameters that can be used to place a tie - and an outfit - in one register or another: colors and patterns.
If the dark and plain tie reigned supreme over most formal dress codes , the increasing relaxation of usage has indeed reshuffled the cards in recent decades. Once tense, it is now freeing itself from the constraints of etiquette to set out to conquer new territories of expression.
At Hast, it seemed important to us to quench this thirst for freedom, and we see proof of this in the rich chromatic palette that we have opened up to him. Alongside the dark classics, you will find beautiful shades of red , green and blue , all ready to shine where their ancestors shone with their reserve.
Above all, patterns are making a notable comeback, demonstrating a desire to disinhibit a highly symbolically charged accessory. From the most subtle polka dots to the most daring flowers , including a tone-on-tone Prince of Wales or a tribute to club stripes, we have largely given them pride of place in our collections, and this just for you.
Art and matter
There's no need to make a secret of it: the material of a tie makes up almost all of its appearance. Because it determines how it will be worked and how it will catch the light, it is important to choose it with the greatest care depending on the expected result.
At Hast, these are the ones that made us swoon:
- the essential silk : a natural material closely linked to fashion accessories, silk is easily identified by its shiny and satiny appearance. Noble and elegant, it is generally used to adorn formal pointed ties, designed to accompany a two or three-piece suit. Worked in grenadine or knit, silk displays a more assertive texture, dancing between formal elegance and casual chic.
- the silk and cotton alloy: unusual, this blend combines the suppleness of silk and the stiffness of cotton for a “crunchy-delicious” result, both to the touch and to the eye.
- the wool and silk combination: a variation just as natural as the previous one, it combines the rusticity of wool fibers and the fineness of silk fibers to deliver a fabric of incredible richness, a thousand times proud of its roughness.
- Wool: Unlike grenadine which is woven, our 100% wool ties are knitted. Comparable in their pearly appearance, wool knit ties have a more lumpy structure, which inevitably draws them towards a casual register.
The crux of the matter
Ah, the first tie knots! Between the rite of passage and the unofficial entry into adulthood, they inevitably mark the end of one era and the beginning of another. Often associated with the first job interviews, first jobs and/or first ceremonies, they represent much more than an exercise in skill and dexterity. And for good reason, you don't tie your tie like you tie your shoes, which is why the first knots are usually practiced with a dad, an older brother... or in front of a solo tutorial.
Luckily (or not), most of the complicated techniques have disappeared in favor of the simplest of them all: the simple knot, or "four in hand."
At Hast, this is how we tie our creations , particularly appreciating its timelessness, versatility and minimalism. If Émile Marco de Saint-Hilaire listed 32 of them in his 1827 work, it must be recognized that few of them could be worn today without attracting mockery.
Wearing a tie in 2024
Gone are the days when the tie was an integral part of an almost caricatured uniform. In our humble opinion, it is now a fully-fledged accessory , the wearing of which betrays less a social position than a style statement. Goodbye to the rigidity of the "suit and tie", hello inventiveness and creative freedom. By playing on the shape, material, color and patterns, it is possible to make it say everything and its opposite, to the great delight of our wardrobes.
If its union with the suit seems untouchable (and so much the better), it is perfectly possible to integrate it into less formal outfits, if not into absolutely casual looks. Inseparable from the shirt, we can imagine it with a leather perfecto as well as with a work jacket or a windbreaker, which offers historically wide possibilities.
If you will allow us a little advice, here is one that has never been so current since Louis XIII: treat yourself. Dusted off, uninhibited, freed from a good part of its strict and cold imagery, the tie is more than ever to be considered as a toy, to be worn everywhere and without moderation.
The cover, a little innocent pleasure
In a word, let us now mention the case of an accessory closely linked to the tie , we have named " the pocket square ". From its natural habitat which is the breast pocket of the suit jacket , it brings a note of refinement where delicacy and functionality blend harmoniously. Also called "pocket handkerchief", its destiny is similar to that of the tie insofar as it is most often worked in the same material, so as to match them.
Although it comes in different ways (colors, patterns and materials) to suit all occasions, the pocket square cannot really live outside of a suit jacket , which limits its potential and use. On the other hand, its use in a dressy register is of rare elegance , and even more so when it echoes a tie of the same ilk.
To reassure you, Hast pocket squares are handcrafted by the same artisans who craft our ties. From their workshops on the shores of Lake Como, they prepare these two paragons of finesse together, which suggests absolutely sublime associations.
A word about maintenance
Due to their delicacy, the fineness of their manufacture and the materials used, it is preferable to entrust the washing of your ties and pocket squares to the dry cleaners . A dry cleaning from time to time will do them the greatest good and promote their durability, it being understood that a machine wash could be fatal to them.
