[h=3]Origins[/h] <dl><dd>
For the history of the tie, see also Cravat.</dd></dl>
Croatian soldier with a cravat
There is an older history of neckwear worn by soldiers (Chinese and Roman), whether as part of a uniform or as an emblem of belonging to a particular group, and some form of neckwear other than the outdoor scarf can be traced intermittently through the centuries. The modern necktie taken up, then spread by, Western Europe traces back to the time of
Thirty Years' War (16181648) when
Croatian mercenaries from the
Croatian Military Frontier in French service, wearing their traditional small, knotted neckerchiefs, aroused the interest of the
Parisians. Due to the slight difference between the Croatian word for Croats,
Hrvati, and the French word,
Croates, the garment gained the name "cravat".[SUP]
[1][/SUP] The new article of clothing started a fashion craze in Europe where both men and women wore pieces of fabric around their necks. In the late 17th century, the men wore
lace cravats that took a large amount of time and effort to arrange. These cravats were often tied in place by cravat strings, arranged neatly and tied in a bow.