I’ve done a little looking around, but no serious research on this subject. I figured someone here would probably know:
What is the origin of the male necktie? It seems a rather silly decoration to hang upon oneself (though I wear one every day, and I’m glad of that one little opportunity to show some personality in the workplace).
They evolved from the ruffs of the 1600s through the ascots and scarves of the 18th and early 19th centuries. By the mid-19th century, mens’ ties were more like floppy bows; you can see them in some early photos. They skinnied-down through the 19th century (with some detours into bow ties) and have remained pretty much the same for the last 100 years or so.
It’s long been one of the few sartorial ways men can show off and have fun, such as it is!
You searched for the information, but didn’t look in the column archive? Bad doper!
Comedian Bill Kirchenbauer’s take on why men wear neckties:
“I used to hate to wear ties. Then I thought, ‘Hell, look where they point.’”
Partly because we have to, some of us, in our day-to-day jobs. Also partly because when you do want to wear a suit by choice, nothing really sets it off better than a contrasting shirt and tie. When I do wear a suit I often wear a round-neck shirt of some kind that eliminates the need for a tie, but I’m aware it doesn’t have as much panache as a traditional shirt-tie-suit combo.
A fashionable way to cover the buttons on your shirt.