Tie is a French word derived from the Croatian term, used since the 17th century.

Indeed, in this country, the fighters used to tie the silk scarves of their wives around their necks before going into battle. But it was not until the 1920s that the tie became a daily accessory.

Under the impulse of a search for comfort, the knit tie appeared the same decade in Europe. Made of linen or wool, it is first worn by the popular classes and schoolboys penniless.

The raw material is inexpensive, and you can knit them yourself.

It is long and slender, knitted in raw material, at a time when the quality of a man was gauged by the quality of his silk.

The post-war decades make the knit tie accessible to as many people as possible.

Its manufacturing process is industrialized, and lower quality ties are woven on tubular machines. This process is called "soft knit", as opposed to so-called "crunchy knit" knit ties.

In the 1950s, however, the knit tie remained confidential, with old teachers and some Ivy League rebel students.

The 1960s marked the peak of the knit tie.

The mods adopt it in their experimental style of deconstruction of the rigid tayloring of the previous years.

Its finesse and character make it the asset of the English rebel.

The Beatles wear them during their legendary flight to JFK: the knit tie has just crossed the Atlantic !

Nevertheless, the success of the knit tie is ephemeral.

A notable disengagement in the 1970s and 1980s led to the closure of many specialized workshops in its manufacture.

It will take more than thirty years to see the knit tie reappear on the catwalks, with a tendency to relax the looks and the American influence of "casual Friday".

Today, the knit tie is back!

Knit Tie

Manufacturing

As the name suggests, the knit tie is knit, and not woven.

It is not a cross of warp threads and weft threads, but consists of loops passed one into the other.

The machine creates a mesh, a needle blocks it, a second needle passes a second mesh through the first; the first loose stitch is closed by the second.

This second mesh is then blocked in turn, and so on.

The knitting is tubular.

The loops are not glued to each other, which gives them elasticity. The strength and thickness of the tie come from the silk thread that is twisted on itself before knitting.

The end of the tie is square because the machine stops at the end of a row of stitches.

The threads that protrude are re-cut.

A strip of satin or reps (the collar) is sewn at the collar area to protect it from friction with the rough mesh.

At this point, the knitting loses in thickness to allow the collar to fall back well.

The knit tie at the cinema

Since its creation, the knit tie has been adopted by the actors. No icon of the second half of the twentieth century escapes.

Worn on the screen or everyday, the relaxed and comfortable knit tie is a recipe in Hollywood.

Sean Connery wore at least one knit tie when he played James Bond.

A way to pay tribute to Flemming's original description which included the black knit tie in the costume of his hero.

Cary Grant, another cinematic idol of the twentieth century, has worn the knit tie on the screen. But outside the trays, he did not hesitate to associate it with a formal outfit : a crossed outfit in combed wool with a boutonniere.

This contrast of mastered style proves the versatility of the knit tie.

Similarly, Paul Newman was a fervent follower of the black version of this model and incorporated it in almost all of its inimitable "sophisticated casual" outfits.

Finally, outside the cinema but still in the world of art, the writer Francis Scott Fitzgerald often used a knit tie with wide horizontal stripes worn very short.

Still, it must be one of the best authors of the century to afford this eccentricity!

How to wear a knit tie?

The knit tie brings a nonchalant touch, even old school, to an outfit.

It is suitable for both business and casual wear. Regarding patterns, three are common for a knit tie: plain, polka dots and horizontal stripes.

If the first two are easily worn, the stripe tends to really catch the eye, especially if they are wide.

An interesting motif but difficult to master.

One last motive, caviar, begins to appear on knit ties.

Two yarns of different colors make up the alternating knitting.

The tie is two-tone, but the points of each color being side-by-side, the effect is refined.

For colors, the knit tie comes with variety.

The most classic are blue, black or brown, but you can also opt for a violet, a burgundy, a fir green.

For a touch more colorful, pastel colors such as blue or pale pink combine very well with the relaxation of this type of tie.

In any case, the knot must be simple, also called "four-in-hand".

The thickness of the material prohibits any bulky knot, such as the Windsor.

A fine knot, with a drop, will be very pretty with an Italian collar shirt for example.

We also advise that you do not wear tie-clips with a knit pattern.

The thickness of the material would again be a problem, and the contrast of style between a precious clip and a casual tie could be too marked.

Anyway, the heavy fall of a well cut knit tie should allow it to stay in place throughout the day!

Now that you've chosen your tie, some outfit suggestions:

You can opt for a dark tie (blue, black or brown), a light shirt and a worsted suit, wire-to-wire for example.

This same tie will also work well with a flannel suit for a business bet.

A less formal outfit, but still dressed, could associate a tie (brown, rust, green) and a suit in tweed, flannel or seersucker.

Its embossed knitting is enhanced by the raw materials, such as woolen fabrics.

A set of this type is most consistent in the choice of materials.

Finally, a knit tie, plain or polka-dot, can be worn for a weekend a little dressed, for example with a flannel sport jacket, raw jeans or chino cargo, and boots.

Casual but sought after.

The in-between perfect for an exit on a Sunday afternoon!

NB: After the port, it is necessary to maintain a minimum the tie. Ironing must be done on the wrong side to avoid damaging the mesh visible to the public.

For care, dry cleaning is recommended, but the operation is to renew as little as possible if you want to make your tie last.

As for storage, it is flat, knot undone, not to deform the accessory.

Why to choose a Howard's PARIS knit tie?

First of all, we choose historic knitting for its knit ties: the "crunchy kit" with a grain of rice pattern.

The knitting of the meshes is dense and thick, which guarantees a beautiful fall and limits the risks of deformation.

The manufacturing time is longer, and more silk is used, but the relief of the tie is unique.

The production is Italian, made by a specialist workshop of this particular know-how that is the knitting of ties. This workshop allows us to benefit from rare technical details.

The polka dots of our ties are sewn one by one by hand, our shield logo is machine embroidered between the stitches, which is technically very difficult and requires great care.

Similarly, some patterns like double-tone dots require special attention because any mistake makes the tie unusable.

As every detail counts, we chose to replace the traditional satin band at the neck with a strip of cotton reps.

This grosgrain band makes it possible to better hook the collar of the shirt and ensures optimal support of the tie throughout the day.

Finally, we are one of the few houses to offer knit ties in two widths: 6.5 cm and 8.5 cm.

The first width is for a classic knit tie, while the second is closer to the width of a woven silk tie.

I'll let you discover them without any further delay ;)