The Perfect Gentleman Issue 1 - March 2016 | Page 10

STYLISH GENTLEMAN

In Praise of

CRAVATS
“A well-knotted cravat is the first serious step in a man’s life.”
Oscar Wilde
by Zach Falconer-Barfield

Here at PGHQ we love a Cravat, or, as our
American friends say, a ‘Day Ascot’. They have a
certain charm, indeed a flair of style that has
almost been forgotten by the current stylish
gent about town. This is probably due to the
heinous fashion faux pas that was part of the
1970s for men. The cravat became seen as either
a thing for old men or 70s throwbacks and fell
away from men’s wardrobes for more than 20
years, but they are now making a comeback and
deservedly so!
On the 18th of October every year there is
World Cravat Day, which was started in Croatia
in 2003. The Cravat originated, like a great deal
of men’s fashion, from the Military, in this case
from 17th century Croatian Mercenaries. These
mercenaries favoured a red piece of cloth tied
around their necks, indeed they were so
well-known for this piece of fashion that these
feared men were called ‘The Cravates”.

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In Croatia, the home of the Cravat, they have an
organisation for the preservation and
promotion of Cravats, Academia Cravatica,
which launched in 1997 to promote both the
Cravat and it’s history with Croatia.
The Cravat is the precursor of the modern tie
and developed over time through various
incarnations. During the 17th and 18th centuries
it was the height of fashion, as Sir Percival
Blakeney so eloquently states in ‘The Scarlet
Pimpernel’ “Only a cravat? Oh, my dear sir. A cravat is the
apotheosis of all neckwear. A cravat desigeshes a man
of refinement from the merely ordinary it sneers at the
severity of the stock. It is the only item of dress the
expresses true individuality. And whether is be made
of lace or silk or the finest loom it thrives on
ingenuity, on originality, and above all on personality
down to the last skilled of twist of bow or knot”