The new dress code in companies worldwide appears to have led to a collapse in tie imports and exports: In the last decade, imports into Germany have fallen by two-thirds. These data are derived at least from the data of the Federal Statistical Service. “We are now sailing in troubled waters,” says Jan Meze, director of Ascot, a company founded in 1908 that still produces ties based in Krefeld. According to Meze, the company, which specializes in high-quality silk ties, along with Henley, are the only ones left of the type in Germany. However, as the German market is very limited, companies also manufacture various men’s accessories in addition to ties.

Dress casually and… take off the tie

The consolidation of the home office was another blow to tie makers as few men now pay attention to their attire when working from home where they don’t have regular meetings with colleagues. The trend for casual clothing both in the office and at home remains and ties are now rarely out of the closet, points out Axel Augustin, managing director of the German Textile, Footwear and Leather Trade Association in Cologne.

“Unfortunately, the tie trade is now in a very difficult position all over the world, although of course there are differences in each country,” emphasizes Meze. For his company, however, it does not appear that the headlines are falling as the high quality of the products it offers is still profitable, while as he typically states “there are still those who love to wear ties as well as customers who need them for festive occasions circumstances”.

A baroque remnant becomes in the year 2024… pasé

Tie

The tie is a remnant of the Baroque era and its very name refers to its country of origin, Croatia. In the 17th century, the French aristocracy was the first to adopt the tie, which at the time looked even more like a handkerchief. As shown in many paintings from the 16th to the end of the 18th century, well-to-do men – and especially those with titles of nobility – used to dress as fancy and fashionable as the women of the time. After the French Revolution and the rise of the bourgeoisie, fancy menswear became passé, however, with the tie ultimately remaining the only colorful touch in men’s attire.

One peculiarity of the tie is that it no longer has any practical use, although some argue that it can “hide” a large belly. However, the tie was not always a useless accessory. According to clothing historian Adelheid Rasche of the University of Nuremberg “around 1700 it was basically a handkerchief made of fine linen and tied in a certain way around the neck. It could be easily washed, so it was somehow used for personal hygiene. The tie also covered and protected the neck area.’

And if this particular accessory had retained this practical use, it might have been more difficult to remove it. Because even though banks and insurance companies are currently some of the tie’s last bastions, even in the conservative financial sector the tie has gone downhill.

Edited by: Chrysa Vachtsevanu