How to Tie a Cravat

So you are getting married soon and looking for some cool alternative to the traditional tie, then cravat is a great choice that can certainly give you an ultra royal look. It will also keep you from becoming one of the typecast grooms who wear the same boring ties for every formal occasion, be it dinner parties, or their own wedding. If you are game to make a unique and classy style statement then get ready to know more about cravats, which is one of the most versatile neck wear meant for men.

What is Cravat?

As mentioned before, cravat is a neck wear exclusively adorned by men. It is actually a antecedent of a traditional necktie and bow tie. The history of cravat dates back to 17th century when, Croatian men used to sport cotton or silk cloth cravats under the collar of their top. This fashion trend was noted by French people and King Louis XIV adopted cravat dress code for the court, making it popular in other European countries, such as England. England brought about many changes in the traditional white cravats. They experimented with myriad lengths, colors, and tying patterns of the cravats to bring more variety to their attire. Since then cravat has undergone many changes and is available in various fabrics, designs, colors, and patterns. People who wondered how to tie a cravat and found it a little difficult, altered the tying procedure and made it much simpler over the years. So get ready to adorn this most coveted piece of men's clothing.

How to Tie a Cravat Tie?

Given below are some of the simple steps that would help you tie a cravat more easily.

• First, go and buy a nice cravat which is complements your attire.
• Now start with draping the cravat by placing it around your neck and keeping the wider ends in the front.
• Adjust the cravat in such a way that the right side end is longer than the left side.
• Take the longer end and cross it over the shorter end to the left side.
• Take the longer end again and take it back to the right side from underneath the shorter end.
• Take the same longer end over the top to your left.
• Now take the longer end up from the neck loop that has been created by previous wraps. You can try following styles from this step onwards.
• For traditional look, fold the longer end down over the knot. Make sure that the short end is perfectly covered and then fix the cravat in place using tie pin or cravat pin.
• For scrunch style cravat or Ruche style cravat, bring the longer end down through the knot loop and adjust it with the underneath short end. It somewhat looks like the normal tie but with a scrunched effect.

Cravats are very versatile and can be worn inside or outside the shirt. Few colors of the cravats also have some meanings attached to them. For example, a blue cravat signifies wholeness and calmness whereas red cravat depicts various attributes such as, love, power, and rage. A yellow cravat signifies fun, hope, and youthfulness. Black cravats were generally worn for funerals but today the trend is changing. Green color and brown color symbolizes wisdom and earthiness respectively. You can choose any color as per your personality and occasion. But, remember that the color and pattern should also be in sync with your overall personality and the outfit to get a complete look.