The ties that bind

I have a collection of over 30 neckties hanging on a rack in my bedroom closet. In the past year, I think I have worn a tie once. Given this infrequent use, why do I have so many ties? Let me begin with a bit of history.

The use of the necktie originated in the 17th century. During the 30 Years’ War (1617-1648), the French hired Croatian mercenaries who wore traditional knotted neckerchiefs to hold the top of their jackets together, something more practical (and comfortable) than stiff collars. King Louis XIV of France admired the neckwear so much, he began wearing ties and thus they became a status style item that signaled nobility, honour and order.

Dressing for God

My father was a tailor who always dressed impeccably. I do recall seeing him without a suit jacket now and then, but never without a freshly ironed shirt and tie. When men started showing up in church without ties, he was taken aback by this show of cavalier disrespect. “You wouldn’t visit the Queen without being properly dressed, would you? So why would you visit the house of God without being formally dressed?” Why indeed!

Other Christian traditions have taken a different view on this matter of tie wearing. Many Anabaptist denominations such as conservative Mennonites, Quakers and Holiness Methodists, to name a few, eschew the wearing of neckties because they violate the doctrine of plain dress, although the Evangelical Wesleyan Church does permit the wearing of a long tie as long as it is black. (Clearly, a Synodical study of this matter is in order.)

There are obvious safety reasons for not wearing long ties as they present risks for entanglement with machines resulting in vasoconstriction (i.e., chocking). A 2018 report in the medical journal Neuroradiology found that the traditional Windsor knot (favoured by the British Royal House of Windsor) could restrict as much as 7.5 percent of cerebral blood flow. Other studies have shown that tied too tightly neckties can aggravate eye conditions such as weakened retinas and glaucoma.

Family ties

So, why do I have so many ties? Being the only male heir in our family, I inherited them from my always tie-wearing father after he died in 1993. For nostalgic reasons I find it difficult to throw them away. When I was informed that the theme of this CC issue was to be “Ties that bind,” I thought that my extensive collection could serve as excellent fodder for a column. One more thing. Now that gardening season is upon us, I have found that old neckties are excellent for tying up tomato vines laden with fruit. Their breadth prevents cutting into the vines the way that string does. Thus, blest be the ties that bind!