Why did the shirt, jacket and tie become the international standard dress code for business and governments?
In: 510
Well my friend, the answer is distinction and intimidation.
A jacket flatters your profile, it widens your shoulders , flattens your chest, and gives you a bigger stature that says “Me Big Boss”
Ties originated from Croatian mercenaries in the 30 years war, it held their jackets shut without requiring a stiff collar, and kings and nobility thought, wow that looks cool. Originally they used complex lace arrangements but they it expanded to other fabric types. Eventually English gentleman brought the style over from Europe, and cravat became a sign if wealth and class. You see, wealth could be denoted by the fabric, and the complexity of the knots required a certain level of skill and time, a commoner wouldn’t be able to learn the etiquette to the level of an aristocrat. As industrialization spread, people wanted simple and straightforward accessories, this is where a necktie with its simpler knot and one that could be smaller or more compact, like a bow tie being a simpler wear than a cravat.
Shirts became a staple due to militarism function leading to fashion. For example a collar ensured a soldierly bearing with the head held upright, it also meant you didn’t need mobility like some common labourer. They served to protect your quality outerwear from the indignities of your body, like perspiration. Since they were usually rather expensive, they could denote class. A gentleman in white could keep his shirt clean because hw wasn’t sweating from toil, and he could afford multiple shirts, where as a labourer may wear the same shirt multiple days. This is why white dress shirts are formal.
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