Custom ties began way back in the Great War when the Croats(Croations) decided to invent what were then called cravats(not quite custom ties but a different version of a tie which went around the neck and ties up in a more casual way) a little bit along the lines of a ladies scarf made for men which was usually worn around the neck with an open shirt.

The custom ties of those days were of course a very basic cravat type item, nothing fancy or even close to what we know these days as custom ties- more like mens custom scarves, as I said!

The word cravat comes from the word Croat, which in turn means a person from Croatia.

The custom ties of those days were made up of fabric of different colours signifying the battalion of fighting unit the soldiers belonged to.

Back in those days, the Croats were mercenaries, fighting for money, not for love of country or anything along those lines so they were fighting hand in hand with soldiers of that country.

For that reason, it was felt, I am sure, that the Croats needed something to differentiate themselves from the soldiers fighting for their country and so, the origination of the Cravat or tie happened.

Different colours of fabric or cloth with different designs signified their belonging.

In essence, nothing has changed when it comes to custom ties.

Custom ties essentially covers a whole array of differently named ties such as corporate ties, branded ties, company ties, custom school ties, promotional ties, custom ties for schools, matric tie designs for matric ties, sports ties, printed ties, woven ties and so the list goes on and on.

The same can also be said for custom scarves which also include corporate scarves aswell.

All of these items are made by tie manufacturers or tie makers regardless of whether they are custom ties or custom scarves.

Similar to the ancient cravats that were worn, custom ties and custom scarves also consist of different type of fabric such as silk and polyester, however, the process is obviously far more refined these days when it comes to printed ties or woven ties and the attention to detail and specifics within the design of the fabric is far more advanced and complexed.

Essentially, back in the days of the Croats and their cravats, the fabric used would have been generally of one colour or perhaps a couple of colours with no insignia on the cravat however, when it comes to todays custom ties and custom scarves, the majority have an insignia or logo as we call it which signifies the company or school or club/association for whom the custom ties and custom scarves are manufactured.

Achieving this is not difficult given modern techniques it is quite easy to ensure that one know exactly who the custom ties and custom scarves belong to.

It goes to show how far we have come when it comes to some things and that some things in life just never go away.