This article is going to describe some fashion issues for men that were going on after WWII; particularly related to vintage rockabilly swing men’s ties. The years, right after the end of World War II, saw the beginnings of a big change in men’s clothing. No longer did men have to wear strict regulation uniforms. They had worn these for long enough and were ready to shake the world of fashion up a bit.
The new fashions for men used much more fabric and were flashier than the clothing worn in the 30s & 40s. Although the earliest post war years still saw men expected to dress formally -in a suit, hat and tie at work – the later years of the 50s saw these restrictions lessening. The young men of the 50s were setting the stage for the fashion exuberance of the 60s & 70s.
Right after the war, you saw men wearing suits that were liberally cut and made out of fabrics that were pinstripes, herringbone, and glen plaids. The color of suits, at this time, was still pretty drab with brown and blue being the most common. Men’s suits were still quite heavy as they were most commonly made of wool and gabardine. It was a relief to see that not to terribly long after the war, there began to be an increase in the number of men choosing to wear broad shouldered jackets with wide lapels and deep pleated and cuffed pants were starting to become all the rage. The vintage rockabilly swing ties they chose to accent their suits were great.
It was during this era when the terms rockabilly and swing came into use to describe men’s ties. Both terms found their way into the vernacular of clothing via the route of music. Rockabilly music had its roots in the southern states of the USA. The name comes from blending the two words of “rock” and “hillbilly”. It seems obvious then that the music genre’s from which the word rockabilly comes from are rock and roll and country or hillbilly. It also stands to reason that vintage rockabilly swing men’s ties have their roots in rock and roll and country hillbilly music. It would be remiss not to mention that rockabilly was also influenced by western swing, boogie woogie and rhythm and blues had on the
The reason men’s ties of this era were called swing or rockabilly is because men were still culturally expected to wear ties when out for an evening of dancing and listening to music. A rockabilly swing tie was typically wide – 4 inches or more wide at it’s widest point and short. There is no doubt that men were trying to forget their army days as the ties that were selling like hot cakes were wildly colored and has fantastic bold patterns.
The type of fabric used to make the vintage rockabilly and swing men’s neckties we see today depended on availability. Rationing was coming to an end and the fashion industry was beginning to be able to purchase silks. Ties made of silk are the most durable and have the best shine and sparkle. Men of means were able to purchase ties made of silk. Men of less means purchased very similarly wild and wide ties but they were made with materials such as polyester, wool, acetate, and rayon. Some of the leading tie designers of the era were Beau Brummell, ArtCraft, Brent (Montgomery Wards) , Van Heusen.
A discussion of post war men’s neckties wouldn’t be complete without mention of bow ties. The origin of bow ties can be traced back to the 17th century and is related to the use of a scarf to hold the neck opening of shirts together. The name was changed to Cravat -a French word. It remains a mystery today as to whether cravats evolved into the bow tie and necktie or whether neckties evolved from bow ties.
The history of vintage rockabilly men’s swing ties is pretty vast and a bit unwielding to follow unless you have a place to start. Hopefully this article is the beginning of your adventure into understanding the role the men of the 50s played in changing the fashion options for men to come. Rockabilly and Swing -Thank You.
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