Before the Second World War ties were worn shorter than they are today. Around 1944, ties started to become not only wider, but wilder. This was the beginning of what was later labeled the “Bold Look;” ties which reflected the returning GIs’ desire to break with wartime uniformity. Widths reached 5″, and designs included Art Deco, hunting scenes, scenic photographs, tropical themes, and even girlie prints. Typical length was 48″.

The Bold Look lasted until about 1951, when the “Mister T” look (so termed by Esquire magazine), was introduced. The new style, characterized by tapered suits, slimmer lapels, and smaller hat brims, included thinner and not so wild ties. Tie widths slimmed to 3″ by 1953 and continued getting thinner up until the mid-1960s; length increased to about 52″.

Through the 1950s, neckties remained somewhat colorful, yet more restrained the previous decade. Small geometric shapes were often employed against a solid background; diagonal stripes were also popular. By the early 1960s, dark, solid ties became very common, with widths slimming down to as little as 1″.

The 1960s brought about an influx of pop art influenced designs. The first was designed by Michael Fish when he worked at Turnbull & Asser, and was introduced in Britain in 1965. The term kipper was a pun on his name.

The exuberance of the styles of the late 1960s and early 1970s gradually gave way to more restrained designs. Ties became narrower, returning to their 2-3 inch width with subdued colors and motifs, traditional designs of the 1930s and 1950s reappeared, particularly Paisley patterns. Ties began to be sold along with shirts and designers slowly began to experiment with bolder colors.

This continued in the 1980s, when very narrow ties approximately 1 ” inches wide became popular. Into the 1990s, as ties got wider again, increasingly unusual designs became common, such as joke ties or deliberately kitsch ties designed to make a statement. These included ties featuring cartoon characters, and those made of unusual materials such as plastic or wood.

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