How the word 'cravat' came from the battlefields of 17th century Europe

"The corporate neckwear is the everyday counterpart to the traditionally more luxurious cravat a voluminous neckscarf that conjures up images of opulent dinners aboard a yacht sailing through the Mediterranean. President Abraham Lincoln wore cravats, as did Hollywood actor Cary Grant and the extravagant entertainer Liberace. In more recent times, the garment has been popularized in the American mainstream by the likes of Madonna and the late Diane Keaton."

"In this installment of NPR's "Word of the Week" series we trace the origins of the "cravat" (borrowed from the French "cravate") back to the battlefields of 17th century Europe and explore its links to the modern day necktie, patented in New York more than 100 years ago."

""Scarves worn around the neck existed long before, but the story of the cravat truly begins in the Thirty Years' War when it first gained wider European recognition," explains Filip Hren, a military historian at the Croatian Catholic University in Zagreb. Hren is referring to the 1618-48 conflict fought between Catholics and Protestants and known as Europe's last religious war. The word "cravate" first appeared in the French language to describe military attire worn by Croatian mercenaries who were renowned among their enemies for their brutal fighting prowess."

""Wounded soldiers could use the scarf as a bandage, but it also had symbolic meaning," says Vladimir Brnardic, a historian and jou"

The cravat originated as a neck cloth worn by 17th-century Croatian mercenaries during the Thirty Years' War. Those Croats wore distinctive red scarves made of silk or cotton for warmth, protection from smoke, and to bind wounds, and the scarves also carried symbolic meaning. The French word "cravate" derived from the Croats' neckwear and later entered European fashion vocabulary. The cravat evolved over centuries into various forms, eventually influencing the modern necktie, which was patented in New York more than a century ago. Prominent historical figures and entertainers have worn cravats, contributing to its lasting cultural presence.

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