Wedding Cravats

Wedding cravats for men are a real option today as an element of a formal wedding attire. They are a tie replacement (or I suppose you could say the tie is the replacement of the wedding cravat). You wear a cravat around your neck and tie it like a tie, but wedding cravats are much larger and broader. They feel more elegant, and they will give you a bit more formal look than a typical necktie.

Men's wedding cravats are made of all sorts of materials, but they commonly consist of silk. A silk wedding cravat, paired with a waistcoat, is a very nice and formal thing, and it actually won't look at all out of place once you've assembled it with the whole ensemble.

As a side note, I have found that many couples nowadays don't even seem to know or understand that a wedding cravat is even an option for wear. Unfortunately, most wedding outfit stores generally only seem to have ordinary neckties available--at least that I've seen. While they will have a plethora of different colors and types of neckties available, it simply boggles my mind that the wedding cravat has become a bit of a lost element of style. I can't tell you how many friends of mine, after I introduced them to the wedding cravat, thought that it was a great and actually preferred it to the oftentimes bland look and appeal of the simple, ordinary necktie.

The silk cravat originals from the 17th century, when Parisians began to notice Croatian military would wear a piece of fabric tied like a scarf around their necks. This began to translate over to Paris and the fashion scene, and became popular with royalty and nobility. Over time, the silk cravat was tied more and more elaborately. The fashion of the cravat tie would change from decade to decade, becoming thin, simple and formal one decade, and large, flowing and elaborate in the next.

Cravats for men became even more popular as various kings and nobles would wear them. They would tie them elaborately, with bows and ornaments adorning them. This manner of tying them was the origin of the word 'necktie', and the fashion style endures to this day. Funny to think that our neckties originated from Croatian military scarves!

Silk wedding cravats are nowhere near as formal as they were in the 17th century. You won't find ornamental lace or bows in them (at least not often!) and they come in a wide variety of simple, manly colors and styles. The silk wedding cravat works well with most suits or tuxedos. Sometimes they tie up similarly to a tie, other times they have a band of silk which runs around the neck under the collar.

It's important to pair a silk wedding cravat with an appropriately formal suit or tux. You virtually never see a wedding cravat worn without a matching waistcoat. This is because silk cravats are often very broad and large. They will overpower your dress shirt and can become a bit too noticeable if you don't pair it properly. The waistcoat hides it a little bit, toning down the look.

Unlike the 17th century, you mostly want your silk wedding cravat to lie down fairly flat. The key difference between a necktie and a cravat is that extra bit of volume you get at the knot and just underneath. There's a nice ripple effect, and it looks great and very classy on any cravats for men. Some wedding cravats, like one of the examples above, don't even knot at all.

There's nothing saying you need to go extra formal and choose a men's wedding cravat for your big day. You can wear a necktie, or even no tie at all. The great thing about modern weddings is that they can be whatever you want them to be! However, if you're thinking of a formal wedding and want to add a little creative flair, consider the wedding cravat, popular since 1630!