Blame it on the Croats

Did you know that last month was National Necktie Month?  Do you care?  Well, a lot of men once did and some still do. 

Man with the Cat wearing a four in hand knot – by Cecilia Beaux 1898

According to Oscar Wilde (1854-1900), the most famous dandy of his day, “A well-tied tie is the first serious step in life.”  I know I would never have taken a young man seriously had he shown up at my door for a dinner date without one.   So who gets the credit or the blame, depending on your point of view, for the modern necktie?