Stripes that Unite - a History of the Regimental Striped Tie
Updated: Sep 7
Over the last century, the regimental tie, also known in various forms as the college tie, repp tie or simply a striped tie, has been reimagined in almost every stripe width and colour combination conceivable. Today, striped ties bring individuality and character to modern menswear, but their origins were quite different. The original idea of the diagonal striped tie was to instil a sense of group camaraderie rather than individuality. Different colours and widths of stripes represented, and still do for some, affiliation to your regiment, your College or your Club.
In essence the regimental stripe advertised your allegiance to your tribe.
The origins of the Repp tie?
One popular story traces the origins of the modern striped tie to Exeter College, Oxford, in 1880, when members of the college rowing club are said to have removed the red and black ribbons from their straw boaters and tied them around their necks. This is often cited as an early example of the college tie.
The story is probably not the beginning of the tradition itself. Images of British rowing teams from earlier in the 19th century show cravats being worn in club colours, while British military regiments also used distinctive colours and patterns to signify affiliation. From these traditions emerged what we now recognise as the regimental tie.
In Britain, the same idea became deeply associated with schools, universities and clubs. A tie could identify not only your school, but sometimes your house or college within it. Yes, the houses of Harry Potter are real, minus the wands and dragons.
Colour created an immediate sense of identity and belonging. My own school tie was black with fine stripes of red, navy, sky blue and, for my house, green. It was supposedly designed to unite the school. In practice, it also did an excellent job of identifying you to boys from the school next door looking for a fight.
Rowing teams depicted in Vanity Fair in the 1840's
As I’ve mentioned, the idea of colours identifying your ‘tribe’ or regiment existed in the military long before the Exeter College story. ‘Colours’ is the name given to the flags representing different military regiments. They embody the honour, spirit and heritage of the regiments that proudly carry them and, historically, provided an easily identifiable rallying point in the heat and smoke of battle.
In the early 20th century, to continue this important sense of kinship after leaving the armed forces, regiments began to develop neckties inspired by the colours of their regimental flags. Usually consisting of two or three colours, these were woven in ribbed twill silk and cut so that the stripes ran diagonally upwards from the right hip towards the left shoulder — traditionally known as ‘cut to the heart’.
Traditional British regimental stripes are ‘cut to the heart’, running diagonally from the right hip towards the left shoulder.
After the First World War American clothiers took their cues from the British and adopted the popular design as well. But America wanted something new for themselves detached from the pompous English sense of rules and tradition, or maybe it was just so as not to offend the British servicemen. Brooks Brothers initiated this change simply by orienting the diagonal striped in the opposite direction with the stripes pointing up to the right shoulder. The result was a new distinction in the fashion industry: the European stripe vs. the American stripe.
The American repp tie reversed the traditional British stripe, running diagonally from the left hip towards the right shoulder.
Below we see an example of an American-style striped tie, with the stripes rising towards the right shoulder. On the right is the British Royal Navy tie worn by James Bond in Live and Let Die, with the traditional British stripe rising towards the left shoulder. The tie is a nod to Bond's background as a Royal Naval Reserve commander, making it an entirely appropriate choice for the character.
Apparently, some British regiments were less than pleased to see their colours displayed the ‘wrong’ way around. The repp tie, as the American interpretation became known, developed its own identity and was commonly associated with business and less formal dress.
With traditional British regimental ties, however, etiquette still matters. It has long been considered poor form to wear the tie of a regiment, club or organisation to which you have no connection. A true regimental tie can consequently appear rather restrained and serious: its colours and pattern represent identity and allegiance first, with decoration coming second.
How the world has changed. Even etiquette advice written relatively recently can now feel like a relic of an era when most men wore ties to work and needed to know which designs were appropriate for business, dinner or more formal occasions.
One useful rule nevertheless survives: a true regimental tie is best worn by someone with a genuine connection to the regiment, club or institution it represents. A striped or repp tie designed purely for style carries no such restriction.
And that is where things become much more interesting. Modern striped ties play freely with width, colour and proportion. Stripes can be far broader than the traditional regimental pattern, while unexpected colour combinations take the design well beyond its military and collegiate origins. The result can feel fresh, expressive and anything but businesslike.
Even as makers of men’s silk ties, we readily admit that the tie is no longer the fundamental part of a man’s wardrobe that it once was. Believe it or not, that is precisely what excites us]
and what keeps Thomas Fortin making ties.
“What was once the everyday, the plain and the nine-to-five, has become something extraordinary: a statement, even an eccentric piece of a man’s wardrobe. We feel the tie is entering a new age — one of celebratory, peacock styling for the sartorial man.”
Neil Fortin - Co-Creator - Thomas Fortin menswear
Despite the regimental tie becoming increasingly detached from its original meaning, its association with identity and belonging has helped the striped tie endure. While other designs have come and gone, the stripe has remained a staple of menswear for generations. While other designs such as paisley and foulard have come in and out of fashion, the striped tie has always stood at the pinnacle of a man’s tie collection as it creates a classically handsome and traditional look, and embodies so many stereotypically desirable masculine qualities such as prestige, success, power, and class.
How to Wear a Striped Tie
So how should you wear a striped tie? Whether dressing for work or simply creating a strong sartorial look, there is one simple principle that makes combining striped ties with shirts and suits much easier: vary the scale of the patterns.
Vary pattern proportion
When wearing a striped tie with a striped shirt, make sure the stripes are noticeably different in scale. A wider striped tie works particularly well with a finely striped shirt, while a narrow striped tie can complement a broader shirt stripe.The same principle applies when combining a striped tie with another pattern, such as a check. Larger, bolder stripes generally work best against smaller, finer patterns, while a narrow stripe can sit comfortably alongside a larger check or windowpane. The key is contrast: if the patterns are too similar in scale, they compete rather than complement one another.
The Striped Tie Today
From military colours and college rowing clubs to boardrooms and modern tailoring, the striped tie has travelled remarkably far without losing its identity. Its original stripes may once have declared membership of a particular regiment, club or institution, but today they offer something much broader: colour, character and individuality.
At Thomas Fortin, that history is part of what continues to fascinate us. We work with traditional silk weaving and classic menswear references, but use colour, scale and proportion to create striped ties intended for the way men dress now.
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