If you have read much of my writing here on The Manual, you will likely recognize some of my favorite themes and the phrases I use to communicate them. Emulate, don’t imitate, so you can style yourself like some of your favorite style icons without being discouraged when you dress just like them and it doesn’t work. Classics, not trends, because they never go out of style. And the one that is the most important for this particular claim I am about to make: Fashion is what you wear, style is how you wear it.
I firmly believe that being stylish isn’t about restricting what you wear because others don’t like it; it is about incorporating what you love into your looks in a stylish way. This is how I ended up looking at ascots and cravats and how I developed reasons why you should wear a neckerchief in 2025.
It all started when I watched Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery on Netflix. While watching the sequel play out, I would be lying if I didn’t have to rewind it multiple times to re-consume essential plot points I missed because I was staring at Daniel Craig rocking the heck out of a neckerchief numerous times in the movie. As a style guy, I decided I had to try this. I reached out to someone I trust, the Creative Director for Robert Talbot, Sebastian Dollinger. He gave me some pointers and even a few to rock on my own.
“The neckerchief has always been something I considered cool, especially when I was younger, as so many musicians used to wear it — Bowie, Cash, Jagger, among others,” Dollinger said. “To me, it’s a rebellious garment when paired right. It can also elevate a look by adding a splash of color to something more classic, making it very versatile if you dare to wear it.”
History of the neckerchief
I am a bit of a fashion nerd, and that means if I find a new idea or a new style path I want to take, I have a habit of going down a rabbit hole to understand what it is and where it came from. It has always helped me figure out how to style it for myself.
With the neckerchief, I went all the way back to when powdered wigs were all the rage and cravats (or ascots in the American English) became the neckwear of choice after the Thirty Years War. It evolved into what we see today. The neckerchief seems to be a more laidback version used by explorers and wilderness lovers as protection from the sun and the perfect item to use in case of an emergency, either to tie up a hurt arm or cut off blood flow. This practicality can be seen in naval and scouting uniforms.
Why this should be in your lexicon
OK, boring stuff out of the way. Look at how Daniel Craig wears it. Of course, James Bond can make anything look good, but this makes his summer poolside ensemble pop in ways no one else in the scene does. I live by a rule of three. Every outfit should have three parts: The top (a shirt), the bottom (pants), and a third item. This shouldn’t be your shoes or your watch. Those should be with every ensemble. This should be a hat, jewelry, or something a little extra.
That critical third item is just something to take a basic, two-part ensemble and give it depth. If you aren’t a hat guy, can’t pull off jewelry (I tried, and I looked more pirate and less Johnny Depp), or are just looking for a change, this is a great way to do it.
How to wear it
Here is the trick. I looked for neckerchiefs everywhere and found them in all sorts of places. Bing Crosby wore them in White Christmas, and Elvis wore them on stage, but I always came back to Daniel Craig. That was the look I liked. So I tried it, and you know what? I looked like a flight attendant. I was ready to pass out warm towelettes. I decided to try it a different way, and I tied them in numerous styles. Here is what I came up with.
That crucial third item in casual situations
I can’t always wear a hat, and jewelry outside of a watch has never been my thing. So, I was dedicated to making the neckerchief work for my casual outfits as the third aspect of my outfits. Even overshirts had become old news for me. So, wearing jeans and a sweater like every other guy in the fall and winter was easy to elevate when I double-knotted the neckerchief and tucked the leftovers in the front of the shirt. It was a hit, and I found what I wanted in my casual neckerchief.
Smart casual add-on
The business casual wardrobe and its slightly elevated cousin, smart casual, are sometimes pretty precarious things to navigate. So, this is a great way to elevate an outfit to smart casual if you feel that what you are wearing is dangerously close to being too casual for the dress code.
I discovered when I wear a neckerchief with a button-up, I prefer to tie it like a necktie and keep the knotted look of a four-in-hand. I wear it a little lower on the chest and bring a pop of color. Choosing the right neckerchief comes down to following the same principles as choosing a tie with your suit: Something complementing the color but standing out will give the look depth.
Elevated
Finally, I couldn’t add anything without seeing how it worked with my suits. Since the neckerchief was another derivative of the original neckwear styles, I decided to ditch the necktie and wear it with my suits and the collar open. It got a lot of attention from the people in the room with me and allowed me to loosen the pressure on my neck and not look sloppy while remaining in a professional business setting. I definitely used the four-in-hand knot for this, as it would look much more casual if I double-knotted the way I did with the sweaters.
At the end of the day, style is a personal statement. Like Dollinger said, there is a rebellious nature to a neckerchief, whether you wear it with the casual outfits or the business professional ones. And like Dollinger, I, too, believe there is a daring mentality in a lot of men who will love to stand out and be bold. The year 2025 is a time for you to break out of the boring fashion boxes in which you have found yourself trapped. It’s the year to be bold, be daring, and be dashing as heck, like Daniel Craig with a neckerchief.
