When and why did men start wearing ties? What is the point of them? They are uncomfortable and they dangle in your soup.

Justin Rigden, Adelaide Australia

• Anthropologists would argue that the tie directs a viewer's attention downwards to the wearer's genitals (hence the arrow-like shape). A kind of displaced cod-piece.

  Elster, London

• Isn't the point of ties to hide those terribly unsightly buttons?

  Susie Turner, London, UK

• The tie was an invention of the victorians. Supposedly it was to protect your shirt from the detritus of everyday. However, historically only two groups of people have anything around their necks, slaves and the hanged. If you had said to a Roman 'here put this around your throat' he would have been highly insulted

  Richard, Dublin Ireland

• Not really an answer, but Linda Ellerbee (US journalist) is quoted as saying: "If men can run the world, why can't they stop wearing neckties? How intelligent is it to start the day by tying a noose around your neck?"

• Maybe it is to cover the buttons of a shirt?

  Steven, Goose Creek USA

• It's continued in the pathetic hope that it instills an air of authority and professionalism in the wearer. As some one who works for the government, it neither adds credibility nor authority, but makes one look a stuffed shirt.

  George Putty, London UK

• Not really sure, but if I see another musical christmas tie I'm gonna savagely beat the monkey wearing it.

  Bav, Birmingham

• Being a good Croatian, I am staking our claim to the being the 'mother country of the necktie'. Apparently in 1635, a whole load of Croatian mercenaries went to Paris to support King Louis XIII, and fashionable Parisians were rather taken by the trendy coloured scarves they wore around their necks. They all started wearing neck scarves 'a la croate', which led to the birth of the cravat, or necktie. See here for more details: http://www.croata.hr/homeland/index.php

  Tessa, Bangkok Thailand

• If I wear one (which is rarely) I use it to keep stuff off my shirt or cover up a stain acquired while not wearing a necktie. You can wear one comfortably, the trick is to get a comfortable collar. When the tailor at the store tells you you need a 16 get a 16.5 or 17. You need to breath and move if you are going to wear this ridiculous article of clothing.

  Ron Black, Chicago, Illinois, USA

• Shirts were always white and cotton and stained easily so a tie would cover the main ally of food and drink spills. Methinks.

  karen, Mayberry USA

• It's firstly used by the people living in England. It is only used by the peoples who have cough. Now people name it and tie and used to indicate his/her personality.

  sanyamaske, bhilai India

• In pre-historic Roman communities, slaves were forced to wear a piece of cloth around their neck so that they could be identified by their masters.

  Sabih, London UK

• Dogmatic wearing of the modern tie must have something to do with the military where people are told to obey rules without questioning. Some of the military rulers must have come to rule the corporate world and imposed the tie (and other things like shaving which by the conspiracy of Gillete got ingrained in military rules). This gives a reason to bosses to chastise the poor ignorant employee who continues to follow the tradition till his death.

  oyearun, jaipur india

• Pride.

  Kim, Central City, KY US