Did you know that the all popular neck-tie originated in Croatia? It was the Croatian mercenaries hired by French King Louis XIII in the 17th century who wore a piece of red cloth around their neck. It served to tie the top part of the jacket and also as a decorative piece. The king liked it so much that he made it a mandatory accessory for royal gatherings. To honour the Croat fighters he called it – Le Cravat. The oldest known portrait of a man wearing a cravat is of Ivan Gundulić, the famous Croatian from 1622.