The battle of Steinkirk took place in 1694. An early English allusion to the neckwear thus named is in The Relapse, which was acted in 1697. In it the Semstress says, “I hope your Lordship is pleased with your Steenkirk.” His Lordship answers with eloquence, “In love with it, stap my vitals! Bring your bill, you shall be paid tomorrow!”
The Steinkirk, both for men’s and women’s wear, came to America very promptly, and was soon widely worn. The dashing, handsome figure of young King Carter gives an illustration of the pretty studied negligence of the Steinkirk. I have seen a Steinkirk tie on at least twenty portraits of American gentlemen, magistrates, and officers; some of them were the royal governors, but many were American born and bred, who never visited Europe, but turned eagerly to English fashions.
“King” Carter in Youth, by Sir Godfrey Kneller.
Certain old families have preserved among their ancient treasures a very long oval brooch with a bar across it from end to end—the longest way of the brooch. These are set sometimes with topaz or moonstone, garnet, marcasite, heliotropium, or paste jewels. Many wonder for what purpose these were used. They were to hold the lace Steinkirk in place, when it was not pulled through the buttonhole. The bar made it seem like a tongueless buckle—or perhaps it was like a long, narrow buckle to which a brooch pin had been affixed to keep it firmly in place.
The cravat, tied and twisted in Steinkirk form, or more simply folded, long held its place in fashionable dress.
“The stock with buckle made of paste
Has put the cravat out of date,”
wrote Whyte in 1742.
With this quotation we will turn from neckwear until a later period.