Men's neckties are a window into the heart of the businessman and right now, business is feeling sombre, say fashion and image experts.

Necktie colours are more muted, darker and less splashy than in years past, reflecting the downturn in the world economy since 2008.

"Ties, because they are worn generally by businessmen, react very quickly to the economy," said Victoria's Dale Olsen, owner of Outlooks for Men.

"When times are tough, ties very quickly get very quiet. They are subdued — they are not wild and not loud."

Olsen said the mood of business is now more cautious, even conservative, so ties are becoming a little narrower and more subdued.

Kane Straith of Victoria's Kane Straith Clothing, however, says it all depends on the person: Conservative-minded men tend to prefer more subdued colours.

More buoyant personalities like some colour.

"Good times or bad, ties are very personal — that's been my experience over time," he said.

Straith's experience with neckties probably goes back further than anybody in Victoria, he said. His grandfather first started selling men's clothes in Victoria in 1919.

Straith now has what he believes is the most extensive selection of men's neckties in North America. And they have always been in demand.

"A tie just lends a finish to a suit or a jacket," he said.

Olsen said the quieter tie reflects a certain functionalism that men generally demand from their clothes. A subdued tie can be worn more often and few people will notice. A loud tie worn regularly, however, soon gets people mumbling, "Didn't we just see that?"

A tie, Olsen said, is actually a practical and economical way to dress. The look of a suit and a clean white shirt can be changed for days on end with a variety of neckties.

According to Wikipedia, France's King Louis XIV was one of the first to popularize the notion of men wearing material around their necks with the cravat.

Parisians were intrigued by the coloured neckerchiefs worn by Croatian mercenaries — cravat is a bastardization of Croat.

The neck garment went through a number of forms, including scarves, kerchiefs, long ties, ascots and bow ties.

Modern ties were born in the 1920s, when tailors developed ways of sewing them and incorporating a lining so the tie better retained its shape after being looped and knotted.

Ties now range hugely in price, from about $10 up to several hundred dollars.

Shirley Millar, owner of Beautiful You Colours and Image Consulting in Victoria, said men's neckties are the fashion equivalent of women's lipsticks. It's a small thing, but its colour can be dramatically different. A newer, more fashionable shade can update a look, even when the clothes might be a little dated.

"A man has his necktie. A woman has her lipstick," Millar said. "When the economy is down and they are stretching their dollar a little bit more, what [women] will buy is a new lipstick."

She also said colours — like the ones on neckties — are used by businesspeople to inspire confidence or make others calm. A dark blue, for example, denotes a cool professionalism.

Tyler Wilson, a fourth-year fashion-design student at Kwantlen Polytechnic University on the Lower Mainland now working on a line of men's clothing, said neckties are not only becoming more subdued in colour — they're getting narrower.

"The thin tie — you are starting to see that everywhere and you can definitely link that to the economy," Wilson said. "It takes less fabric and in leaner times you want to conserve your fabric."

He also said the tie is the only real item in a man's wardrobe that isn't function-based, such as a jacket.

But it's still one of the best ways for a man to send a message about intent, purpose and personality.

Wilson said he can't understand prominent politicians who seem to be abandoning the necktie, wearing open-neck shirts under a jacket or sweater.

"You see a lot of politicians right now that are going tie-less," he said. "It seems like a real missed opportunity right now to show off their personalities to the public.

"I can't think of a single time where I remember [Prime Minister] Stephen Harper wearing a tie," said Wilson. "I guess he's trying to look more relaxed and less businesslike. But I think he's missing an opportunity."

Despite the move to "tie-less" dressing, clothiers and designers don't believe the necktie will go the way of men's hats.

"Sure, a lot of men these days are doing a suit or a jacket with an open-neck shirt," said Straith, "but they would still have a tie in their wardrobe."

rwatts@timescolonist.com