Known colloquially as a tie, this flattened cylinder of fabric is regularly used as a means of appropriating status, or as a headband or a belt, depending on the age and gender of the wearer.

It is a multi-functional, versatile wardrobe item with almost as many uses as a piece of string, whether it is as a tourniquet, a gag, a noose, a tow-rope, a lead, something to hold the trousers up with, a lasso, a sail for a very small boat, or an outfit for a snake, the necktie is the indispensable tool for international travellers. Do not leave home without it.