Neckwear refers to various styles of

clothing Clothing (also known as clothes, apparel, and attire) are items worn on the human body, body. Typically, clothing is made of fabrics or textiles, but over time it has included garments made from animal skin and other thin sheets of materials ...

worn around the (human)

neck The neck is the part of the body on many vertebrates that connects the head with the torso. The neck supports the weight of the head and protects the nerves that carry sensory and motor information from the brain down to the rest of the body. In ...

. They are worn for fashion, combat, or protection against the influences of weather. Common neckwear today includes

bow tie The bow tie is a type of necktie. A modern bow tie is tied using a common shoelace knot, which is also called the bow knot for that reason. It consists of a ribbon of fabric tied around the collar of a shirt in a symmetrical manner so that ...

s, neckties (cravat), scarves, feather boas and

shawl A shawl (from fa, شال ''shāl'',) is a simple item of clothing from Kashmir, loosely worn over the shoulders, upper body and arms, and sometimes also over the head. It is usually a rectangular or square piece of cloth, which is often fold ...

s. Historically, ruffs and bands were worn.

Image gallery

Mary Sydney Herbert.jpg,

Mary Sidney Mary Herbert, Countess of Pembroke (born Sidney, 27 October 1561 – 25 September 1621) was among the first Englishwomen to gain notice for her poetry and her literary patronage. By the age of 39, she was listed with her brother Philip Sidney ...

wearing a ruff Erkki Kourula.jpg, Erkki Kourula, Justice of the International Criminal Court, wearing a jabot Dieter reiter 2013.jpg, German politician Dieter Reiter wearing a necktie GeorgeAugustusSala1828-1895.jpg, George Augustus Henry Sala, wearing an ascot Neckclothitania-1818.gif, 1818 pamphlet depicting cravat knot styles {{clothing