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Spotlight on: the Croatian tie connection and the Croata brand

You may have heard whisperings about a Croatian connection to fashion item that is the tie. It’s just one of the many fascinating items to emerge from this small country. But how exactly did Croats come to invent the tie? Read on below to find out more – and to learn more about the famous Croatian tie brand Croata.

The (Croatian) origin of the tie – the cravat

As with all good stories, this revolves around love.

From way back when to the present day, Croatian ladies have traditionally tried a scarf around their fiancés’ necks as a sign of mutual love and fidelity. Not only would this be a sign of commitment to each other, it was also a way of making their love known to others. This simple act was even more important during times of war, signifying that the ladies were willing to wait for their beloveds, sometimes for many, many years. The tied scarves would also provide comfort and encouragement to the men when they were on the battlefields.

Croata ties

The French Connection

Croatian light cavalry soldiers – known for their exceptional military skills and courage – went to serve the French king during the Thirty Years’ Way in the 17th century. One detail of their uniform was immediately noticed by the fashion-conscious French people – the red neckerchiefs tied around the necks of the Croatian soldiers. These Croatian neckerchiefs were simple, colourful, flowing and tied in a distinctive knot – all elements different from the high, stiff collars worn by French men at the time.

The court of Louis XIV enthusiastically accepted this bold clothing item, deeming it to be a sign of dignity and civility, distinction and formality. It came to dominate the urban fashion of the time.

Croata

A name emerges – the Cravat

You’ve surely heard of the word cravat and not particularly thought it to be connected to ‘Croat’…despite being very similar. In fact, it absolutely is connected!

The new fashion trend of a knotted scarf that was said to be tied “à la manière Croate” (“in the Croatian way”) in the French language.

In other languages, the cravat is known as krawatte (German), corbata (Spanish) and cravatta (Italian).

And cravat is of course still used in English, but for a special type of tie. The expression “to tie a cravat” has also produced the words “tie” and “necktie“.

The necktie is the only clothing product that does not have a protective function for the wearer. It nevertheless has a strong symbolism, of dignity and freedom but also responsibility and formality. Wearers tie their important moments with the knot of a tie, conveying a message about their feelings.

About Croata

Croata is an independent, family-owned Croatian luxury brand that was founded in 1990 and which today employs over 100 people. Known for its heritage, craftsmanship and exclusivity, the artisanal fashion house creates beautiful and unique items. Each item produced by Croata combines excellent quality raw materials with top attention to detail, handmade in Croatia by highly skilled artisans that are experts in working with different materials and in an assortment of tailoring techniques.

Croata is committed to using a responsible and sustainable approach in its gorgeous products.

About Croata’s production process

Croata’s beautiful items evolve during a two-stage production process to produce a beautiful finished product.

Firstly, the cravat or tie is born on paper at the Croata design studio…or perhaps even earlier, in the minds of a Croata designer!

Many of Croata’s products contain celebrated motifs from Croatian and world cultural and natural heritage. Some of the most popular Croatian motifs that are used include pleter braiding, Glagolithic script or folk embroidery. Braiding is a common decoration on old Croatian stone monuments, first seen in the early Middle Ages. Glagolitic script – which you may have also seen on Croatia Euro cent coins – is an old Croatian alphabet that was in use from the 11th century. Folk embroidery, meanwhile, is referred to as a “letter of the heart” that is created by Croatian women and girls from all over the country.

It takes a special kind of art to transfer these motifs – once seen on stone – into the gentle silk weave of a cravat, requiring exception knowledge of the techniques of weaving and sewing neckties.

After designs have been created on paper, they are transferred onto silk samples to discern the fullness and richness of each design – a very important stage in the development.

The second part of the process involves the cutting. Cravats are cut in three parts, at a 45-degree angle, with particular attention paid to the tip which must be tailored precisely and sewn meticulously. The design of the cravat must fit the point perfectly, just as the designers envisioned it. This is one indicator of a very high-quality necktie.

Each cravat has a cotton insert to give it a specific volume and which also affects the size of the knot. All three parts of the cravat, including the inner and outer layers, are precisely stitched by hand. At the end, the brand label and the passantino – the tab into which the narrower part of the cravat is inserted – are attached.

Croata’s very fine cravat is now ready for the customer!

Croata’s tips for checking the quality of the tie

A perfectly cut and sewn tie – when stretched out – will be perfectly straight along its whole length with no twists.

The thread loop at the narrower part of the tie provides it with elasticity and longevity as well as indicating that the tie is handmade. For these reasons, you should never cut off this thread!

More about Croata

Do take a look at Croata’s stunning creations in the images of this post.

You can also learn more about the company and its very fine products on www.croata.com, where you can also buy Croata’s neckties, shawls, scarves, shirts and more with items for both men and women. They offer worldwide delivery!

When in Croatia, be sure to seek out a Croata shop. They have four shops in Zagreb, as well as shops in prime locations in Dubrovnik, Split, Zadar, Varazdin and Osijek.

The interior of the Croata shop in Zadar
The interior of the Croata shop in Zadar

All images are credited to Croata.

Zagreb BeThrifty Vintage Kilo Sale, 19 & 20 October 2024

The next edition of the Zagreb BeThrifty Vintage Kilo Sale, 19th & 20th October

The ever-popular Zagreb BeThrifty Vintage Kilo Sale returns to Croatia’s capital city later this month at its usual venue of Studio Katran. Taking place on Saturday 19th and Sunday 20th October 2024, the sale is a great opportunity to update your wardrobe for autumn and winter with some stylish vintage fashion finds. Each day the sale will be open from 10.30am to 6pm.

Zagreb BeThrifty Vintage Kilo Sale, 19 & 20 October 2024

BeThrifty’s Vintage Kilo Sales work on the principle of purchasing bundles of items by the kilo. At these Zagreb BeThrifty sales, the cost will be €49 per kilo – although you don’t, of course, have to purchase a full kilo.

There will be a wide range of high-quality vintage clothing items for sale, including sportswear, dresses, t-shirts, denim, streetwear, coats, jackets and much more, in sizes from XS to Plus Size.

Tickets for the Zagreb BeThrifty Vintage Kilo Sale

The first 500 tickets for the sale are free so get your hands on them now! You can get tickets online at bethrifty.events/en/products/zagreb-19-20-listopad-vintage-preloved-sale. After these free tickets get snapped up, tickets are priced at €3 and can also be purchased online or at the sale on the day.

Each day the sale is divided into one-and-a-half-hour time slots and tickets are timed. However, this gives you plenty of chance to have a good browse through all the items and ample time to buy.

Children aged 14 and under do not need a ticket.

Zagreb BeThrifty Vintage Kilo Sale, 19 & 20 October 2024

Be a part of the Zagreb BeThrifty Team!

If you’d like to support BeThrifty at these Zagreb sales, join the BeThrifty WhatsApp group for more information. You could help out at set up or clean up or even during the event itself. In return, you will receive one kilo of clothing for four hours of support.

Zagreb BeThrifty Vintage Kilo Sale, 19 & 20 October 2024

Other BeThrifty Sales

BeThrifty regularly holds its vintage kilo sales all over Central Europe – other upcoming sales will take place on cities such as Warsaw, Budapest, Prague, Graz and Vienna.

Zagreb BeThrifty Vintage Kilo Sale
10.30am – 6pm Saturday 19th and 10.30am – 6pm Sunday 20th October 2024
Studio Katran
Radnička cesta 27
10000 Zagreb
bethrifty.events/en/products/zagreb-19-20-listopad-vintage-preloved-sale

BeThrifty Zagreb Vintage KIlo Sale, 6th & 7th Jule 2024

BeThrifty Zagreb Vintage Kilo Sale, 6th & 7th July 2024

The BeThrifty Zagreb Vintage Kilo Sale is returning to Croatia’s capital city, taking place on 6th & 7th July 2024 at Studio Kratan (Radnicka cesta 27).

Europe’s coolest vintage kilo sale returns to Zagreb to delight all fashionistas looking to snap up a bargain. If you remember, the BeThrifty sale works on the premise of all its vintage clothes being sold by the kilo. Gather up your favourite finds on the day and you’re sure to be rewarded with a huge pile of fashionable second-hand clothes for a low price. It’s a very sustainable way of shopping, that’s for sure!

BeThrifty Zagreb Vintage Kilo Sale

There will be all sorts of clothing items for sale on the day, including sportswear, dresses, skirts, t-shirts, denim, streetwear, coats, jackets and more for both men and women. Brands that you may come across include Burberry, Levi’s, Nike, Puma, Ralph Lauren, Puma and others; clothes range in size from XS to XXXL.

This July, the BeThrify Zagreb sale will charge €45 per kilo on Saturday 6th July and €35 per kilo on 7th July. However, you don’t have to purchase a full kilo! Your clothes will be weighed when you exit to see how much you will need to pay.

Tickets for the BeThrifty Zagreb Vintage Sale

There are a limited number of free tickets available online (only 200), so be quick and snap them up now! Head to bethrifty.events/en/products/zagreb-sale-06-07-srpanj-vintage-preloved-sale to get your free ticket.

Otherwise, tickets can be purchased on the door and cost €3.

Children aged 14 and under can enter for free.

BeThrifty Zagreb Vintage Sale
10.30am – 6pm, 6th & 7th July 2024
Studio Kratan
Radnicka cesta 27
10000 Zagreb

The return of the BeThrifty Vintage Kilo Sale in Zagreb

The return of the BeThrifty Vintage Kilo Sale in Zagreb next month (on Friday 29th and Saturday 30th March 2024) offers up an excellent opportunity to snap up some vintage and second-hand fashion for an fantastic price.

BeThrifty Vintage Kilo Sale in Zagreb

Instead of purchasing clothes items by price, BeThrifty works on the concept of weight – select the pieces you’d like to buy and they’ll be weighed at the end to determine how much you’ve got in your haul. At the BeThrifty Vintage Kilo Sale in Zagreb event, you then pay a price of €20 per kilo – although you don’t, of course, have to buy a full kilo.

There will be an excellent selection of high-quality vintage pieces from brands with items for both women and men including dresses, jumpsuits, sweatshirts, trousers and jeans, jackets and coats, bags, belts, hats and much more. Brands that BeThrifty come across include Fila, Lacoste, Nike, Reebok, Burberry, Levi’s, Wranger and others. Only the top grade of clothing makes its way to BeThrifty sales, with pieces being collected from old clothes collections across Europe. All clothing items are sorted and chosen at established recycling centres and checked thoroughly before being offered for sale.

The BeThrifty event in Zagreb is one of the many upcoming BeThrifty sales across Europe – take a look at bethrifty.events/en to see where other events are taking place!

Tickets for the BeThrifty Vintage Kilo Sale in Zagreb

The BeThrifty event in Zagreb will take place on Friday 29th and Saturday 30th March 2024.

Entry is FREE for the first 500 tickets to be sold – snap these up at bethrifty.events/en/products/zagreb-sale-29-30-ozujak-vintage-preloved-sale now! After the free tickets are sold out, tickets will be priced at €3 which you can also purchase online or at the door on the day.

BeThrifty Vintage Kilo Sale in Zagreb
1pm – 7pm, Friday 29th March 2024
and
10.30am – 6pm, Saturday 30th March 2024
Dom Sportova
Trg Kresimira Cosica 11
10000, Zagreb
bethrifty.events/en


BeThrifty Vintage Kilo Sale in Zagreb

BeThrify Vintage Kilo Sale in Croatia – in Zagreb and Zadar – in June

Excellent news for all fans of shopping and lovers of vintage and second-hand fashion! The BeThrifty Vintage Kilo Sale is making its way to the Croatian cities of Zagreb and Zadar in June.

What is BeThrifty? The Austrian online store specialises in unique vintage pieces for both men and women, selling a wide variety of clothing items and accessories with a good range of brands – including Nike, Adidas, Reebok, Lacoste, Ralph Lauren and many more. This summer they will be hosting their Vintage Kilo Sales in cities all across Central Europe – from Pilsen to Bratislava, Maribor to Stuttgart…and in the two fine Croatian cities of Zagreb and Zadar as well!

The BeThrifty Vintage Kilo Sales allow shoppers to purchase BeThrifty’s vintage stock at a special price per kilo – in the case of the sales in Croatia, this will be €39/kg. The sales themselves will also offer clothing from across 60 different categories – everything from windbreakers to leather jackets, sweaters and hoodies, crazy print shirts and much more – in sizes ranging from XS to XX. Changing rooms will be on hand so you can be sure you look good in whatever you plan to buy!

The clothing found at the Vintage Kilo Sales has been taken from assorted old clothes collections from across Europe. All clothing items are sorted and chosen at renowned recycling centres. Only the highest quality vintage items make their way to BeThrifty. Clothes and accessories are also checked thoroughly and repaired if necessary by BeThrifty staff before being offered for sale.

These sales are a wonderful eco-friendly way of adding to your wardrobe; they’re also a stark contrast to the usual practices of the fashion industry. BeThrifty’s Vintage Kilo Sales embody environmental consciousness, thriftiness, individuality and a wide selection of the trendiest and most unique clothes and accessories.

BeThrifty Vintage Kilo Sale in Croatia - Zagreb
BeThrifty Vintage Kilo Sale in Croatia - Zadar

BeThrify Vintage Kilo Sale in Croatia

Zagreb’s BeThrifty event will be held at the Dom Sportova on 10th & 11th June 2023. Tickets can be purchased at https://bethrifty.events/products/zagreb-10-11-lipanj-vintage-preloved-sale which allows entry to the sale for one and a half hours.

Zadar’s BeThrifty event will be held at the Sportzentrum Visnjik on 23rd & 24th June 2023. Tickets can be purchased at https://bethrifty.events/products/zadar-23-24-lipanj-vintage-preloved-sale which also allows entry to the sale for one and a half hours.

There is a limited number of 200 free tickets per event; after these are sold out, tickets cost €3. For both locations, the price of purchasing items is €39/kg.

Cash and card are accepted as payment.

BeThrifty Vintage Kilo Sale in Croatia
Dom Sportova, Zagreb, 10th & 11th June 2023
Sportzentrum Visnjik, Zadar, 23rd & 24th June 2023
bethrifty.store