History of the Ascot: From Royal Ascot to Modern Pakistan

Every piece of menswear carries a small history. Some — the necktie, the cufflink, the wingtip shoe — have origin stories the wearer half-knows. Others, like the ascot, have stories almost no one remembers. Yet the ascot is one of the few pieces of formalwear that links a small Berkshire racecourse, an Edwardian London gentleman's club, a mid-century Hollywood revival, and a modern Pakistani groom on his barat morning — all through a single knotted strip of silk.

This is the full story of the ascot — where it came from, how it almost disappeared, and why it is more relevant in Pakistan in 2026 than at any point since the 1920s.

A Knot With a Past

Before there was a tie, there was a cravat. Before there was a cravat, there were Croatian mercenaries wearing knotted strips of cloth at their throats in 17th-century Paris — a style that French courtiers adopted and rebranded with a French ear for the original word: cravate. That single knotted strip of fabric is the ancestor of every piece of neckwear in the modern wardrobe, including the ascot.

The ascot, specifically, is a particular evolution of the cravat — wider, more formal, designed to be tied loosely and pinned in place, with the ends spreading flat across the chest under a waistcoat or sherwani. It belongs to a moment in formalwear history when men dressed in layers, in fabric, and in deliberate detail. That it survives at all is something of a small menswear miracle.

The Origin: Royal Ascot, 1711

The name itself comes from a place. In 1711, Queen Anne of England — riding out from Windsor Castle on a summer afternoon — noticed an open heath that she judged ideal for "horses to gallop at full stretch." She ordered the first race meeting held there in August of that year. The course, in the small Berkshire village of Ascot, became the most prestigious horse-racing event in the British calendar.

For two centuries, Royal Ascot was the social high point of the British summer season — a Tuesday-to-Saturday meeting attended by the royal family, the aristocracy, and the political establishment. The dress code was strict, formal, and unforgiving: morning coats, top hats, waistcoats, and a particular kind of neckwear that came to bear the racecourse's name.

The "ascot" tie in its original form was a wide, stiff, formal piece of patterned silk, tied in a particular knot, pinned with a stickpin, and worn with a winged-collar shirt under a morning coat. It was the formal day-tie of the late Victorian and early Edwardian establishment — required at Ascot, at Henley, at Goodwood, and at any garden wedding worth its hat.

The Edwardian Refinement (1900s)

By 1900, under King Edward VII — himself a famously fastidious dresser — the ascot reached its peak. The Edwardian gentleman owned several. He wore a patterned silk ascot for daytime social calls, a plainer one for the office (in those few professions where it was permitted), and a particularly fine one — pearl-grey, ivory, or pale dove — for weddings and garden parties. The ascot was held in place by a small stickpin, often set with a single pearl, opal, or small gemstone, pierced through the centre of the knot.

This was the ascot at its most refined. London's Savile Row tailors stocked them. Jermyn Street shirtmakers cut shirts to take them. Bond Street jewellers made matching stickpins. The ascot was woven into the daily uniform of an entire class of men, in an era when getting dressed was a deliberate and elaborate act.

It is from this Edwardian moment that the modern ascot inherits its character: soft, draped, tied loosely, spread flat across the chest, pinned in place. Every well-tied ascot in 2026 — whether at the Lahore barat, the London wedding, or the Tokyo cocktail evening — is a small Edwardian echo.

The Mid-Century Decline

Two world wars, the rise of the lounge suit, and the slow democratisation of menswear pushed the ascot to the margins. By the 1930s, the formal morning coat was retreating to a few specific events — royal occasions, society weddings, and the racecourses themselves. By the 1950s, the daily ascot had almost vanished from the working wardrobe. Men in offices wore long neck-ties. Men at social events wore long neck-ties. The ascot survived only in two places: at certain English horse races, and on the throats of a small population of older country gentlemen who refused to update their wardrobes.

For thirty years, the ascot was nearly extinct. It became a costume rather than a piece of clothing — the thing you would see in a Merchant Ivory film, or worn by a magician, or pinned around the neck of a museum-mannequin in some Edwardian tableau. It looked, to mid-century eyes, slightly absurd.

The Hollywood Revival

The ascot's first revival came from a place no Edwardian gentleman would have predicted: California. In the 1950s and 1960s, a generation of male film stars — Fred Astaire in his off-screen interviews, Cary Grant in publicity stills, Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, and later Roger Moore — adopted the ascot as a piece of off-duty leisure dressing. Worn open at the neck of an unbuttoned shirt, under a sports coat or a cardigan, the ascot became a symbol of a particular kind of mid-century glamour: relaxed, confident, slightly continental, distinctly not corporate.

This second-life ascot was different from the Edwardian original. It was tied looser. It was worn without a tiepin. It was paired with open-collar shirts and casual jackets rather than with morning coats and winged collars. The colour palette was warmer — silks in burgundy, paisley, navy, and cream rather than the pale formals of Royal Ascot.

Hollywood gave the ascot a second meaning, alongside its first: not just formal racecourse uniform but easy weekend luxury. Both meanings persist. The same silk square, tied differently, can move between a Lahore barat and a Sunday brunch in Karachi — and that flexibility is exactly what has carried the ascot through to the present day.

The Cravat Connection

A note on terminology, because the words "ascot" and "cravat" are used almost interchangeably in modern English and the distinction is genuinely small.

Historically, the cravat is the older, broader term — any knotted strip of cloth at the neck, from the 17th-century original onward. The ascot is a specific evolution of the cravat: wider at the ends, designed to lie flat across the chest, traditionally pinned in place. In Britain and the Commonwealth, "ascot" became the dominant term for this specific style. In continental Europe, "cravat" persisted in broader use. In modern Pakistani menswear, the two terms are used interchangeably — most grooms ordering an "ascot" and most ordering a "cravat" are buying the same garment.

For practical purposes in 2026, ascot and cravat refer to the same piece: a wide silk neckwear, tied at the throat, spread flat across the chest, worn with a sherwani, waistcoat, or open-collar shirt. The historical distinction matters to neckwear historians; for the man getting dressed, it does not.

For a complete breakdown of when to choose an ascot versus a tie versus a bow tie, see our ascot vs cravat vs tie guide.

The Ascot in South Asia and the Modern Pakistani Groom

The ascot arrived in South Asia with British formalwear in the colonial period and immediately found a natural home — particularly with the sherwani. The visual logic is striking: the sherwani has a high closed collar (the bandhgala), which leaves the throat as a small focal frame. A silk ascot tied at that throat fills the frame perfectly, in a way no necktie can. The drape of the silk continues the visual language of the sherwani's own embellishment; the colours can match or contrast with the sherwani palette; the ascot reads as a piece of considered tailoring rather than an imported accessory.

By the 1940s and 1950s, the ascot was a fixture in Pakistani and Indian wedding photography — particularly at barat and valima ceremonies, where the groom's chest is the central focal point of every formal portrait. It has remained so. Walk into any Pakistani groom's accessories shop in 2026 and the ascot — in maroon, ivory, gold, deep green, navy, or paisley — is on the front display.

The Pakistani groom in 2026 has access to a wider range of ascots than his grandfather did: hand-finished silk in dozens of jewel tones, paisley and floral prints adapted from Kashmiri textiles, coordinated sets with matching pocket squares, and the soft hand-rolled edges that mark a premium silk piece. Browse our ascot collection and our ascot and pocket square sets for the current range.

How to Wear an Ascot Today

The modern ascot has two distinct styles, and the wearer chooses based on the formality of the occasion.

The Formal Ascot

Tied tight at the throat, draped flat across the chest, tucked into a waistcoat or sherwani kameez. Often pinned with a small stickpin or fixed in place with a discreet safety pin behind the knot. This is the wedding and ceremonial style — worn at the barat, the valima, formal receptions, and any event with a strict dress code. Pairs with a winged collar, a sherwani, or a stiff turnover collar shirt.

The Day Ascot (The Hollywood Style)

Tied looser, the silk allowed to drape softly inside an open-collar shirt under a blazer or sports coat. No stickpin needed. This is the casual cocktail style — worn at smart-casual evenings, Sunday brunches, summer garden parties, and any event where a tie would feel overdressed but an open collar feels under-dressed. Pairs with cream linen, navy blazers, and relaxed tailoring.

Tying the Ascot

Drape the ascot around the neck, with one end slightly longer than the other. Cross the longer end over the shorter, bring it up and through the loop at the throat, and let it fall flat across the chest. Tuck the ends inside the shirt or waistcoat. Pin if formal; leave loose if casual. Practice five times in front of the mirror before the wedding morning.

What to Look for in a Quality Ascot

• Silk: the only acceptable fabric for a formal ascot. Synthetic ascots do not drape and do not photograph.
• Hand-rolled edges: the mark of a premium silk piece. The edges should be soft, slightly raised, and finished by hand.
• Length: a proper ascot is between 40 and 50 inches long — enough to drape comfortably across the chest.
• Width: the wide ends should measure 4 to 5 inches across — wider than a tie, narrow enough to tuck cleanly.
• Pattern: classic patterns — solid silks, paisleys, small geometrics, subtle florals. Avoid loud novelty prints.

The Future of the Ascot

Three hundred years after Queen Anne ordered her first horse race, the ascot is — surprisingly — having one of its strongest moments. Pakistani and Indian weddings have made it standard groom wear. Western menswear influencers have rediscovered it as the open-collar alternative to the tie. Black-tie alternatives — the soft tied silk in place of a stiff bow tie — increasingly feature ascots at modern receptions. The garment that nearly died in 1955 is more visible in 2026 than it has been in eighty years.

Some pieces of menswear belong to a single moment. The ascot has belonged to many — Queen Anne's racecourse, Edward VII's London, Fred Astaire's California, the contemporary Pakistani barat. It survives because it does something no other piece of neckwear does: it sits beautifully on a high collar, drapes elegantly across a chest, and looks unmistakably considered. As long as men dress for formal occasions, the ascot will be there.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between an ascot and a cravat?

Historically the cravat is the older, broader term, and the ascot is a specific evolution — wider at the ends, designed to spread flat across the chest. In modern usage, the two words are used interchangeably for the same garment. Most Pakistani menswear retailers, including Monzoro, treat ascot and cravat as the same piece.

Why is it called an "ascot"?

The garment takes its name from the Royal Ascot horse race, founded in 1711 by Queen Anne at Ascot Heath in Berkshire, England. The race meeting's strict formal dress code required this specific style of neckwear, which became known by the name of the racecourse where it was most visibly worn.

Can an ascot be worn without a sherwani?

Absolutely. The Hollywood style — an ascot tied loosely inside an open-collar shirt under a blazer or sports coat — is excellent for smart-casual occasions, Sunday brunches, and summer events. It does not require a sherwani or any formal Eastern wear.

Do I need a stickpin for an ascot?

For the formal style — particularly at weddings and ceremonial events — a small stickpin or a discreet safety pin holds the ascot neatly in place and prevents it from drifting in photographs. For the casual day style, a stickpin is unnecessary and can even look forced.

What colour ascot should a Pakistani groom choose for the barat?

The classic choices are deep maroon, oxblood, cream, ivory, gold, or deep green — colours that coordinate with the sherwani palette. A paisley or small floral in one of these jewel tones is the most traditional and most photogenic. Avoid bright pastels or pure-white ascots for the barat; they read better at the nikah.

From Royal Ascot to the Modern Barat

The ascot has survived three centuries of fashion, two world wars, the death of the morning coat, and the rise of casual office wear. It is on its third life — as the favoured neckwear of the modern Pakistani groom — and it has never looked more appropriate to its moment. Whether you are dressing for a Royal Ascot, a Lahore barat, or a Sunday afternoon brunch, the same silk square — tied with intention — will carry you through.

Browse our complete ascot collection, our ascot and pocket square sets, and our wedding sets. For complete neckwear styling guidance, see our ascot vs cravat vs tie guide and the Monzoro wedding lookbook. We ship across Pakistan with cash on delivery available nationwide.