London, Mar 6 The shrinking economy has made a foray into the catwalk world too - and is responsible for making ties thinner.

A leading department store has claimed that menswear has been getting noticeably more streamlined in recent seasons, with celebrities such as the singer Pete Doherty and the actor Jude Law sporting the look, pioneered by the fashion designer Hedi Slimane.

According to John Lewis, in the last six months 15 per cent of the ties they sold were thin versions, at 2.5 inch wide, with the remainder 3.5 inch or thicker, reports The Telegraph.

An instance of this is - one of the best-selling ties at the clothes chain Topman is now the ultra-skinny tie, at just 1 inch wide.

However, some believe that it is not just fashion trends and celebrities that are encouraging the slim-line look.

Charlie Allen, a tailor based in North London, said: "The impact of economic turmoil on tie design can be traced back through the previous recessions of the 20th century. "While post-war Britain and the swinging sixties embraced exaggerated prints and widths of up to 5 inches, the downturns of the 1930s and 1980s saw sizes reduce to as little as an inch." (ANI)