In the 19th century why did foreign heads of state (like the emperor of Japan or the king of thailand for instance) start adopting European dress?

by grapp

It's not like they didn't have contact with us before that, and it's not like you need to wear a neck tie to use a revolver or build a steam engine

Searocksandtrees

hi! always room for more input, but FYI, there's a related section in the FAQ - see under "as a global standard"

Suits & ties