 The lanyard can be traced back to the late 19th century. It was originally a piece of cord, used to secure a jack-knife, used as a weapon in war. The lanyard was worn on the left shoulder with the end containing the knife tucked into the left breast pocket. In 1920 the lanyard was moved to the right shoulder, simply because of the difficult problem of trying to remove the knife from the pocket underneath the bandolier. In 1933, the knife was removed, and the lanyard became a straight cord, worn purely as an ornamental item of dress. The lanyard was a simple piece of strong cord, but it was gradually turned into something a bit more decorative, smartened up with blanco and braided, ultimately taking its present form.
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