How to Tie a Tie


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  • Knowing how to tie a tie can help you make friends and influence people. Well, maybe not. But it can help improve your appearance at your next formal event. Use the pictures and instructions in this guide to learn how to tie a few of the most popular necktie knots.

  • Types of Necktie Knots

    • While many people think that there is only one way to tie a tie, there are in fact a number of different ways in which a tie can be folded. Certain knots may be better suited to specific body types, while others may be more appropriate at certain occasions, or better compliment certain types of outfits. That is why it is important to know how to tie each of the four most common knot types. Here is a brief description of each:
    • Four-in-Hand Knot: Sometimes known as the schoolboy knot or the simple knot, the four-in-hand knot is usually considered to be the easiest knot to learn and is one of the most commonly used. It is appropriate for almost all occasions and features a narrow, slightly asymmetric knot.
    • Windsor Knot: Named after the Duke of Windsor, the Windsor knot produces a wide, thick, triangular knot that is best suited for spread-collar shirts. The Windsor knot is thought to project confidence and is often worn at job interviews, presentations, or political events. It is not recommended for use with narrow collar shirts or with ties made of thick materials.
    • Half-Windsor Knot: As a simpler and smaller version of the Windsor, the half-Windsor knot produces a symmetrically triangular knot that can be worn with almost any dress shirt. It also works well with lighter to medium weight fabrics.
    • Pratt Knot: Also known as the Shelby knot (for TV personality Don Shelby) or the Pratt-Shelby knot, this method produces an average-sized symmetrical knot that is fairly wide (although not as wide as the Windsor). The Pratt knot is better suited for shorter ties and light to medium fabrics.
    • Bow Tie: Used primarily for formal occasions, such as weddings or dinner parties, bow ties work best with best with suits, dinner jackets, and other formal wear. Bow ties are usually harder to tie than traditional long neckties and often require more practice to get right.

  • How to Tie a Four-in-Hand Knot

    1. Turn up the collar of your shirt and make sure that the top button is buttoned.
    2. Drape the tie around your neck with the wide end on your left. Make sure that the wide end is extended about 12 inches lower than the narrow end.
    3. Cross the wide end over the narrow end
    4. Bring the wide end back underneath the narrow end
    5. Cross the wide end over the narrow end once more
    6. Pull the wide end up through the bottom of the loop that has been formed by the tie and your neck.
    7. Bring the wide end back down through the loop in the front and pull it down as far as it will go.
    8. Hold the narrow end gently while slowly pushing the knot up until it reaches the center of the collar.

  • How to Tie a Windsor Knot

    1. Turn up the collar of your shirt and make sure that the top button is buttoned.
    2. Drape the tie around your neck with the wide end on your right.
    3. Cross the wide end over the narrow end
    4. Bring the wide end up through the loop between your collar and tie, and then back down.
    5. Bring the wide end back underneath the narrow end so that the inside of the tie is facing out
    6. Bring the wide end up and then down through the loop.
    7. Cross the wide end back over the front of the knot
    8. Bring it up through the loop in the back and then down through the loop in the front

  • How to Tie a Half-Windsor Knot

    1. Turn up the collar of your shirt and make sure that the top button is buttoned.
    2. Drape the tie around your neck with the wide end on your left.
    3. Cross the wide end over the narrow end.
    4. Bring the wide end back around underneath the narrow end so that inside of the tie is facing out.
    5. Bring the wide end up and pull it down through the loop.
    6. Cross the wide end over the front of the knot and pull it back up through the loop.
    7. Bring the wide end down through the knot in the front.
    8. Tighten the knot with one hand while pulling down on the narrow end with the other until it is firmly in place.

  • How to Tie a Pratt Knot

    1. Turn up the collar of your shirt and make sure that the top button is buttoned.
    2. Drape the tie (inside out) around your neck with the wide end on your left. The back of the tie should be facing outwards to begin.
    3. Pull the wide end underneath the narrow end.
    4. Bring the wide end up and down through the loop between your tie and collar.
    5. Bring the wide across the front of the knot
    6. Pull the wide end up through the back of loop and the down through the knot in the front.
    7. Tighten the knot with one hand while pulling down on the narrow end with the other until it is firmly in place.

  • How to Tie a Bow Tie

    1. Turn up the collar of your shirt and make sure that the top button is buttoned.
    2. Drape the bow tie around your neck so that one end is hanging 2 inches longer than the other.
    3. Take the longer end and cross it over the shorter end.
    4. Pull the longer end up through the loop between your collar and tie.
    5. Take the shorter end and double it over onto itself while holding it horizontally across the front of the loop.
    6. Take the longer end and loop it forward over the center of the base.
    7. Fold the longer end back on itself and push it through the loop behind the bow tie.
    8. Adjust the bow tie by pulling at each end and by straightening the center knot.

  • Tie Tips

    • Follow a few of these simple steps in order to choose the right ties for you, and keep your ties looking great and lasting longer:

    1. Pick the right tie for your face. Though anyone can pull off solid colors, it takes a chiseled face to handle stripes. Have a rounder face? Go with a dotted or patterned tie.
    2. Always untie your tie after you are done using it. Don't just make the loop big enough to pull over your head. Keeping it knotted up can cause permanent creases in your tie.
    3. Don't just quickly pull your tie apart when you take it off. Repeat each of the steps you used to tie it, but in reverse order. This will help reduce the strain on the fabric of the tie.
    4. Never take your tie to the dry cleaners. The cleaning process will compress the lining and cause the luster of the fabric to dull.
    5. Use club soda and a clean cloth napkin to get out small stains. For grease stains, try letting a small amount of talcum powder absorb into the stain before brushing it off with a cloth.
    6. Store your ties on a tie hanger in order to reduce the chance of wrinkles and to keep them neat and organized.

  • Resources for How to Tie a Tie


 


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