How well can you tie a necktie?

Last night I’m at a party, and I chat up this gorgeous blonde with dark smoky eye makeup, angular face, an hourglass figure and long legs. After a good session of banter and comfort building, she compliments me on my tie and pulls it towards her for a kiss - at which point I thanked the man who invented them in my head.

I’m pretty confident that I look great in ties. Having to rock a tie each morning can build some expertise when it comes to executing a precise knot. That and being an image consultant has some side effects…

Here’s another side-effect: my super-trained brain can quickly assess whether a man has the skillful knowledge of how to tie a tie with perfection. It’s subtle, but it makes all the difference in the way he looks. For example, a simple touch such as a dimple in a tie can add both sophistication and depth to one man’s outfit, while another’s childish knot can add the look of a clip-on from the fifth grade.

So as I’m putting on my tie this morning I’m wondering just how many men are completely unaware of this subtle and absolutely necessary art.

Maybe you’ve never learned how to tie a tie. Maybe you’re just out of practice. Maybe you wear one to work each day, but want a fresh trick or two to upgrade your style. Where ever you are, I’m sure you can learn something today.

So…let’s dive into the twisted world of silk…

How many different knots do you know?

If you’re like most men, at some point in your life your father probably showed you one simple way to tie a necktie; he probably mumbled something under his breath, attempting to demonstrate, and told you to go figure it out on your own. From then on, you most likely never bothered to teach yourself another kind of knot other than the one that gets the job done quickly.

Well, it’ll do you good to learn some different knots, because one of the greatest ways to accessorize is with a tie.

Did you ever consider which knots go better with certain outfits? Or perhaps even…best for your body frame?

If you don’t know how to tie a tie at all, you’re going to learn TODAY. The day will come when you’re going to have to don a necktie…and heaven forbid the day your parents, friends, or girlfriend is unable to help you…

Instead of settling for a clip-on, here’s a challenge for you:

Master at LEAST one of these knots. Not that hard at all.

What is mastery? You should be able to get a perfect tie knot and length in relatively less than 30 seconds.

If you already know one way to tie a necktie, learning some different ways will give you more options. You might even find a new one you really like, or another way of tying it that goes better with more casual wear. Try them all and decide which ones suit you best.

You’ll thank me later.

I say that if you want to be a man of style, then this knowledge is a given. You’ll take it with you to the grave. Even if you end up never wearing ties, just knowing in itself is a cool display of higher value. That way when your son asks you how to tie one, you won’t stand there frozen, regretting the day you skipped this article. ; )

Don’t worry, I’ll make it fun.

The best way to learn is LIVE, so I did the closest thing and posted up some youtube videos on how to tie different necktie knots.

Windsor

A lot of guys will mistakingly refer to this as the “double Windsor” due to the existence of the half Windsor. The proper term is The Windsor or Full Windsor.

The Windsor Knot is a thick, wide and triangular tie knot that projects confidence. It would therefore be your knot of choice for presentations, job interviews, courtroom appearances, and anywhere else you need to look respectable. This means you should definitely learn how to do this knot - it’s actually quite easy to do.

Because of it’s size, keep in mind that it is best suited for wide spread collar shirts.

Half-Windsor

The half-Windsor offers the upscale look of a Windsor with less effort. Accordingly, there’s a good chance that you’ll come to rely on it pretty heavily. It’s not as wide as the Windsor, but its still wide enough that you should make sure it’s not pushing your collar up awkwardly.

Pratt or “Shelby”

This knot is highly symmetrical, like the Windsor, but looser to wear and not as time-consuming to create. Since the Pratt is neither as large as the Windsor nor as narrow as the four-in-hand knot, it pairs well with most dress shirts and looks suitable on any occasion.

I couldn’t find a video with words so here are the instructions to go along with the video:

1. Place the tie around your neck with the seam (the end with the tag) facing outward on both the thin and fat ends. Note that the fat end should be hanging lower than the thin end on the chest.

2. Cross the two ends over to form an X and flip the fat end and through the loop to form a knot around the smaller end.

3. Pull both ends apart quite tightly to ensure your knot is snug, then bring the fat end of the tie over the thin end to cover your first knot.

4. Pull the fat end up and through the loop, then drop it down through the knot.

5. Tighten and dimple up.

Four-in-hand

Here is a great one to wear with casual clothes, learn this knot. Try this with a casual dress shirt with softer material, preferably with a smaller spread. This one will come in handy when you’re in a rush too.

It’s naturally going to be a little asymmetrical, so don’t be discouraged that it doesn’t look straight, that’s all part of the four-in-hand. The dimple is much harder to produce on this kind of knot, and sometimes will not form at all.

The four standard knots are the Four-in-hand, the Pratt, the half-Windsor, and the Windsor, and out of those I like the Windsor the best.

Try the St.Andrew knot if you want one that looks very much like the half-Windsor that is much easier to get right.

Some will say the St. Andrew is a much better choice than any of the four traditional knots if you only learn one knot. It’s difficult to make it look bad no matter how poorly or quickly you tie it.

Instructions for Tying a St. Andrew Knot

The video has no words so here are instructions for those of you who can’t get it right with the video alone.

Great symmetric knots (small to large):

• the Nicky for a simple small knot
• St. Andrew for a fuller knot like a half-Windsor
• Windsor for a big triangle knot
• Hanover for a really big triangle knot

Great “weird” knots (small to large):

• Victoria (small tube)
• Cavendish (asymmetrical knot)

You can search for these on youtube if you really want to outdo yourself, but unless you like to wear neckties frequently and you’ve mastered the four standard knots, there is no need to confuse yourself.

Choosing a Tie

After you have some practice and think you know what you’re doing, go talk to a man at a good men’s clothing store who takes his job seriously. He can show you how to really do it right, what to look for in a very good tie, and tricks that can’t be easily described in print. It’s going to cost you at least $40 for a good tie. If he says something along the lines of “a tie’s a tie,” or isn’t an expert at tying his own tie, go somewhere else.

When choosing a tie, your main concern should be on three things: the quality, the material and the color of the tie. Silk ties (made of 100% silk) are always best to have. Make sure that you pick one that is just the right thickness and length.

If you are tall, go for a longer tie.

The rule for tie length is that when tied in a properly fitted Windsor knot (or any other knot for that matter), the triangular point at the wide end of the tie should be able to meet your belt buckle. Make sure you bring a dress shirt to the store, and try it on before you buy.

When you finally pick out the tie you like, never forget to double check that it is not damaged, smudged, or crinkled in any way.

TIPS:

When choosing a knotting style, consider the thickness of the tie. Some ties are too thick to make anything other than a four-in-hand look decent. Some are so thin that the extra bulk added by one of the Windsor knots is needed to make the knot noticeable.

Are you aware that your face and skin also should affect your tie selection?

If you have a strong, angular face you look better in striped ties. Dotted and paisley printed ties go well with a round or baby face. Solid colors can be worn by everyone.

As you would match the shirt and suit to your skin before buying, so should you follow the same principles while selecting a tie.

If you have a slim build, check out some skinny ties, as they are in style right now.

Something else I really like are wool knit ties. Definitely something you don’t see often, but if you can pull it off, it looks great. There are also cashmere knit ties - which are more expensive than silk ties - but have a few classic pieces in your wardrobe before you decide to splurge on one.

A Trick to Getting the Right Tie Length Every Time

What is important to remember is that different ties are different lengths but it doesn’t really matter how long or short the short/skinny end of the tie is after you tie your tie. What is more important is how long the long/wide end of the tie is. This is what people see and what causes retying if you tie it incorrectly.

1. Let both of your arms hang down at your side. Hang your tie around your neck and hold the tip of the wide end of the tie in your outstretched arm’s hand, downward at your side.

2. Take mental note where the end of the wide end of the tie falls with regards to the length of your arm. (eg: middle of your fingers, tip of your fingers, a couple inches past your fingers) This serves as your personal gauge.

3. Tie your tie.

4. If the length is how you like it, you now know your personal gauge. If it’s too short/long for your preference, untie your tie and start over adjusting where the tip of your tie falls in your downward stretched hand adjusting for how short or long the tie was with the first tie attempt. Just slide the tie a little more over on your neck to adjust for this length difference. Just use this same gauge every time you tie your tie and the length will be about the same every time, right? The short/skinny end is the end that will vary with different ties.

What’s a collar spread?

Don’t know what different collar spreads look like? check here: http://ripleyshirts.com/Ripley_Collars/Ripley_Collars.html

If you have read this article and mastered the four standard knots, congratulations, you are officially trained in the basic arts of necktie tying.

Stay Sharp,

Jae

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P.S. Want to see one Kinowear reader’s style transformation? Check out his before & after video. And for those who are interested, I offer 1-on-1 consultations in New York City. Click here for details, and if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact me at Jae@kinowear.com.

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Stay sharp,

Jae