How to tie a tie

Start here: Four-in-Hand

This is the knot to learn first. It is slightly uneven, slim, and fast. It suits point collars, button-downs, knit ties, and skinny blades. A Full Windsor on a narrow tie looks crowded; this one does not.

1. 01
   Drape it

   Put the tie around your collar with the seam facing your shirt. The wide end hangs on your right, about 30 cm (12 inches) lower than the narrow end. Button the collar before you tighten, and keep the top button open while you tie.

2. 02
   Cross wide over narrow

   Cross the wide end over the narrow end just under the collar so the two blades make an X.

3. 03
   Behind, then across the front

   Bring the wide end behind the narrow end. Then wrap it across the front from the other side. That front band becomes the face of the knot. Keep it flat — a wrinkle here shows once you pull tight.

4. 04
   Up through the neck loop

   Lift the wide end up from underneath, through the loop sitting around your neck.

5. 05
   Down through the front, then set the length

   Feed the wide end down through the front band you just made. Hold the knot and pull the wide end until it is snug. Slide it up to the collar. Pinch a small dimple in the cloth directly under the knot as it tightens. The tip of the wide end should land at the top of your belt buckle.

Which knot fits the collar

Match the knot to the spread of the collar, not to how formal the invitation sounds. A small knot disappears in a cutaway collar. A huge knot fights a narrow point.

Half Windsor

Use this when a Four-in-Hand looks too narrow for the collar. Start with the wide end a little longer than you did for the Four-in-Hand — this knot uses more cloth.

1. 01
   Cross, then up through the neck

   Wide end on the right, seam in. Cross it over the narrow end, then bring it up through the neck loop and down the other side so it hangs beside the narrow blade.

2. 02
   Across the front

   Wrap the wide end across the front of the knot. This pass builds the triangle.

3. 03
   Up, then down through the front

   Bring the wide end up through the neck loop again, then down through the front wrap. Tighten gently so the triangle stays even, and set a dimple.

Full Windsor

The Full Windsor is the large, symmetrical triangle. It needs a spread or cutaway collar and a tie with enough length. On a skinny tie it looks top-heavy — switch back to a Four-in-Hand.

1. 01
   Build both sides

   Wide end on the right, hanging lower than for a Four-in-Hand. Cross it over the narrow end, up through the neck, and down. Then cross it the other way, up through the neck again, and down. You now have cloth wrapped on both sides of the knot.

2. 02
   Front band, then finish

   Bring the wide end across the front, up through the neck loop one last time, and down through that front band. Snug the knot until both sides of the triangle match. If the tip stops above your waist, untie and start with more length on the wide end.

Pratt knot

Also called the Shelby. It lands between a Four-in-Hand and a Half Windsor: medium, fairly even, and kinder to a standard dress shirt. Begin with the tie seam facing out — the reverse of the other knots — wide end on the right.

1. 01
   Under, then through the neck

   Pass the wide end under the narrow end. Bring it up through the neck loop and down, which flips the seam inward for the rest of the knot.

2. 02
   Across and finish

   Cross the wide end over the front, up through the neck loop, and down through the front opening. Tighten and dimple as usual.

Bow tie

A self-tie bow is two loops and a knot, closer to tying shoes than to a Four-in-Hand. Adjust the strap so the ends hang evenly, seam out, with one end slightly longer.

1. 01
   Make the first bow

   Cross the longer end over the shorter one. Fold the shorter end into a horizontal bow lying across your collar, pinched at the center.

2. 02
   Wrap and push a second bow through

   Bring the long end up and over that center, then fold it into a second bow and push the fold through the loop behind the first bow. Pull the bows — not the tails — until the knot sits in the middle and both wings match. Straighten the tails so they hang evenly.

Length and dimple

The finished wide end should touch the top of your belt buckle. Higher looks unfinished. Lower looks like you borrowed someone else’s tie. If you miss, do not tug the narrow tail to “fix” it after the knot is locked — untie and change the starting length.

Thick wool and knit ties prefer a smaller knot. A Full Windsor on a heavy blade can choke the collar. If the knot will not sit flat, the tie may be too short, or the collar is still buttoned while you are trying to pass the wide end through.