How To Properly...

Tie a Tie

Recently, I have noticed that some people do not know how to tie a tie. Others know how to tie it but incorrectly. The first thing you must know when tying a tie is that not all ties are the same. The second thing is that the appearance of the knot is most important. There are three types of knots that you should know how to tie. The first is a simple knot (I doubt it has been designated a specific name). The second is commonly called a double knot. The fourth is a Windsor knot. There is a half Windsor knot, but unless it is executed perfectly it will look very lopsided.

Most of my ties require a normal, simple tie knot.

  1. Put the tie over your head, with the thick part off to the right.
  2. Take the thinner part of the tie and make it a little shorter than the loop on the back side of the thick part.
  3. Cross the tie so that the thick part is on top of the thin part facing to the left.
  4. Take your right thump and index finger and grip the tie where it crosses.
  5. Wrap the tie around where it crosses one full time. You want the tie to make something of a right triangle facing to the left.
  6. Now take the thick part of the tie through the hole in between your head and where the tie crosses. The tie should now look like something you would see on someone.
  7. Under the thick part of the tie there should be a triangular knot. You should be able to stick your finger through the outermost layer of the knot. If you can take the thick part of the tie and stick it through the hole your finger create.
  8. Now take the knot and the thick part of the tie and pull the tie slightly. You want most of the pressure to be on your neck. You're only holding on to the knot to keep its shape.
  9. You want a dimple in the middle of your tie. So take your thumb, middle and index finger (I use my right hand) and, with your thumb on the right and your middle on the left of the tie, place your index finger in the middle and squeeze. It should be in the shape of an "m."
  10. Pull the tie tight.
  11. To adjust the tie, take the knot and the skinny part of the tie, and pull the knot towards your head.

A double knot will increase the thickness of the knot; it will not decrease the overall length of the tie by much. I tend to stay away from this knot, it resembles the first knot. I find that it does not make the knot much thicker. I normally only use this knot if I am in a rush and cannot tie a Windsor knot. This knot differs on step 5.

  1. Put the tie over your head, with the thick part off to the right.
  2. Take the thinner part of the tie and make it a little shorter than the loop on the back side of the thick part.
  3. Cross the tie so that the thick part is on top of the thin part facing to the left.
  4. Take your right thump and index finger and grip the tie where it crosses.
  5. Wrap the tie around where it crosses two full times. You want the tie to make something of a right triangle facing to the left.
  6. Now take the thick part of the tie through the hole in between your head and where the tie crosses. The tie should now look like something you would see on someone.
  7. Under the thick part of the tie there should be a triangular knot. You should be able to stick your finger through the outermost layer of the knot. If you can take the thick part of the tie and stick it through the hole your finger create.
  8. Now take the knot and the thick part of the tie and pull the tie slightly. You want most of the pressure to be on your neck. You're only holding on to the knot to keep its shape.
  9. You want a dimple in the middle of your tie. So take your thumb, middle and index finger (I use my right hand) and, with your thumb on the right and your middle on the left of the tie, place your index finger in the middle and squeeze. It should be in the shape of an "m."
  10. Pull the tie tight.
  11. To adjust the tie, take the knot and the skinny part of the tie, and pull the knot towards your head.

The Windsor knot looks very sophisticated. It resembles a large triangle. It is only for use on a very thin tie, and it will shorten the tie very, very much. I think I have made it apparent that this is my favorite knot

  1. Put the tie over your head, with the thick part off to the right.
  2. Take the thinner part of the tie and make it about half of the length of the thick part of the tie.
  3. Cross the tie so that the thick part is on top of the thin part facing to the left.
  4. Take your right thump and index finger and grip the tie where it crosses.
  5. Wrap the tie around the left part of the tie extending down from your neck.
  6. Now, wrap the tie around the right part extending from your neck. You don't want to wrap the tie around at all
  7. Wrap the tie around where it crosses one full time. You want the tie to make something of a right triangle facing to the left.
  8. Now take the thick part of the tie through the hole in between your head and where the tie crosses. The tie should now look like something you would see on someone.
  9. Under the thick part of the tie there should be a triangular knot. You should be able to stick your finger through the outermost layer of the knot. If you can take the thick part of the tie and stick it through the hole your finger create.
  10. Now take the knot and the thick part of the tie and pull the tie slightly. You want most of the pressure to be on your neck. You're only holding on to the knot to keep its shape.
  11. You want a dimple in the middle of your tie. So take your thumb, middle and index finger (I use my right hand) and, with your thumb on the right and your middle on the left of the tie, place your index finger in the middle and squeeze. It should be in the shape of an "m."
  12. Pull the tie tight.
  13. To adjust the tie, take the knot and the skinny part of the tie, and pull the knot towards your head.

And that is how you tie a tie. There are other knots such as the small knot, the half Windsor, the cross knot. You will rarely need to tie them. So now when you go for that job interview you will look better than the best.