How to Tie A Neck Tie?

Begin: Choose a tie that fits your personality and matches what you are wearing. Despite how logical it sounds, striped ties do not go with striped shirts or jackets. Choose a solid or patterned tie with striped shirts. If you decide to wear that loud tie your kids gave you for Christmas, then put on a plain white or solid-color dress shirt first.

STEP 1: Flip the collar up.

STEP 2: Button your collar at the neck. Then fold it up so that you can slip the tie easily around your neck. This helps you tie it in the right spot the first time, and also helps prevent wrinkling and stretching the tie fabric.

STEP 3: Tie the Four-in-hand knot. This is the basic knot fashion. Master this one and you'll be prepared for most semi-formal events.

-- Grasp the narrow end about three inches (8 cm) down from your neck with your nondominant hand. This is the spot where you will make the knot. Take the broad end with your dominant hand and pass it across and over the spot, and hold it there with your nondominant hand.



-- Bring the broad end around behind the spot, then around and over again. Then pull the broad end behind the spot and up through the "V" at the top.


-- Let the broad end flop over and hang down. Now tuck it between the top wrap of the tie and the place you have been holding. Use both hands to straighten the knot and pull it tight.


-- Pull the knot gently but firmly. Look at the tie in the mirror. Is it straight? Does the broad end hang down too far, or not far enough? Loosen the tie if need be, and readjust the length of the narrow end as needed so that your tie will be the proper length after the knot has been tightened. The Four-in-hand knot will be slightly larger on one side than the other. The knot should be smoothly wrapped, not wrinkled or folded over on itself. If you need to, take a moment to fuss with the knot so that it looks even and the rest of the tie hangs down straight.

Oh, and turn your collar down. Button down the collarbone buttons.

The Double Windsor takes its name from the double wrap that is part of its construction. Political and business leaders seem to favor this knot, along with foreign royalty. You tie it similarly to the Four-in-hand--just duplicate the single wrap of the Four-in-hand. It's a little more difficult to pull together in the tightening stage. So go slowly and be prepared to loosen the knot and re-tighten as necessary. Finally, the Windsor is a bigger knot; allow yourself a little more length on the broad end. This is the spot where you will make the knot. Take the broad end with your dominant hand and pass it across and over the spot, and hold it there with your nondominant hand. Now, pass the broad end around behind once, then out in front, then down through the top of the "Y" and back out to the same side again.

Wrap again the broad end across, behind and up through the back of the "Y." Let the broad end hang down, and then tuck it between the last wrap and the spot you have been holding. Pull the knot together gently. This is a crucial step with the Double Windsor. There are two actions here--tightening the funnel-shape knot, and then sliding that knot up to your collar. While the knot is still loose, remove your nondominant hand from the innards of the knot. Use it to grasp the bottom of the broad end. Then, while pulling on the broad end, use your dominant hand to squeeze and jostle the funnel-shaped knot into the right form. Make sure the first, smaller wrap of the knot doesn't slip down the narrow end. Instead, coax it into the larger outer wrap. Now slide the almost finished knot up towards your collar. At this point you can tighten the knot more firmly by pulling on the narrow end. Ideally there's a dimple created just below the pointed end of the funnel-shaped knot.



STEP 5: Look at the tie in the mirror. Is it straight? Does the broad end hang down too far, or not far enough? Loosen the tie if need be, and readjust the length of the narrow end as needed so that your tie will be the proper length when the knot has been tightened. The knot should be smoothly wrapped, not wrinkled or folded over on itself. If you need to, take a moment to fuss with the knot so it looks even, and so the rest of the tie hangs down straight.

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