How to Tie a Tie
Don't know how to tie a tie?
Don't know which tie knot suits you and your outfits?
Don't know how to take care of your necktie properly?
Don't know how to choose and buy a good necktie?
Go through this website and you will find the answer to these questions. We will provide you detail instructions on tying a tie.
Comparing the Most Commonly Used Necktie Knots
Today,
four necktie knots are in widespread use. They are the four-in-hand
knot, the half-Windsor knot, the Windsor knot and the Pratt knot. The
first three are classic necktie knots that have been used for a long
time. The Pratt knot is a more recent necktie knot that was
introduced to the public in 1989.
Below
shows a comparison table of the four necktie knots, together with the
bow tie. It helps you find the answer to the first question that may
come up in your mind -- Which necktie knots do I need? Click the
links on the left to see the instructions on tying a certain knot.
Necktie
Knot
|
Advantage
|
Disadvantage
|
Suitable
Outfits / Occasions
|
Four-in-hand
Knot
|
It is the easiest to learn among the four most commonly used necktie knots.
|
It is
asymmetric, which does not look good on wide collar shirts.
|
It is a
small tie knot that suits shirts with a narrow collar opening.
It is
suitable for most occasions.
|
Half-Windsor
Knot
(Way
1)
(Way
2)
(To save time, learn either way 1 or way 2.)
|
It is
symmetric.
More
business like than the four-in-hand knot.
|
It is a
little bit more difficult to tie than the four-in-hand knot.
|
It is
suitable for most occasions.
|
Windsor
Knot
(Way
1)
(Way
2)
(Way
3)
(Way
4)
(To save time, learn either way 1 or way 2.)
|
It is
symmetric.
It
gives a sense of nobility.
It is a
large necktie knot that looks elegant on wide collar shirts.
|
If you
use a tie made of thick materials, the resulting knot will be too
large.
It is
not suitable for narrow collar shirts.
|
It
suits shirts with a wide collar opening.
It
looks fabulous in business and political occasions.
|
Pratt
Knot
|
It is a
symmetric necktie knot with an average size (sits between the
four-in-hand knot and the half-Windsor knot). It does not look too
wide or too narrow.
It
looks neat.
|
The back of the narrow end of the necktie faces up, which does
not look good if it is not well hidden behind the wide end.
|
It is
suitable for most shirts and occasions.
|
Bow
Tie
|
It
looks more formal.
It
gives a superior appearance.
|
It is
more difficult to tie a bow tie than a long necktie. More
practices are needed to get a proper shape.
|
It is
suitable for formal or high-class occasions such as weddings,
balls, etc.
|
Knowing
how to tie the four most commonly used tie knots and a bow tie is
more than enough for most situations. But if you are curious about
other ways to tie a tie that are less commonly used, you may want to
continue to the next section.
Thirteen
Aesthetic Tie Knots
Thomas
Fink and Yong Mao, who are physicists at the University of Cambridge,
published an interesting book titled "The 85 Ways To Tie a Tie.
The Science and Aesthetics of Tie Knots" in 1999. If you want to
learn the details about different tie knots, this is one of the books
that you should buy. Thomas Fink and Yong Mao used mathematical
theory and model to prove that there are totally eighty-five ways to
tie a tie. Among the eighty-five ways to tie a tie, they found that
there are thirteen aesthetic tie knots (including the four-in-hand
knot, the half-Windsor knot and the Windsor knot that are described
earlier) based on criteria like symmetry and balance. The thirteen
aesthetic tie knots are listed below in ascending order of size.
Click the links to see the instructions on tying a certain tie knot.
|