How To Tie A Tie/Tying the Knots

All Knots

A tie usually has a narrow and a wide end.

Oriental or Small Knot

1. Place the tie around the collar the wrong way visible (i.e. the seams and label visible). The relative length of the narrow and wide ends can be adjusted with practice so that the tie is the desired length. A good starting guide is to have the wide end 30 cm or 12 inches lower than the narrow end.
2. Place the narrow end of the tie across the front of the wide end about 12 cm or 5 inches from the collar.
3. Wrap the wide end across the narrow end so it is now the right way on the outside of the knot.
4. Put the wide end through the back of the large loop (which is around the neck).
5. Push through the same (wide) end through the smaller loop (around the tie) and pull it through carefully. Pull it until it forms a knot with a pleasing shape.
6. Pull the thin end carefully and push the bottom of the knot gently, to move the knot closer to your collar.
7. Make small adjustments until you are happy with the knot.
8. To take the tie off:
   1. Pull the free end of the knot around the neck whilst holding the knot and it should loosen.
   2. Pull until there is no longer a loop around the neck.
   3. Untie the knot left in the tie.

Four-In-Hand

1. Place the tie around the collar the right way visible (i.e. the seams and label not visible). The relative length of the narrow and wide ends can be adjusted with practice so that the tie is the desired length. A good starting guide is to have the wide end 30 cm or 12 inches lower than the narrow end.
2. Place the wide end of the tie across the front of the narrow end about 12 cm or 5 inches from the collar.
3. Fold the wide end behind the narrow end and loop the same (wide) end over the front.
4. Put the wide end through the back of the large loop (which is around the neck).
5. Push through the same (wide) end through the smaller loop (around the tie) and pull it through carefully. Be careful to make sure that the wide end does not begin to fold near the forming knot and straighten it if this occurs.
6. Pull the larger end until the shape of the knot is what you want.
7. Pull the thin end carefully, to move the knot closer to your collar.
8. Make small adjustments until you are happy with the knot.
9. To take the tie off:
   1. Pull the free end of the knot around the neck whilst holding the knot and it should loosen.
   2. Pull until there is no longer a loop around the neck.

Windsor

1. Place the tie around the collar the right way visible (i.e. the seams and label not visible). The relative length of the narrow and wide ends can be adjusted with practice so that the tie is the desired length. A good starting guide is to have the wide end 50 cm or lower than the narrow end.
2. Place the wide end of the tie across the front of the narrow end about 12 cm or 5 inches from the collar.
3. Put the wide end through the back of the loop formed up towards your face.
4. Fold the wide end over the forming knot in the opposite direction that you initially crossed them in step 2.
5. Pull around behind the forming knot to the other side.
6. Take the wide end through the top of the loop around your neck towards you and down forming a neat triangular knot.
7. Bring the wide end around the knot from the same direction you went in in step 4 finishing the move with the wide end behind the knot.
8. Bring the wide end from the back, through the large loop around your neck, and then push through the same (wide) end through the smaller loop (around the tie) and pull it through carefully.
9. Pull the thin end carefully and push the bottom of the knot gently, to move the knot closer to your collar.
10. Make small adjustments until you are happy with the knot.
11. To take the tie off:
    1. Pull the free end of the knot around the neck whilst holding the knot and it should loosen.
    2. Pull until there is no longer a loop around the neck.
    3. If it does not self release you have not tied a Windsor knot but one very similar to it. Simply untie the one knot.

Half-Windsor

1. The wide end should extend about 12 inches below the narrow end. Cross the wide end over the narrow end.
2. Bring the wide end over the narrow end, then under the narrow end.
3. Bring the wide end up, then pull it through the main loop(the loop where your neck will be).
4. Bring the wide end to the front, over the narrow end from right to left.
5. Bring the wide end up and through the loop again.
6. Bring the wide end down through the knot in front, then, using both hands, tighten the knot carefully and draw it up to the collar.

alternative version

This version is slightly less symmetric but has the advantage of releasing itself when the narrow end is pulled out.

Pratt / Nicky

Pratt

The Pratt knot is more popular than the Nicky, even though it is less symmetric and not self releasing.

Nicky