How to Tie a Tie

We’re going to look at two of the most popular tie knots – the Windsor Knot and for those that want to keep things basic, the Simple Knot.

The Windsor knot

Named after the Duke of Windsor, the odd thing is he never actually used this type of Knot.  He did like to have a wide triangular-shaped knot though, and this is what you get with this method.

This ‘Windsor Knot’ is the general public’s take on the Duke of Windsor’s style. Not all methods are the same, but all are called a ‘Windsor Knot’.  The end result, for those that study tie styles carefully, is a fully symmetrical triangular solid knot that looks best with a collar that is spread.  Because it is quite a large knot, some people call it the ‘Double Windsor’ but this is not correct.

So here you go…

Follow our method carefully and you will soon have an eye-catching and sophisticated Windsor Knot in your tie:

1. Take the wide end of the tie and keep it on the right with the small end on your left (it doesn’t matter which side your tie goes on – left or right – it won’t affect the tie tying process). The very tip of the wide end should just about reach your navel. However, don’t be too focused on this as much will depend upon the type of tie you have as well as your height.  The end that you are going to move is the other end, the wide one.
2. Take the wide end over the smaller one, going to the left.
3. Now take the same wide end up and through the neck loop from underneath.
4. Now move it down to the left.
5. Go around the back of the smaller end, to the right.
6. Now go up to the center, heading towards the neck loop.
7. Once through the neck loop, go down to the right.
8. Now go across the front and to the left.
9. Head up through the neck loop from underneath.
10. Now down through the loop that you have made at the front.
11. Finally, tighten the knot to suit you by pulling on the wide end. Slide the knot up, adjust, and give yourself a pat on the back!

If that is all too much for you, here is the more basic method.

Simple knot

This is very popular as it is easy to do and remember.   You may hear it called the Kent Knot or even the Oriental. For some odd reason, you don’t see it used much in the West, but it is very popular in China.  It is more difficult to untie but much easier to do.

This is the ‘Simple Knot’ method:

1. Put the tie around your neck with the back of the tie facing away from you. The wide end should be on the right and the smaller one on the left.
2. The top of the wider end should reach your navel. However, don’t be too focused on this as much will depend upon the type of tie you have as well as your height.
3. You are going to move the wide end only.
4. Move wide end under the small end and to the left.
5. Now take it across the small end to the right.
6. The next step is up and under the neck loop from below.
7. Now go down through the loop you made in the front.
8. Finally, pull down on the wide end to tighten and slide the knot up to adjust.

Much smaller than the Windsor, this method produces a small knot that is asymmetrical, meaning that it leans slightly to one side. If you have a thick tie, this works well.  It also gives extra length if you are very tall.

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