How To Tie a Tie

The necktie (or tie) is a long piece of woven or knitted material worn around the neck, under the shirt collar and knotted at the throat with the blades resting on the shirt front. The modern necktie, ascot and bow tie, are descended from the cravat (derived from "Croat", referring to its Croatian origin). There are several standard ways to knot a necktie. Listed below are the most popular knots.

How to tie the Windsor (Double Windsor) knot.
Wide and Triangular. A full knot best suited for spread collar shirts.

1. The wide end "A" should extend about 12" below narrow end "B". Cross wide end "A" over narrow end "B".

2. Bring wide end "A" up through loop between collar and tie; then back down.

3. Pull wide end "A" underneath narrow end "B" and to the left, and back through the loop again.

4. Bring wide end "A" across the front from left to right.

5. Pull wide end "A" up through the loop again.

6. Bring wide end "A" down through the knot in front.

7. Using both hands, tighten the knot carefully and draw up to collar.

How to tie the Half Windsor knot
Symmetrical and Triangular. A knot you can use with any dress shirt.

	1. The wide end "A" should extend about 12" below narrow end "B". Cross wide end "A" over narrow end "B".		2. Bring wide end "A" up around and behind narrow end "B".
	3. Bring wide end "A" up.		4. Pull wide end "A" up and through the loop.
	5. Bring wide end "A" around front, over narrow end "B" from left to right.		6. Again, bring wide end "A" up and through the loop.
	7. Bring wide end "A" down through the knot in front.		8. Using both hands, tighten the knot carefully and draw up to collar.

How to tie the Four-in-Hand knot
Narrow and slightly asymmetrical. The perfect knot for a standard button-down dress shirt.

	1. The wide end "A" should extend about 12" below narrow end "B". Cross wide end "A" over narrow end "B".		2. Turn wide end "A" back underneath narrow end "B".
	3. Continue by bringing wide end "A" back over in front of narrow end "B" again.		4. Pull wide end "A" up and through the loop around your neck.
	5. Hold the front of the knot loosely with your index finger and bring wide end "A" down through front loop.		6. Remove finger and tighten knot carefully to collar by holding narrow end "B" and sliding the knot up.

How to tie the Pratt (Shelby) knot
Pratt (Shelby) knot, invented by Mr Jerry Pratt, who used to work for the United States Chamber of Commerce, Incidentally, if you ever hear this knot referred to as the Shelby knot, well it's not quite true. Don Shelby featured it on TV, and in the time-honored tradition of TV, received all the acclaim instead of its true inventor. To be fair to Don Shelby, it was the New York City fashion stylists, rather than Shelby himself who misdubbed it.

	1. Start with the tie inside out, The wide end "A" under the narrow end "B".		2. Take wide end "A" over and under narrow end "B".
	3. Pull the loop down and tighten.		4. Take wide end "A" over to the left.
	5. Pull wide end "A" up, behind the loop.		6. Bring wide end "A" through the knot and gently tighten. The tip of "A" should touch your belt buckle.

How to tie a Kelvin knot

	1. Bring the wide end of the tie under the narrow.		2. Swing the wide end.
	3. Put the wide end through the middle, to the right.		4. Swing it around to the front left.
	5. Bring the wide end up through the back.		6. Hold the front of the knot loose with your index finger, pass the wide end down through the loop (created in step 5) in front. Tighten the knot.

How to tie a St. Andrew knot

	1. Bring the wide end of the tie under the narrow.		2. Swing the wide end in front and to the left.
	3. Bring the wide end behind the narrow end.		4. Bring the wide end of the tie up.
	5. Then down through the middle.		6. Swing it over the front, to the right.
	7. Then up through the back.		8. Hold the front of the knot loose with your index finger, pass the wide end down through the loop (created in step 7) in front. Tighten the knot.

How to tie a Bow Tie

	1. Start with end in right hand extending 1" below that in left hand.		2. Cross the longer end over the short end then pass it back and up through the loop making a loose overhand knot. Tighten the knot so it fits snugly around your neck.
	3. Fold the lower hanging end up and to the left. Make sure the unfolded end is hanging down over the front of the bow.		4. Pull the bow ends forward and gently squeeze them together, forming an opening behind them. Now, turn to the right and notice the opening you have created.
	5. With your left thumb or forefinger, push the middle part ot the tie with your finger through the opening from left to right, taking care not to let the end of the tie pass all the way through the opening. Use your right hand to help pull the back loop through.		6. Your bow tie will be uneven at this point. Pull the loop ends to tighten the bow. This is where your personal touch comes in. You can make a small knot or large knot. To take your bow tie off, simply pull the straight ends.

How to tie an Ascot

	1. Start with the right end extending 6" below the left end.		2. Cross the right end over the left end and back underneath.
	3. Continue around, passing right end across front of left end once more.		4. Pass right end up through loop at neck.
	5. Bring right end down over left end.		6. Adjust bib at throat to cover the knot. Tuck ascot points under shirt front leaving neck open.

The Dimple
Whether one chooses the four-in-hand, the Windsor, the half-Winsdor, or the Pratt (Shelby) knot, each should be tied so that there is a dimple or crease in the center of the tie just below the knot. This forces the tie to billow and creates a fullness that is the secret to its proper draping.

1. After you've tied your knot but before you tighten it up to your throat, neatly pinch the fabric directly underneath the knot.
2. Keep pinching as you tighten the knot; make sure the dimple's locked in.