Knot up! The 3 Tie Knots You Need to Know

According to Google, the term "how to tie a tie" is searched for almost 2 million times a month globally.  Needless to say, it seems that many of us need some help when it comes to knotting up.  Most likely this is due to the fact that many working people simply are not required to wear a tie to work anymore.  Thus, when it comes time to "dress it up" a little bit, if you can even remember how to tie a tie, it probably takes a few tries before you get it right and doesn't really look great.

Let me start by saying that I think we should all take opportunities to knot up more often than most of us do.  Just because it isn't required to wear a tie to work doesn't mean that you should avoid it all costs.  Quite the opposite, looking like you put some time into your wardrobe conveys a professional attitude to your coworkers and managers.  And you just never know who you might run into at lunch or when you grab your morning coffee.  If you ran into a prospective client, the CEO of a large company or even an old friend would you want them to see you in a wrinkled polo or in a pressed, clean shirt with a perfect tie around your neck?

Below is a guide to the three knots that you need to know how to tie, I will go over each of them and explain how to pair them up with certain ties and collar styles.

The Four in Hand Knot

Skinny and often ends up slightly asymmetrical,  the Four in Hand knot is the easiest knot to master because you don't have to get it totally even.  This knot looks great with button down collar shirts but it's usually tough to get a dimple into this style.

The Half Windsor Knot

This is the classic knot that looks great for nearly any occasion: triangular, dimpled and symmetrical.  Most any collar style works with this knot, however you should take care to make sure you get it perfectly symmetrical and have a dimple.

The (Full) Windsor Knot

This knot is easy to mess up, not necessarily in the way it is tied but in how you wear it.  It can be perceived as cheesy, especially if you end up with the tie being too short.  Thus, you need to make sure your tie is long enough to hit at the right spot.  That said, this knot is the only way to go with a spread collar shirt and often too with a semi-spread.

In my next post I'll go over some other tie considerations you should think about when you knot up.

Thanks for reading.  As always, be dapper.