There are some things that every guy needs to know, and one of them is how to tie a necktie. At some point in every man’s life he has to wear a tie. For some men that is everyday at work, and for others it is once a year on a special occasion. Regardless, you still need to know how to tie a good-looking knot because a grown man should know how to dress himself.
With that being said, there are a lot of different types of knots you can choose from. Some are easier, some more symmetrical, and some that are impressively fancy. However, if you are only going to learn how to tie one knot, it should be the Windsor. The Windsor knot is classic, clean, and symmetrical, and a medium level of difficulty to tie (but we promise you it isn’t rocket science and you’ll have it in no time). This is a wider knot perfect for a wide-spread collar.
1. To star off make sure your top button is buttoned and your collar is up. Drape the tie around your neck with the wider end of the tie hanging on your right (you can reverse this if you are left-handed), about 12” lower than the skinny end. The difference in the distance between the two ends will depend on the thickness of your neck, your height, and the length of your tie. You may have to tie the necktie a few times until you have figured out what spacing is right for you (the end result should have the tie falling to the top of your belt buckle, not below). Now take the wide side of the tie and cross it overtop of the narrow end. Congratulations, you have completed the first step.
2. For step 2 hold the intersection of the wide and narrow ends of the tie. Then continue with the wide end of the tie, bringing it up and between your shirt and the tie loop around your neck. You will want to keep the wide end tight towards the middle to ensure a tight knot.
3. Now bring the wide end back down to your left side.
4. Continue with the wide end bringing it under and across to your right side.This time bring the wide up…
5. Then bring it down and through the loop so the wide end is under the narrow end, and bring it back to your right side.
6. Take the wide end and bring it over and across the knot (the front of the tie should be showing across the knot.
7. For the last time bring the wide end up and under the loop.
8. Now for the final step, bring the wide end down and through the knot (in between the part of the tie you crossed over in step 7). If you were successful, you should be able to pull the tie tight, making any minor adjustments necessary. Congratulations, you have tied a tie.
9. Practice the knot. Tie it over and over again. It’ll quickly become second nature, and the steps will become one fluid motion. Now you know how to tie a Windsor knot, welcome to the world of looking dapper.
