How To Tie A Tie

It’s time to leave for your interview. You have pressed your shirt, shined your shoes, perfected your answers to every possible question – you are set to take this one by storm!

Then mom comes by and reminds to put a tie – but how?

Tie Length

Wearing a tie of the wrong length is one of the top 3 mistakes in men’s fashion.

When a tie is worn at the proper length it helps balance out your legs and torso, wearing a tie at an incorrect length can throw the balance of the ensemble off.

When worn too long it can make the whole look look frumpy and sloppy.

When worn too short the look can look clownish.

As a general rule for all tie knots, the widest part of your tie should hang roughly at the same height as the upper edge of your leather belt, with the tie’s tip extending slightly below it. Below is a great example:

Tie Dimple

A tie dimple is the fold in the tie fabric near the knot. Usually, ties are tied with a dimple. However, some people do not like the look and tie theirs without a dimple. A comparison can be seen below:

Tie with dimple

Tie without dimple

To dimple or not to dimple? The debate’s out on this one. Advocates of tie dimpling believe the small detail makes you seem more meticulous, elegant and sophisticated, while opponents decry that it is over-elaborate and bourgeois.

If in doubt, go with the dimple, simply because it has withstood the test of time.

Dimpling a tie is easy enough:

1. Start with a loosely tied tie
2. With the thumb and middle finger of your right hand, reach up and pinch the outer edges of the tie right below the knot
3. At the same time, place your forefinger in the middle of the tie and push down
4. Pull to tighten the tie – and you’re done!

Tie Styles and Occasion

If you are not sure whether you require a tie, stop here and refer to this article on when to wear a tie

There are many ways of tying a tie but, like all fashion in general, they are suited for different occasions. In this post, I’d like to talk about 5 main types of Tie Knots: 4 conventional knots, and 1 slightly unorthodox one.

This list is by no means exhaustive.

Four-In-Hand Knot

Pratt Knot

Windsdor Knot

Eldredge Knot

Ascot

A tie isn’t always for formal occasions. For casual occasions, a scarf may be used in the place of a proper tie to add some character to an overcoat or sports jacket. Scarves were first popularized by aviators during World War II around the 1940s, and became associated with manliness. The trend picked up after the war, well into the 1960s. This was when it became part of men’s fashion to substitute ties for scarves in after-five occasions. One of the most popular ways to wear a scarf as a tie was the Ascot Knot. Here is how it is tied:

So popular was the Ascot Scarf Knot that Freddie in Scooby Doo (a cartoon that began airing in the 1960s) was caricatured to wear a scarf in an Ascot Knot. Freddie was characterized to be the manliest member of the team – chivalrous, daring, and masculine.

The masculine Fred from Scooby Doo sports a scarf in an Ascot Knot

Lastly… the small details matter

If you have a shirt with french cuffs, accessorize them with a pair of dressy cufflinks, then throw on a suit. You’ll go in exuding a sense of purposefulness and preparedness – that’s bound to set you apart from everyone else!

What are cufflinks? Check out our comprehensive guide to cufflinks and why they are essential!