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Windsor Knot How to Tie a Tie

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The Windsor knot, also known as the full or double Windsor, is one of the most popular ways to tie a tie. The Windsor knot has a wide, symmetrical base that fits any formal occasion. If you want a slightly smaller look, you can try the half Windsor instead for a sleeker profile. No matter which Windsor knot you choose, your tie will look clean and professional!

  1. 1

    Drape the tie around your neck so the wide end is over your right shoulder. Pull the tie around your neck so the narrow end comes down to the middle of your chest. Make sure the tie is facing right-side up and you're holding the wide end in your right hand.[1]

    • The length of your tie on each side may vary depending on the length of the tie and how long you want it to be. Try different lengths to see what works best.
    • If you're left-handed, start with the wide end over your left shoulder instead.

    Tip: Full Windsor knots are large, so they work best for wide-collared shirts.

  2. 2

    Cross the wide end over the narrow end near your collar. Hold the narrow end of the tie in place with your left hand while you bring the wide end over it. Try to keep the point where they overlap close to your collar so the knot stays tight. Your tie will look like a large X.[2]

    • Don't make the tie too tight where it's difficult to breathe or swallow.

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  3. 3

    Loop the wide end through the neck loop of the tie. Pull the wide end of the tie up toward your head, and slide it underneath the part of your tie wrapped around your neck. Pull the wide end back down over the neck loop to tighten one side of the knot. Make sure the wide end is right-side up and on top.[3]

    • Practice tying your tie in front of a mirror to make it easier to see what you're doing.
  4. 4

    Bring the wide end underneath the knot. Grab the wide end, now on the left side of your chest, and fold behind the knot in the center. Use your left hand to hold the tie against the back of the knot. The wide end will be upside-down and on your right side.[4]

    • Make sure you pull the tie as tight as you comfortably can so the knot looks clean when you're done.
  5. 5

    Feed the wide end over the neck loop to make a symmetrical knot. Loop the wide end over the right side of the neck loop. Feed the tie through the top to the bottom of the loop, and pull the wide end down on your right side. The knot near your collar should have 2 symmetrical cone shapes on either side.[5]

    • If the shapes are not symmetrical, undo your tie and try starting again so you don't have a messy knot.
  6. 6

    Pull the wide end over the front of the knot. Fold the wide end of the tie from right to left over the front side of your knot. Make sure your tie is pulled tight so the knot doesn't have any wrinkles or creases. Hold the tie in place with your left hand so it doesn't get loose.[6]

    • Make sure there are no twists in the tie or else your tie may hang or look backward.
  7. 7

    Bring the tie through the bottom of the neck loop. Tilt your head up to make it easier to work with your tie. After you've covered the front of the knot, fold the wide end up through the neck loop and pull it through. The knot will now be completely covered so your tie looks neat and uniform.[7]

  8. 8

    Pull the tie down through the loop in front of the knot. Grab the wide end of the tie and make sure it's facing right-side up. Push the end of the tie through the space between the knot and the part of the tie covering it. Hold the narrow end and pull the knot up toward your collar until it's comfortable to adjust the length.[8]

    Tip: The wide end of your tie should reach your waistband when you're finished tying a Windsor knot. If the tie is too short, try again and shorten the narrow end. If it was too long, shorten the wide end.

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  1. 1

    Hang the tie around your neck so the wide end is on your right side. Drape the narrow end of the tie over your left shoulder. Make sure the tip reaches your belly button. Keep the wide end longer and on the right side of your body.[9]

    • Put the wide end on the left side if you're left-handed since it will be easier to use your dominant hand to work with.

    Tip: Half Windsor knots are narrower, so they work well with narrow or medium-collared shirts.

  2. 2

    Bring the wide end over the narrow end of the tie. Hold the narrow end of your tie in place with your left hand. Pull the wide end toward your left side so it's over the narrow end. Make sure the tie overlaps close to your collar so it stays tight. Hold the overlap in place with your right hand.[10]

    • Tie your tie in front of a mirror so you can see what you're doing.
  3. 3

    Feed the wide end through the neck loop. Use your left hand to push the wide end of the tie through the bottom of the neck loop. Pull the wide end completely through the loop and pull it tight so it holds in place. Drape the wide end on your left side so the design is facing out.[11]

  4. 4

    Wrap the wide end around the back of the knot. Pull the wide end to the right so it's behind the narrow part. Keep the tie tight so it lays flat against the back of the knot. Pinch the back of the knot with your left hand and pull the wide end tight with your right hand.[12]

    • The left side of the knot will look like a small triangle.
  5. 5

    Pull the tie around the front of the knot. Bring the wide end over the front of the knot so there's a flat edge on top of the knot. Pinch the knot tight with your right hand to hold it in place.[13]

    • The front of your tie will now look like a boxy triangle.
  6. 6

    Loop the wide end through the bottom of the neck hole. Use the thumb on your left hand to push the wide end of the tie underneath the neck loop. Feed the wide end from the bottom so it comes out above the tie's knot.[14]

    • Tilt your head up to make it easier to fit the wide end underneath the neck hole.
  7. 7

    Bring the end through the loop in front of the knot to tighten it. Guide the wide end into the space between the knot and the part of the tie covering it. Use your thumb to help push the tie through the knot. Hold the narrow end of the tie and pull the knot closer to your collar to tighten it.[15]

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  • Question

    How can I tie a noose around my neck with a tie?

    Community Answer

    If you're looking to tie a noose around your neck, it sounds like you're suicidal. You really need to talk to someone about what's making you feel that way. You should look up the number to your local or national suicide prevention hotline and call it immediately.

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  • Make sure that the tie isn't too tight that you can't breathe or swallow comfortably.

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About This Article

Article SummaryX

If you want a more formal knot, try a Full Windsor:

Step 1. Button the top button of your shirt, and fold your collar up.
Step 2. Drape the tie around your neck so the wide end is on the right side, and extends well below the narrow end.
Step 3. Hold the narrow end of the tie in place while you cross the wide end over the narrow end near your collar.
Step 4. Wrap the wide end behind the back of the tie.
Step 5. Pull the wide end of the tie through the middle of the neck loop from back to front, pulling it through to make the first "shoulder," over the left side of the neck loop.
Step 6. Pull the wide end of the tie to the right, behind the narrow end of the tie. Loop this end over the right side of the neck loop from front to back, pulling through to make the second "shoulder". You should now have to triangle shapes, one on either side of the knot.
Step 7. Bring the wide end of the tie from right to left across the front, creating a horizontal bar.
Step 8. Bring the wide end of the tie behind the neck loop, then pull the end of the tie from to bottom, behind the horizontal bar you just created.
Step 9. Hold the knot with your left hand, and pull the long end to tighten the knot. Then hold the knot with your left hand, and push the knot up to your collar.
Step 10. Adjust the knot if needed. You may need to pinch or pull a bit to make the knot balanced and nicely shaped.
Step 11. Fold your collar down, and make sure that the tie is covered by the collar all the way around your neck. To learn how to tie a half-Windsor knot, scroll down!

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Windsor Knot How to Tie a Tie

Source: https://www.wikihow.com/Tie-a-Windsor-Knot