Tie a Windsor Knot

While there are many different ways to tie a tie, one of most well known is the Windsor knot and its companion, the Half-Windsor knot. It's elegant (some consider it to be the most elegant way to tie a tie) and it is most suitable for the wide spread shirt collar. This article demonstrates how to tie your tie in a Windsor knot.

Steps

Full Windsor Knot

1. Stand in front of a mirror. Observe what you're doing in the mirror to help you see what is happening as you tie the knot. You won't need the mirror once you've got the hang of the tying but initially it helps with getting the tie length correct, etc. Check that your shirt is buttoned to the top and stand the collar up before proceeding.
2. Put the tie around your neck. One end of the tie should be considerably wider than the other (the general rule is that the wide end hangs twice as low as the narrow end). Place the wider end on the right, and about a foot (30cm) lower than the narrower side on the left.
   • If you are left handed, it's recommended that you switch the sides of the wide and narrow ends, as it is easiest for the dominant hand to work with the longest end. If so, reverse the instructions as you go!
3. Cross the wide end over the narrow end. Create somewhat of an uneven "X", with the thinner side located on the bottom and the wider side on top.
4. Bring the tie through the loop. The top "V" from the "X" you created in the previous step and the collar of your shirt should make a loop. Cross the wide end of your tie under the thin end and through the loop.
   • Bring the wide end back down to where it was before you looped it through the upper "V".
5. Pull the wide end underneath the narrow end and to the right, back through the "V" loop and to the right again, so that the wide end is inside out.
6. Cross the wide end over the thin end again, crossing to the right.
7. Repeat step three.
8. There should be somewhat of a loose knot wrapped around the thinner end now. Take the wider end that you just pulled through the loop and put it through the loose knot.
   • Pull all the way through.
9. Using both hands, carefully tighten the knot until it is resting a small distance below the collar, about an inch (2.5cm). Turn down the collar, making sure to do so neatly at the back where you can't see. Make any adjustments to ensure that the knot sits squarely in the middle of the collar and check that the tie reaches down to the waistband. Done.

Double Windsor Knot

1. Stand in front of a mirror. The mirror will help guide you as you tie your tie, making it easier and producing fewer mistakes.
2. Take the thick end of the tie in your right hand and the thin end of your tie in your left hand.
3. Cross the thick end of the tie over the thin end.
4. Take the thick end up through the loop in your neck. Pass the thick end behind the loop first, and then over. The thick end should now be resting near the left side of your neck.
5. Pass the thick end behind the thin end.
6. Pass the thick end up and over through the loop in your neck. Instead of passing the thick end under and then over the loop (as in Step 4), pass it over and then under. The thick end should be resting near the right side of your neck.
7. Cross the thick end in front of the thin end.
8. Pass the thick end up and under the loop in your neck.
9. Feed the thick end down through the loop in the front of the tie. Adjust the triangle formed by the double Windsor and cinch up the tie around your collar.

Tips

• For the proper finished length, the tip of the tie should stop at the middle of the belt buckle.
• For a more modern, fashionable and casual look, make the knot a good few inches down below the collar. For all formal occasions, however, keep the knot at the traditional distance away from the collar.
• The Windsor knot gained its name from the Duke of Windsor, a man of royalty (once King of England until he abdicated to marry divorcee Wallis Simpson) known for his elegant style in the 1930s. The knot's attraction comes from its greater substance than the four-in-hand and its elegant symmetry.

Warnings

• Don't make the tie so tight that it chokes you or impedes breathing. You could be blocking your airways to an extent too slight to notice but significant enough to lose oxygen to the brain.

Things You'll Need

• Tie
• Mirror
• Hands

Related Articles

• Tie a Tie in a Balthus Knot
• Tie a Tie in a Cavendish Knot
• Wear a Tie Clip
• Make a Bow Tie
• Tie a Four in Hand Knot Tie

Sources and Citations

• http://www.tie-a-tie.net/windsor.html – research source
• Thuy Tranthi, Tie a Windsor Knot, p. 51, in Samantha Ettus, The Expert's Guide to 100 Things Everyone Should Know How to Do, (2004), ISBN 1-74114-586-4 – research source

See also

• Choose a Tie
• Tie a Tie
• Tie a Skinny Tie
• Tie a Bow Tie
• Wear a Tie Clip
• Make a Bow Tie
• Match Colors of a Tie, Suit, and Shirt
• Match a Tie
• Tie a Tie Half Windsor
• Wear a Bow Tie

What links here

• Be a Butch Lesbian
• Choose a Tie
• Tie a Tie Half Windsor
• Tie an Ascot