How to tie a tie

August 7, 2022

Introduction

I've been tying a tie for as long as I can remember, and it's still one of the most satisfying things I do on a regular basis. I can tie this knot in my sleep (and have at least once), and it's perfect for almost any occasion—from work meetings to weddings, funerals and christenings. The finished product will look good on anyone from small children to big men; naturally slender men or women with large busts will need adjustments made along the way so that their ties don't droop too much. That said, here is what you need to know about how to tie your first necktie:

Start with the wide end of the tie on the right and extend it about 12 inches lower than your belly button.

Start with the wide end of the tie on the right and extend it about 12 inches lower than your belly button. The narrow end should be about 4 inches lower than the wide end, while both ends are a little longer than they need to be (see picture).

The first step in tying a tie is to make an "X" with that wide end—the one hanging down on your right side. Fold over one inch of fabric so you're looking at two layers of material that form an X.

Fold over another inch (this will create three layers) and bring one side under itself so it creates an upside-down V shape at the top of your previous fold. Gently pull this V-shaped area up until it touches the other side of its now-folded counterpart, which will form two perpendicular diagonal lines from your neck to where you started out folding. Now rotate this new diagonal line 90 degrees counterclockwise so both sides are parallel with each other again and then tuck them underneath themselves like before until they meet at their original starting point beneath where we started folding them over earlier (that's why we call this tying our knot). Finally take these two ends and wrap them around themselves twice before pulling them through their loop created when we tucked those ends through themselves earlier—now all that remains is making sure everything looks neat!

Cross the wide end over the narrow end with right side facing out.

You can use this tie to measure the length, width, and thickness of your necktie.

Bring the wide end up through the loop between your collar and tie.

Bring the wide end of your tie up through the loop between your collar and tie. You should be able to see where the wide end goes—it's going to come out on the right side of your body, and it should be shorter than the narrow end that is still hanging down around six inches below your neck.

Down through the loop again to form a knot around your collar.

The next step is to pass the end of the tie through the loop again, which will create a knot around your collar. The goal here is to get the knot tight without being too tight; it should be roughly the same size as your collar (and definitely not bigger). It's also important that you make sure both sides of the knot are even, so no one sees one side sticking out like a sore thumb.

Now that you've got your tie properly secured, let's talk about how to style it up so no one will be able to take their eyes off of you!

Pull down on the narrow end of your tie until you reach your belt line.

You want to pull down on the narrow end of your tie until it is about the same length as the wide end. This can be a little tricky, so don’t stress if it doesn’t happen right away. If you notice that your narrow end is longer than your wide end when you have completed this step, go back and shorten it by pulling down on the narrow end again until you reach your belt line.

Flip the wide end back over to the right and pull that part under your chin and toward the left side.

Then bring it behind the narrow part of your tie and to the right, making an "X" shape in midair.

Bring it behind the narrow part of your tie and to the right, making an "X" shape in midair.

With your thumb, push up on one side of this "X," and then push down on the other side to make a small crease.

Now pull up on both sides of the tie until it's straightened out.

Pull down slightly on each side so that there's still some stretch left in it.

Bring it back down and through that same loop between your collar and necktie again.

Bring it back down and through that same loop between your collar and necktie again. The final step in the tie knot is to pull this loop tight, so that it looks neat. You can do this with your fingers or a tie bar, which also works well if you plan to wear your tie all day long (like for work).

Pull the wide end all the way through, then pull down on both parts of your necktie evenly so it's snug but not too tight.

Pull the wide end all the way through, then pull down on both parts of your necktie evenly so it's snug but not too tight.
Don't pull it too tight, or you'll be unable to breathe.
Don't pull it too loose, or people will see that your tie is crooked (or just plain ugly).
Don't pull it too far down—if you do, people won’t know what kind of job title they should give you when they ask at the next party: “Hey! What do you do?”
And don't pull it too far up either! If that happens, everyone will think that all of your important work is being done by drones in some other country where labor laws are less strict than here in America, which is definitely not true.

There are many ways to tie a tie, but this one lets you master it quickly!

A good method for beginners
Can be used with any type of neckwear and tie size
Works well on necks of different sizes

Conclusion

And that’s it! You have successfully tied your tie. We recommend practicing this style of knot so you can impress people with your knowledge and skills.

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