How do you tie YOUR tie?

[Jack-in-the-Green]

I used to always use a Full Windsor knot but it's a bit bulky. I'm a little guy - only 5'4" - so the huge knot tended to make me look a bit like a little boy wearing his daddy's tie. Not quite the look I was going for. Then I discovered the Pratt knot, which is nice and even like the Full Windsor, but not nearly as big.

So how about you? What's your favorite knot?

[13ALPHA]

Interesting, I normally use the Full Windsor but also recently discovered the Pratt and like it a lot. Guess I can't recommend any others though. :)

[dignifried]

Full windsor for me. Never felt the need to try anything else.

[cim_can]

I use a Full Windsor as well and really like it.

[ladder44]

I have always used a four-in-hand.

[machine99703]

four-in-hand here also, Only knot I know :blushing:

[StylinLA]

I prefer four-in-hand, but it goes well with the collars I wear.

The wider nots are better with the more spread collars which pretty common these days.

[MWS]

Four-in-hand. Quick and clean, easy to tie on the go.

[Mr_Amazing]

If I'm not mistaken, different collars, your actual body type/neck size, and different situations dictate which type of knot to use.

I typically use a Four in Hand because it's the quickest and easiest knots there is.

[Peto]

I wear ties for a year, or so - I wore bowties before. Full Windsor was my first knot, it's not bad, but there are better. For thinner and not-so-wide ties I recommend Christensen knot, it isn't very popular, but man, I like it! It's longer and narrower than windsor, try it. Type it in Google and you will find at least a nice video on Youtube. Then there is Hanover knot. It's about the same size as Windsor,so it isn't for you, maybe, but it's very nice. Hanover is suitable for wider ties made from heavier fabrics, it is a symmetric one (windsor isn't), triangular. There are so many knots and so little time...

[Doc4]

Full windsor for silk ties, and 4-in-H for woolen ones.

For me, the key to a good full windsor is tying the knot tightly ... a loosely tied knot will be too big. (And I have the wider English collars that are appropriate for a full windsor.)

[skiddyrow]

I dont use any spread collars, so I prefer the 4 in hand!

[azmark]

I normally use pin point (narrow collar) collar shirts and will use a full windsor. If it is a more casual suit and shirt with a wide collar a pratt knot is the way to go. Also, the fabric of the tie is important to take into consideration. Thicker fabrics or ties with more detail have a little more girth to it and a larger knot size like a pratt is better. And of course just to the contrary if it is a finer fabrics.

[cellopudding]

I usually tie a full windsor for my spread-collar shirts, but most of the time, since I'm a last-minute kind of guy, I settle for a half windsor instead.

[TravelingMan82]

I usually do a double windsor, but sometimes it just does not look good so I will go for a half windsor.

[gaseousclay]

I like the Pratt or half windsor. I don't own any spread collar shirts so a full windsor would look ridiculous otherwise. i've been enjoying the Pratt quite a bit because it can go with either a spread or narrow collar and it's symmetrical.

[mretzloff]

Four-in hand. I had not clue which knot I was even tying before I Googled it.

[pal]

Four-In-Hand or Half Windsor according to the width and material of the tie.

[bluepunk18]

I usually use a four-in-hand for neckties and a bowtie knot for the bowties I have been favoring. I agree that the thickness of the material and the shape of your face/neck should help dictate your knot size and style.

[in the know]

Windsor knot.

Dont forget the dimple!

[Shane]

Tie knots are a favorite subject for me as of late, and I try to mix things up. Lately I have been impressed with the Christensen knot, which was used on cravats back in the day. It is rather distinctive looking with the fabric essentially being criss-crossed at the knot. The effect is better achieved with solid color, non-patterned ties.

For a nice, wide knot, I like the Plattsburgh more so than the Double Windsor because the bottom of the knot is small and tight, and the knot itself lends itself to an inverted bell shape. Quite classy if you ask me.

In a pinch, the good old Four-In-Hand will do.

[The Nid Hog]

Depends on the shirt and the tie but my personal favorite is the half windsor. I also like to tie it so that there is a dimple in the tie right below the knot. When wearing a suit, I'll use a tie bar. That way, when my coat is buttoned, I'll slightly pull the tie up so that it isn't laying flat against my chest. By pulling the rear length of the tie up a bit more than the front, you can maintain this.

[MWS]

Then I discovered the Pratt knot, which is nice and even like the Full Windsor

Since your post I've looked into this knot...wanted something more formal than the four-in-hand, but not as large as the Windsor. This is PERFECT! Thanks!

[Mpugh77]

I normally use 4H, windsor, or half windsor, but I want to check out that Pratt know. BTW, tie fabric and collar design influence my knot choice.

[ratcheer]

I always use the Shelby.

Tim

[avsmusic1]

I dont use any spread collars, so I prefer the 4 in hand!

me 2

[leighton]

I've always used the half windsor. But that Pratt knot and Christensen is interesting.

[Abdiel]

For the occasions I do wear a tie, which are more so recently, I will use either a Pratt, Half-Windsor, or Windsor in that order or regularity.

[bradyarz]

i was taught the full windsor by my father when i was about 8 or so, and that's all i've used since then.

reading this thread... wow! i never knew there was really anything besides half and full windsor. so, to all you tie knot aficionados out there: i am on the tallish side (6'2") and i have an 18.5" neck. when i tie my full windor, the small end of the tie always ends up only 4" or 5" long and usually sticks out the side. will any of these other knots mentioned use less material and let me have a longer 'tail' on my tie so i don't feel like a dweeb? my usual solution is either to keep fixing it every 10 seconds or tuck it into my shirt, which probably looks just as bad as having that small tail hanging out. thoughts?

[Gafer]

I used to always use a Full Windsor knot but it's a bit bulky. I'm a little guy - only 5'4" - so the huge knot tended to make me look a bit like a little boy wearing his daddy's tie. Not quite the look I was going for. Then I discovered the Pratt knot, which is nice and even like the Full Windsor, but not nearly as big.

So how about you? What's your favorite knot?

I believe a famous man once said "Give me a full Windsor or give me Death!" Or, something along those lines.

Hey, Jack-in-the-Green, the key to a good Windsor starts with a quality silk tie. Watch that they're not too padded with a lot of backing material inside the tie. This makes for a bulky knot. Look for ties that are not very thick, lightweight. These make the best Windsor knots. For me, thick ties with lots of padding are useless for good knots.

[gaseousclay]

reading this thread... wow! i never knew there was really anything besides half and full windsor. so, to all you tie knot aficionados out there: i am on the tallish side (6'2") and i have an 18.5" neck. when i tie my full windor, the small end of the tie always ends up only 4" or 5" long and usually sticks out the side. will any of these other knots mentioned use less material and let me have a longer 'tail' on my tie so i don't feel like a dweeb? my usual solution is either to keep fixing it every 10 seconds or tuck it into my shirt, which probably looks just as bad as having that small tail hanging out. thoughts?

you could always use a tie-clip to keep the tail from flopping about. but yes, if you use a Pratt/Shelby knot it will use less material and allow your tie to have a longer tail

[Ru4scuba?]

Double Windsor 5 times a week!

[Magruder]

I wore a suit every day for several years, then the world went casual (well, my world went casual, anyway) and now I rarely have to wear a tie, and I kinda miss it 'cuz I like to dress up in nice clothes.

It was Windsor or half Windsor, depending on which tie and which shirt, until I learned about the Pratt a/k/a Shelby knot. Now it's Pratt/Shelby every time. When I used one of the Windsors I often had to tie it a couple of times before I was happy with how it looked. The Shelby almost always looks good on the first try.

Because of this thread, though, I'm going to educate myself about some other knots that I just heard of for the first time. I'll switch if I find something better.

This page (http://www.tcm.phy.cam.ac.uk/~tmf20/tieknots.shtml) is worth looking at, if you're interested in knots, or mathematics, or the mathematics of knots.

[pauls51]

i was taught the full windsor by my father when i was about 8 or so, and that's all i've used since then.



My father taught me the full windsor too, when i was 12 and had to wear a tie to school! ... To this day, i still use the same knot!

[Jack-in-the-Green]

I believe a famous man once said "Give me a full Windsor or give me Death!" Or, something along those lines.

Hey, Jack-in-the-Green, the key to a good Windsor starts with a quality silk tie. Watch that they're not too padded with a lot of backing material inside the tie. This makes for a bulky knot. Look for ties that are not very thick, lightweight. These make the best Windsor knots. For me, thick ties with lots of padding are useless for good knots.

Thanks for the advice. I only buy silk ties (well, except for that one polyester one with the pink elephants :biggrin:) and none of them are very padded. I just have a really small neck. I may be tying it too loosely, though. In any case, the Pratt seems to work well, so really the only draw for me back to the Windsor is the fact that that's what my dad always uses.

But now the über-geek in me wants to learn all 85 ways to tie a tie. :001_tongu

[MoJoe]

I always use the Shelby.

Tim


Ditto. Perfect knot every time and can even put a dimple in it just to make it interesting.

[Arctic]

You guys are outclassing me 10-1. I had no idea there were so many ways to tie a necktie. Someone taught me to tie a tie a long time ago, and I've been doing it the same way ever since. I didnt even know there was a name for it. After looking it up, I found out that I've been using the 4 in hand.

[mantic]

4H or half windsor

[Obsessed]

I've been tying a half windor of late, but I may need to try the Pratt next time.

[sombra]

My stand-by is a Pratt knot, but that doesn't work for all ties. I have one, in particular, that I bought in Paris that only seems to work with a four-in-hand.

As well, as others have noted, the shirt collar matters too. The wider the spread, the thicker the knot.

[AZShaver]

I use the reverse Windsor, which is now called the Pratt. It works with all collars.
I occasionally use the 4H with a buttondown and a heavy tie.
If I could find some good wool, it would be 4H

[Frowzy]

When I was younger, and was first wearing ties (dress code at my high school), I used to wear a full windsor. I was a hit with the ladies, and I think sometimes that knot carries a certain swagger. Now I think it looks a bit ridiculous; I prefer the elongated, classy profile of the half windsor. Also, it's what Prince William wears. :laugh:

Interesting development, though... no girlfriend at the moment. YMMV

And yeah, it depends A LOT on the tie, and the amount of care given to the knot. Half windsors can look veerrryyy different.

[gaseousclay]

I use the reverse Windsor, which is now called the Pratt. It works with all collars.


:thumbup1:

I use this exclusively now - it almost seems pointless to use any other knot

[Gafer]

Thanks for the advice. I only buy silk ties (well, except for that one polyester one with the pink elephants :biggrin:) and none of them are very padded. I just have a really small neck. I may be tying it too loosely, though. In any case, the Pratt seems to work well, so really the only draw for me back to the Windsor is the fact that that's what my dad always uses.

But now the über-geek in me wants to learn all 85 ways to tie a tie. :001_tongu

Learning 85 ways to tie a tie will not be über-geek. That honor will be reserved for me when I read every last post you make detailing your experience with each knot. That my friend, will be über-geek.:laugh:

[Johnny_Z]

1/2 Windsor for me. Not too bulky and fairly easy to tie (once I learned the trick).

[bvilchez]

I vary between a double Windsor and a half Windsor.

[Frowzy]

When I was younger, and was first wearing ties (dress code at my high school), I used to wear a full windsor. I was a hit with the ladies, and I think sometimes that knot carries a certain swagger. Now I think it looks a bit ridiculous; I prefer the elongated, classy profile of the half windsor. Also, it's what Prince William wears. :laugh:

Interesting development, though... no girlfriend at the moment. YMMV

And yeah, it depends A LOT on the tie, and the amount of care given to the knot. Half windsors can look veerrryyy different.

Late edit, also Don Draper.

[johnmrson]

I used to only use the half Windsor knot but for the last couple of years I've slowly migrated over to the full Windsor knot and my recent purchase of work shirts are all Jermyn street cut (splayed collar and french cuffs) so they all get a Windsor knot.

[unstereotyped]

I learned to tie the Windsor when I was nine years old, so that is my main knot. Recently, I've used the Diagonal knot depending with the fabric to give off a distinctive look. It gets their attention every time.

[sause]

I try to get the knot size to be the same with all my ties. I use everything from the full/half windsor, pratt, four in hand, and the small knot (used with wool ties.)

[ironbrewer]

I don't own a tie. Nor do I know how to tie one.

[SCWilson]

I learned to tie a tie when I was about 6 years old. My dad taught me to tie a full windsor knot because that was what he wore. I switched over to the half windsor mainly because even with a tight knot the tail was too short. I'll look at the Pratt/Shelby knot though.

[rigglet]

4 in hand, half and full Windsor and my new favorite the Oriental.

Just depends on the tie, shirt and situation.

[Crazy Dave]

I most always use the 4 in hand, but occasionally use a half-Windsor. The Pratt does look interesting though. I am very miticulous about centering the dimple.

Dave

[BrianL]

Half Windsor, and the Pratt will be tried the next time I pull out the neckwear.

[Obsessed]

I'm starting to like the Pratt.

[gaseousclay]

I'm starting to like the Pratt.

once you go Pratt you never go back :lol:

[alex2363]

I used to always use a Full Windsor knot but it's a bit bulky. I'm a little guy - only 5'4" - so the huge knot tended to make me look a bit like a little boy wearing his daddy's tie. Not quite the look I was going for. Then I discovered the Pratt knot, which is nice and even like the Full Windsor, but not nearly as big.

So how about you? What's your favorite knot?

The 4 in hand knot....The "Four-in-hand" knot has name from the drivers of the four-in-hand carriage in the mid-1800's, who tied their scarves and the reigns of their carriage with this knot.

It is a small knot with a distinctive elongated, asymmetric shape.:thumbup1:

[Uncle Erik]

Always a full Windsor. My father taught me to tie one years ago and I've stuck with it. I've tried the half and four in hand, but always go back to the Windsor.

[professorchaos]

Depends on the tie and the collar. Four-in-Hand, Half-Windsor, Full Windsor and Cross knot - I can tie them all. Being tall, I rarely use the Full Windsor.

[TennJed]

Full Windsor for me, my room mates don't know how to tie one, so they make me do it.

I usually pretend to to do a half windsor, but don't know how, so just make 'em a sloppy who knows what, type of knot.

They still refuse to learn, did I mention they are 3 years older than me. HAHA

[cvac]

Four in hand 99% of the time. Sometimes a Prince Albert or Pratt/Shelby knot or Half Windsor. Never a Windsor because they are too big and look ridiculous, especially when tied with a too thick tie or a too short tie.

[Obsessed]

Depends on the tie and the collar. Four-in-Hand, Half-Windsor, Full Windsor and Cross knot - I can tie them all. Being tall, I rarely use the Full Windsor.

Do you buy extra-long ties?

[StylinLA]

I've got to study some more knots. My morning routine always has me in to much of a rush to finesse some of them.

[Bird-Man]

First time I've seen this thread.

I used to use the Four-in-hand but now also use the Pratt. Most of my college buddies who have never heard of anything but the Windsor all looked at my funny when I told them that it was called a Pratt. They tried to convince me otherwise but what do they know. I just know that I look good with the Pratt.:thumbup1:

[otherstar]

If I'm not mistaken, different collars, your actual body type/neck size, and different situations dictate which type of knot to use.

I typically use a Four in Hand because it's the quickest and easiest knots there is.

I generally wear whatever the tie/shirt combo demand. That being said, I haven't worn a four-in-hand since the early 90's when I last wore skinny ties with shirts with narrow openings.

My favorite knot is the Shelby and I tend to buy shirts and ties that I can use for that knot (easy since I'm a stout guy with a decent sized kneck).

[gaseousclay]

found this via the Drakes London website: their top 10 rules for tie etiquette


There are really only two knots worth considering: the four-in-hand and half-Windsor; and only the four-in-hand for knit ties. Other knots are novelties.

^^
it surprises me that the four-in-hand is even mentioned here and not the Pratt. i've always viewed the four-in-hand as sloppy looking, but that's just me.

[Alacrity59]

I've a fairly large neck (17") and I am fairly tall as well so if I use a full Windsor my tie looks more like a red-lobster napkin than a tie. I use a half Windsor. The Pratt looks like about the same to me but I'm going to give it a try. (All of this reminds me to look for some extra long ties . . . anybody tried extra-long-ties.com?)

[Liam Kingsley]

I personally use two different knots, depending on the material and thickness of whichever tie I'm using at the moment. My favourite knot and my standard is the Pratt, working excellently with light to medium fabrics. It creates a knot that is neither miniscule nor overpowering and forms a perfect dimple every time.

When the fabric is simply too thick, like a sevenfold or a wool, I resort to the four-in-hand. A decent knot with a fine enough dimple, but I dislike it in general simply for it's asymmetry.

I used to use Windsor and Half-Windsor knots, but I disliked the former for it's exasperating thickness and always seeming to come up too short of the belt line. The latter I'm not sure why I've dropped really. I suppose because the Pratt or four-in-hand fulfills my needs better.

[Jack-in-the-Green]

found this via the Drakes London website: their top 10 rules for tie etiquette



^^
it surprises me that the four-in-hand is even mentioned here and not the Pratt. i've always viewed the four-in-hand as sloppy looking, but that's just me.
I completely agree with you. I wouldn't be caught dead in a 4iH. But then, I have a bit of a thing about symmetry.

[Monkeydad]

Just discovered and started using a half windsor knot. I love it. Used to use a 4-in-hand but I'm converted. No more fiddling with the knot to try to make it as straight as possible. I never wore the completely angled sloppy knots, they annoy me to no end, but now a perfectly symmetrical knot is easy.

[Adeeb11]

been wearing skinnier ties as of late with a double windsor. iv always been a fan of double windsor though.

[Zenas]

I predominately wear a tie from my ever expanding collection of bowties. There's only one way to tie those.

However, I do have a collection of neck ties, predominately Robert Talbots, that I do wear when not in the mood for a bowtie. I'm tall, 6'4, so I have all extra long ties, and I usually tie a Full Windsor knot. I'm not a fan of the Half, it strikes me as too casual.

[AndrewGWU]

Same as above... I prefer bowties

[SliceOfLife]

Um, the one where you loop it over, come up at the throat, run it down between the two loops and then straighten it? I call it "a knot". I don't wear ties often enough I ever needed to concern myself with what type of knot it was. I'd assume that's a windsor?

edit: looked it up... I do the half-windsor.

[Jack-in-the-Green]

Um, the one where you loop it over, come up at the throat, run it down between the two loops and then straighten it? I call it "a knot". I don't wear ties often enough I ever needed to concern myself with what type of knot it was.

:laugh: I'm sure you're in good company.

I remember a long time ago my older cousin and I were getting ready for Christmas dinner (my family dresses up for the occasion) and as I tied the Full Windsor I had been taught, he looked at me as if he had suddenly been confronted with a Martian and said, "You tie your tie differently than I do!"

And I have to admit, that was the first time I ever realized that there were different ways to tie a tie.

[Zenas]

While technically there are "other ways", you were still correct. There's only one "real" way to tie a tie, and that's the full windsor I'm sporting right now with my silk, solid red Brioni.

[KenR]

Usually four-in-hand, with occasional dabbling into half and full windsor. Then there are my bow ties. :001_cool:

[DSFC]

What's a tie?

[cheerwind]

four-in-hand, half windsor. full windsor just doesn't look good on me.

[mparker762]

Over the years I've settled on the half-windsor with a suit, but with a sports coat I go for a knot-with-no-name, at least a quick googling didn't turn it up. It is somewhere between the Pratt/Shelby and half windsor in size and length of material used, and equally symmetrical, but unlike the Pratt it doesn't leave the small end facing the wrong way. The main negative to it is that the knot, while symmetrical, isn't a perfect triangle - the left and right sides of the knot are slightly concave.

The only description of it I've found is on Prof Thomas Fink's exhaustive tie knot list (http://www.tcm.phy.cam.ac.uk/~tmf20/tieknots.shtml), and it's knot #9 in his list, unnamed.

[Featherweight]

Full Windsor here. Simple enough to tie quickly, yet quite symmetrical and wide enough for any collar.

[Grumpy Old Git]

4-in-hand just for speed and simplicity.
How to tie a 4 in hand (http://www.tie-a-tie.net/fourinhand.html)

[bbak]

First knot I learned was the full Windsor and used that one for years.
I then moved on to the half Windsor which I used for several years.
Recently started using the prat and am really liking it.

[pelicano]

Windsor or Half Windsor, depending on the ocassion.

[moodymick]

Full Windsor - the tie knot of champions!

[Blondie]

I will either use a four in hand or a full windsor. It depends on the spread of the shirt collar, as I tie the knot to fill in the opening.

[jakko]

AS I'm rather big and tall, I usually go with a half windsor with the dimple. Rather prefer the full windsor but that means my off the rack tie would be really short:scared: