tie the tie

So I normally do a 4-in-hand thats how I was shown as a kid and have done it for years. well I have an awards ceremony on friday and I think I would like to switch it up.

So what do you guys go with I am thinking a full windsor, I would like to go with a wider knot

I think a full Windsor is typically too wide. I usually tie a half-Windsor. A Shelby knot is nice, too, but those always end up thinner when I tie them.

Let the spread of your collar and the thickness of your tie be the guide.

im a bigger buy so some times the tie can look a little small so I usually make my knot little bigger with the full I dont have to. keep in mind I am also a blue collar worker and a suit is foreign to me lol funeral, wedding and now this are the only time my suit come out.

I go full Windsor. I have to wear a suit every day for work. For a full Windsor knot you need at least a semi-spread collar. I like the Windsor because it's a substantial knot and I have a big head. I think that tie and knot is too large for that guy in the photo.

yeah I think im going to go with the full windsor I tried it out with my suit it looks nice its a little short for my liking but it will work. it looks good with my big frame.

Half Windsor is my vote

IMO, the tie in the photo would work, IF it were pulled tighter and had a nice dimple in the middle, and snugged up to the collar. To me, the way it is, looks sloppy.

Can someone explain to me what a dimple looks like in a tie knot? I hear the phrase often on styleforum but feel embarrassed to ask there .


Also, wouldn't a big knot make a big head look even bigger? Or is it the opposite?

Definitely a Windsor. I've never been able to get past the asymmetrical look of the four in hand.

What about a Christensen knot?

cluelessdude said:

Can someone explain to me what a dimple looks like in a tie knot?

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http://www.tie-a-tie.net/blog/dimpled-tie-knots/

Another dimple vid with half Windsor http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hoyUXWYQsHs

Crappy dimple, but worth watching http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZuuUkNKKiUY

How to tie ALL possible tie knots http://www.tcm.phy.cam.ac.uk/~tmf20/tieknots.shtml

And a REALLY crazy knot- the backwards full Windsor (also known as the Merovingian or Atlantic) http://www.lordwhimsy.com/wp-content/uploads/tie14.pdf better picture at http://pinterest.com/pin/138485757261502395/

Cheers!

By the way, looks like his Mom tied it. Ugh! Needs to be tightened, centered, dimpled.

tommyguns said:

View attachment 281441

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RaiserLiebe said:

By the way, looks like his Mom tied it. Ugh! Needs to be tightened, centered, dimpled.

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I am a full windsor man myself and that picture IS a terrible representation of what a full windsor should look like.

tommyguns said:

yeah I think im going to go with the full windsor I tried it out with my suit it looks nice its a little short for my liking but it will work. it looks good with my big frame.

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I think the lenght of the tie is as important as the knot. If it is noticebaly too short or too long the tie will look bad. And if you think it's too short, it probably is.
Keep the short end really short when you start to tie the know. You only need about 3 inches on the short end. That way the tie may be long enough that it will be the right lenght when you're done.

1/2 windsor for me. Gives the best looking knot in my opinion and almost always has a nice dimple - granted sometimes it is not centered but it gives it a little bit of a unique look when the dimple is off to the side IMHO. Good luck!

I would go full windsor.

Half windsor for me.

Whatever you do, make sure your knot doesn't look like the one in that picture. It looks terrible.

I used to work in Men's Furnishings at Nordstrom, so I thought I'd chime in here

Your knot is really going to depend on the width of your collar. For the collar that is pictured in the OP (medium-ish spread collar), I would go with a full windsor--just be sure that it looks better than the one pictured, and make sure to get that dimple in. For point collars, a half windsor or fore-in-hand work well. I like the half windsor more for dressier looks because the knot has more structure to it and it's easier to get your dimple in. For more casual looks, fore-in-hand is fine.

Best,
Scott

RaiserLiebe said:

By the way, looks like his Mom tied it. Ugh! Needs to be tightened, centered, dimpled.

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+1

dklaiman said:

I think the lenght of the tie is as important as the knot. If it is noticebaly too short or too long the tie will look bad. And if you think it's too short, it probably is.
Keep the short end really short when you start to tie the know. You only need about 3 inches on the short end. That way the tie may be long enough that it will be the right lenght when you're done.

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Thought it would add something here: you'll know you've tied your tie to the correct length when the bottom tip of the tie just touches the top of your belt buckle

GL!
Scott

Half windsor is the only knot I know.