The different tie knots – The Nines Necktie Guide
7 possibilities to tie a necktie
"In an elegant world, an irreproachable tie knot is an essential part of one's toilette; it does not matter whether the knot is simple or complicated, because the art is what counts. There are some knots which seem casual in appearance, but which have taken considerable labour before the mirror, and many a stamped foot, many an exclamation of impatience."- Doctor A.Debray (1857)
Some tie knots are not suitable for certain shirt collars or ties. That is why it is imperative to take not only the width and shape, but also the thickness of the tie into account. In general, a thick tie goes well with a simple knot while a thin tie allows the realization of a Windsor or Pratt knot.
The Simple Knot or Single Tie Knot
The simple knot, also known as the "regatta knot" or the "four-in-hand”, is inspired by the "two half hitches" sailor knot. It is thin enough to fit almost any tie or collar.
Start with the backside of the tie facing away from you, the wide end is on the right and the small end is on the left. The tip of the small end should rest slightly above your belly-button. For this knot you only have to move the wide end.
1 - Put the wide end under the small end to the left.
2 - Then put it across the small end to the right.
3 - Now pull it into the neck loop from underneath.
4 - And down through the loop you've just made in the front.
5 - Pull down the wide end to tighten the knot and slide it up to adjust.
The Double Knot or Simple Double Tie Knot
This knot, also called "Prince Albert" or "Victoria", is very similar to the simple knot. However, in contrast to the previous knot, the double knot is characterized by a second layer and is recommend for narrow, soft and thin ties as well as extended collars.
To tie a double tie knot, the wide end of the tie must go beyond the narrow one of about 40cm. Place the wide end on your left and the small one on your right.
1 - Cross the wide end over the narrow end to the right.
2 - Pass the wide end around the small one twice.
3 - Pull the wide end upwards by passing it behind the now formed knot.
4 - Bring the wide end up and through the back of the loop. Tighten the knot and adjust.
The Small Tie Knot
The small tie knot is not suitable for all collars and ties. Choose the small knot when the tie is wide or thick and the collar of your shirt is narrow like the English tab-collar. A simple knot might be too bulky in this case. In addition, the small knot is particularly suitable for tall men with long busts.
For this knot, place the tie on your neck so the wide end of the tie will be on the right and the narrow end on the left. Place the tie in such a way that the wide end is longer than the narrow end.
1 - Bring the wide end of the tie behind and across the narrow end to the left.
2 - Turn the wide end of the tie to the right, across the narrow one, and pass the wide one inside the neck loop.
3 - Pass the wide end of the tie down inside the loop. Finally, tighten the tie around your neck and adjust the knot.
The Windsor Knot
The Windsor knot was - contrary to what is often said - not invented by the Duke of Windsor. However, it is true that the latter had made it very popular in the 1930s. The Windsor knot is characterized by its large volume. Thus, it is preferable to opt for this type of knot when the collar of your shirt is wide like the Italian collar. The tying of such a knot requires a tie which is preferably fine and long. Go for the Windsor knot if you are attending special occasions.
For this knot, start with the wide end of the tie on the right and the small end on the left. The tip of the small end should rest slightly above your belly-button. Only move the wide end.
1 - Place the wide end over the small end to the left and up into the neck loop from underneath.
2 - Pull it down to the left and around the back of the small end to the right.
3 - Now pull the wide end through the neck loop and then down to the right.
4 - Pull it across the front to the left and again up to the neck loop from underneath.
5 - Slide the wide end down through the loop you have just created in the front.
6 - Tighten the knot, slide it up and adjust it.
The Half-Windsor Knot
As you can imagine, the half Windsor knot is inspired by the Windsor knot. However, this knot is more recommendable than the Windsor knot, because it has an intermediate volume between the Windsor knot and the single knot. The half-windsor knot offers more comfort and works well with fine ties. Go for a shirt with a wide collar such as the Cutaway-collar. Moreover, this knot is ideal for ceremonies, because it is simple but at the same time elegant.
For this knot, start with the wide end of the tie on the right and the small end on the left. The tip of the small end should rest slightly above your belly-button. Only move the wide end.
1 - Place the wide end over the small end to the left.
2 - Pull the wide end behind the narrow end and through the gap between collar and neck-tie.
3 - Wrap the wide end over the narrow one and pull it again through the gap between collar and neck-tie.
4 - Now pull the wide end of the tie through the loop on top of the knot and adjust.
The Cross Knot or Christensen Knot
Original and refined, this beautiful knot is more sophisticated than the others, but in no case too much. For a perfect finish, the cross knot should have the well-known cruciform pattern, which requires a certain degree of tact and skill. Thick ties made of heavy woven, knitted or woolen silk are not suitable if you want to make such a knot. For even more aestheticism, opt for striped ties that will highlight the patterns more. Moreover, this knot has the capacity to give volume to ties that are fine and thin.
To make a cross knot, place the wide end of the tie on your left and the small end on your right.
1 - Put the wide end over the small one and pass it underneath.
2 - Circle the small end with the wide end to the left.
3 - Pass the wide end behind the knot you just have formed and pull it to the right.
4 - Now pull it over the knot twice. Small trick: put two fingers on the formed knot before surrounding the small end twice. This will make the next step easier.
5 - Pull the wide end upwards by passing it behind the knot.
6 - Finally, slide the wide end through the knot. Tighten and adjust the knot, and create a cross effect by stretching the back loop gently.
The Onassis Knot
Very original and daring, this tie knot was invented by the famous Greek ship-owner Aristotle Onassis. He designed a tie knot similar to the Ascot knot while preserving the length of the tie. This wide knot opts for a shirt with a wide collar. The Onassis knot is the perfect knot to distinguish yourself from others and be a bit more original.
To achieve this knot, your tie must be placed accordingly. Place the wide end to your left and the small end to your right.
1 - Cross the wide end over the narrow end from right to left.
2 - Pass the wide end beneath the loop around the collar and pull it down.
3 - Pull the wide end to the right and make a turn around the loop of the collar.
4 - Move the wide end into the right region and bring it around the front of the knot to the left.
5 - Again, pass the wide end underneath the loop around the collar and tighten the knot.
6 - Adjust the knot and straighten out the wide end to smoothen any wrinkles.