Ties and suits are indispensable items for businessmen, grooms, politicians, or anyone who needs to dress formally. However, not everyone knows how to tie a tie beautifully, as well as the difference of each way of tying the spirit of the outfit.
If the suit is the basic foundation of a beautiful formal outfit, the tie is an important highlight that completes it. Many people pay close attention to the suit, but do not invest enough in the tie, causing their image to be dragged down in a regrettable way. We are here to prevent that from happening, and the good news is that tying a tie does not require as much effort and time as you think.
Two popular ways to tie a tie
There are two factors that determine which knot style you should choose, they are the formality of the event and the width of the shirt collar. From here, we have two main styles of knot.
Four-in-hand knot
The four-in-hand is the simplest tie knot. Due to its small, inverted triangle shape, this knot is suitable for shirts with narrow collar openings such as straight collars and button-down collars. In terms of formality, the four-in-hand gives the wearer a rather comfortable, casual look.
Double four-in-hand knot
The double four-in-hand is actually just a small variation of the four-in-hand. With an additional loop wrapped in the second – third step, the double four-in-hand is also for less formal occasions, even less formal than the four-in-hand. However, to tie this knot beautifully requires better technique than the four-in-hand, as well as the tie must be long enough to maintain the appropriate length after being wrapped twice.
Half-Windsor
Half-Windsor is a slightly more complicated tie knot than the four-in-hand, and with an average knot width, this is the most popular tie knot. Shirt collar styles that go well with half-Windsor are spread collars, cutaway. Usually, half-Windsor is more suitable for formal occasions than casual ones.
Full-Windsor
With a slightly larger knot than the half-Windsor, the full-Windsor is also a variation that is widely used by gentlemen. Usually, suitable collar styles will be collars with wide opening angles such as spread or cutaway. Full-Windsor knot is most suitable for formal, professional occasions such as weddings, interviews.
Tip: In addition to knowing how to tie classic ties as above, we also need to pay attention to creating a subtle dimple for the bottom of the knot (as shown in the picture). It is a detail that shows how much you have invested in your appearance, and how well you understand how to wear a suit. Here is how to create that small but powerful dimple:
