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What’s This About
To tie a tie, choose one of four classic knots, follow its six to eight steps in front of a mirror, and finish with the tip at your belt buckle and a dimple under the knot.
This guide teaches the four knots worth knowing and when to use each, such as
the four-in-hand, the simplest everyday knot
the half Windsor, a neat medium knot for interviews and weddings
the full Windsor, a wide knot for spread collars
the Pratt, a tidy knot that uses little length
how to make a dimple and fix common mistakes
and many more!
Match the size of the knot to your collar and the thickness of your tie, and practise once before the day you need it.
Key Points
01The four-in-hand, half Windsor and Windsor are the three knots US Army and Navy uniform rules allow, and the Pratt is a useful fourth.
02The finished tip should reach about your belt buckle; Windsor knots use the most length, and the four-in-hand and Pratt the least.
03Narrow collars suit smaller knots, while spread and cutaway collars suit wider ones.
04A dimple, pinched in as you tighten, makes any knot look finished.
You have an interview in an hour, a wedding on Saturday or a tie that has beaten you all term, and you need the knot done now.
Tying a tie well takes two skills, the moves and the judgement to choose the right knot.
Below are the four main knots in six to eight written steps each, plus guidance on which knot suits which collar, fabric and occasion.
Table of Contents
Windsor vs Half Windsor vs Four-in-Hand
Knots by Face Shape and Collar
How to Tie a Tie With the Only 4 Knots You Need
In their book The 85 Ways to Tie a Tie, Cambridge physicists Thomas Fink and Yong Mao showed that 85 knots are possible with a conventional tie and identified 13 as aesthetically viable, according to the history of the necktie.
You need four, which are the four-in-hand, half Windsor, full Windsor and Pratt; the first three are the knots prescribed for US Army uniforms and US Navy uniforms that include a necktie.
A knot looks best with a well-fitting suit or jacket, as our guide on why men wear suits explains; this page covers neckties only, not bow ties.
The tie descends from the knotted neckwear of Croatian mercenaries serving in France during the Thirty Years’ War (1618 to 1648), which inspired the cravat, and Louis XIV began wearing a lace cravat around 1646.
Castell & Son of Oxford takes credit for the first modern-style necktie in 1870, a thread traced in our guide to Victorian men’s fashion, and in 1922 Jesse Langsdorf of New York introduced ties cut on the bias, which lets the blade fall evenly from the knot without twisting.
Tie Anatomy and the Belt-Buckle Rule Before You Start
One convention. The steps below are from your own viewpoint looking down, so your left is your left-hand side.
The wide end you tie with is the blade, its point the tip, the stitched spine the seam and the hidden interlining the tie’s body.
A thickly interlined silk or a chunky knit makes a bigger knot with the same moves, so the tie’s thickness belongs in your choice of knot.
Drape the tie seam-in for the first three knots; only the Pratt starts seam-out.
Use a mirror for the first week, then tie by feel.
Length. The finished tip should land at your belt buckle, the standard tie makers such as Charles Tyrwhitt describe.
With a four-in-hand, start with the wide end about 12 inches (30 cm) below the narrow end, as the same guide suggests, and adjust an inch at a time.
Windsor knots use more length and the Pratt less (Pratt knot), so tall men, men with short ties and anyone whose Windsor lands short of the buckle should lean towards the four-in-hand or the Pratt.
Which Knot Should You Tie? A Quick Selector
Ask four questions, in this order.
Collar. Narrow point or button-down collars suit the four-in-hand; medium spreads suit the half Windsor or Pratt; wide spreads and cutaways suit the full Windsor; if you are unsure of your collar, see our collar styles guide
Face. As a common styling convention, wider knots balance long, narrow faces and compact knots keep a vertical line on rounder faces
Fabric. Thick ties make big knots, so heavy knits suit the four-in-hand, while fine silks can carry a Windsor
Occasion. The half Windsor suits interviews and weddings, the four-in-hand everyday business, and the full Windsor occasions where you want a fuller knot
The aim is a knot in proportion to your collar, your face and your lapels, rather than a complicated knot for its own sake.
1. The Four-in-Hand Knot, the Everyday Knot
The four-in-hand, also called the simple knot, schoolboy knot or cravat knot, makes a narrow, noticeably asymmetric knot with a slight natural lean.
That slight imperfection is why many men like it. It looks relaxed rather than laboured.
How to Tie a Four-in-Hand Knot in 6 Steps
Step 1. Turn your collar up, drape the tie seam-in with the wide end on your right and its tip about 12 inches below the narrow end
Step 2. Cross the wide end over the narrow end to your left
Step 3. Pass it behind the narrow end to your right
Step 4. Bring it back across the front to your left, over the first crossing; this band becomes the face of the knot
Step 5. Bring it up through the neck loop, the gap between the knot and your collar, and let it hang over the front
Step 6. Feed it down through the band you made in step 4, pinch the face of the knot, slide it up to the collar, tighten it and set the dimple
When to Wear the Four-in-Hand
Guides differ on collars, so follow the reasoning rather than a fixed rule.
OTAA pairs it with narrow collars and warns that a wide collar leaves a visible gap beside a slim knot, while Charles Tyrwhitt lists cutaway, narrow and rounded collars.
The shared principle is that the knot should fill the space between the collar points, with slender knots under closer points and wider knots under spread collars.
It is also the natural partner for thick knitted ties, whose bulk would make a bigger knot too large, and it suits everyday business, school and dinners.
Four-in-Hand History
The most credible explanation for the name is that members of the Four-in-Hand Club in London made the knot fashionable in the 19th century; other theories, such as a link to coachmen’s reins, also circulate.
It became the standard knot of collegiate American dress, as our Ivy League style guide shows, and is still the most widely worn knot.
2. The Half Windsor Knot, the Versatile Middleweight
The half Windsor, sometimes called the single Windsor, is larger than the four-in-hand and the Pratt but smaller than the full Windsor, and makes a neat triangular knot that works well with light and medium-weight ties.
If you learn only two knots, make this the second.
How to Tie a Half Windsor Knot in 7 Steps
Step 1. Start the same way, seam-in with the wide end on your right and its tip about 12 inches below the narrow end, or a little lower if the tie is short
Step 2. Cross the wide end over the narrow end to your left
Step 3. Wrap it behind the narrow end to your right
Step 4. Bring it up through the neck loop and down across the front to your left, forming one edge of the triangle
Step 5. Bring it across the front to your right, over the diagonal
Step 6. Bring it up through the neck loop again, from behind, so it hangs over the knot
Step 7. Feed it down through the band you made in step 5, hold the narrow end low, slide the knot up, tighten it, set the dimple and fold your collar down
When to Wear the Half Windsor
Under a medium-spread collar, the half Windsor is a balanced, symmetrical knot that photographs well, which makes it a popular choice for interviews and weddings.
It keeps lighter silk ties looking neat without bulk.
The Self-Releasing Variant
The half Windsor has a common self-releasing variant, numbered knot 8 in Fink and Mao’s scheme, which falls apart cleanly when you pull the narrow end, so it is easy to untie at the end of the day.
3. The Full Windsor Knot, the Wide Knot
The Windsor is wider than most common knots and more balanced than the four-in-hand, which makes it a good match for spread and cutaway collars.
It is the only accepted knot for the service-dress tie of the Royal Australian Air Force.
How to Tie a Full Windsor Knot in 8 Steps
Step 1. Turn your collar up, drape the tie seam-in with the wide end on your right, and start it lower than for a four-in-hand, because the Windsor uses the most length
Step 2. Cross the wide end over the narrow end to your left
Step 3. Bring it up through the neck loop and down to your right
Step 4. Pass it behind the knot to your left
Step 5. Bring it up through the neck loop again and down to your right, so a triangle forms on both sides
Step 6. Bring it across the front to your left, making the band you will tuck through
Step 7. Bring it up through the neck loop from behind
Step 8. Feed it down through the band from step 6, pinch the knot square, slide it up, tighten it and set the dimple before folding the collar down
When to Wear the Full Windsor
Wear it with wide-spread and cutaway collars, especially with finer silk ties.
Because it uses the most length, tall men and short ties may leave the tip above the buckle; choose the four-in-hand or Pratt instead.
Under a narrow collar, a Windsor looks too big.
The Duke and the Windsor Knot
The knot is named after the Duke of Windsor, but he is not thought to have tied it; he achieved his signature wide knot by wearing ties of thicker cloth, and the Windsor was later used by others to imitate that look with ordinary ties.
For more British tailoring inspiration, see our Oxbridge style guide.
4. The Pratt Knot, the Symmetrical, Length-Saving Knot
The Pratt knot, also called the Shelby, was created in the late 1950s by Jerry Pratt of the US Chamber of Commerce, taught in 1986 to television reporter Don Shelby, refined with clothier Kingford Bavender and brought to wide attention by a 1989 New York Times article.
It is symmetrical and medium-sized, starts seam-out and uses less length than either Windsor.
How to Tie a Pratt Knot in 6 Steps
Step 1. Drape the tie inside out, with the seam facing out and the wide end on your right, about 12 inches below the narrow end
Step 2. Cross the wide end under the narrow end to your left
Step 3. Bring it up through the neck loop and back down on your left
Step 4. Bring it across the front to your right, making a horizontal band
Step 5. Bring it up through the neck loop from behind
Step 6. Feed it down through the band from step 4, slide the knot up, tighten it and add the dimple
When to Wear the Pratt Knot
Wear it with spread collars, where its symmetry shows, and with shorter ties or if you are tall, because it uses less length than either Windsor.
It is also a quick way to get a neat, symmetrical knot on a busy morning.
Windsor vs Half Windsor vs Four-in-Hand Comparison Table
Scroll horizontally to see all columns →
| Knot | Size | Symmetry | Length used | Best tie | Best collar | Typical use | Steps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Four-in-hand | Small | Asymmetric lean | Little | Any, including thick knits | Narrow point, button-down | Daily business, casual | 6 |
| Half Windsor | Medium | Neat triangle | Moderate | Light to medium silks | Medium spread | Interviews, weddings | 7 |
| Full Windsor | Large | Wide and balanced | Most | Medium to fine silks | Wide spread, cutaway | Formal business, ceremonies | 8 |
| Pratt | Medium | Symmetrical | Little | Most ties; starts seam-out | Spread | Neat knot with short ties | 6 |
More decorative knots, such as the Eldredge and Trinity, which are tied with the narrow end, and the Van Wijk, a tall spiral of wraps, look sculptural; they use a lot of length, cannot easily carry a dimple and look more like a trick than a classic knot, so most men do not need them.
How to Make the Tie Dimple and Keep It
The dimple is the single crease just below the knot, and it is made during the final tightening.
Index-finger method. Place a finger in the centre of the blade just below the knot as you tighten, pinching the fabric so the fold forms and stays, as Charles Tyrwhitt describes.
Thumb method. Press your thumb up into the blade below the knot while gently pulling the blade down, a final step Rampley & Co gives for all three classic knots.
On fine silk, aim for one clear crease; on thick knits, let the knot sit rounded.
How to Fix the 5 Most Common Tie Mistakes
Crooked knot? Loosen the knot, square its face between finger and thumb and tighten evenly, rather than moving the collar to hide it
Gap between the knot and collar points? The knot is too small for the collar spread, as OTAA warns, so choose a larger knot rather than a different shirt
Tip too long or too short? Adjust the starting length an inch at a time, and if a Windsor still falls short, switch to the Pratt
No dimple? Make it while you tighten, with either method above, before folding the collar down, then leave it alone
Knot too big for the collar? A Windsor under a narrow point collar spills over the collar, so match the knot to the gap and size down when unsure
Tie Knots by Face Shape and Collar
Treat the knot as the last proportion decision in your outfit.
As a styling convention, wider knots under fuller spreads balance long, narrow faces and slim builds, while compact knots keep a vertical line on round faces, and square faces often suit the half Windsor’s medium triangle.
The knot finishes what the collar starts, so check your collar first with our collar styles guide.
Tie Knot Questions, Answered
Q. What is the easiest way to tie a tie?
The four-in-hand, also called the schoolboy knot, takes six moves and is forgiving if the tie is not perfectly placed.
Q. Can you tie a tie in 3 or 4 steps?
Not well; the four-in-hand is the shortest reliable knot at six moves, and shorter methods rarely hold their shape or take a dimple.
Q. What is the classiest tie knot?
The one in proportion to your collar and face, such as a dimpled four-in-hand for every day and a half Windsor when photographs matter.
Q. Which tie knots do armed forces prescribe?
US Army and Navy uniform rules allow the four-in-hand, half Windsor and Windsor, and the Royal Australian Air Force requires the Windsor with its service-dress tie.
Q. Is the Pratt knot self-releasing?
No; the Pratt holds its knot once tied, while the half Windsor has a common self-releasing variant (knot 8).
Q. Is the four-in-hand professional enough for interviews?
Yes; it is one of the knots US Army and Navy uniform rules allow, and under a point collar with a clean dimple it looks natural and professional; with a medium spread collar, a half Windsor fills the gap better.
The Bottom Line Is to Tie It, Then Wear It Well
Four knots cover almost every situation, and the rule behind them is simple. Keep the knot in proportion to your collar, your face and your lapels.
Learn the four-in-hand first, add the half Windsor for photographs, keep the Windsor for spread collars and use the Pratt for short ties or a quick symmetrical knot.
To finish the outfit, tie bars, cufflinks and other details are covered in our guide to the jewellery and accessories men wear.
When the dress code says black tie, wear a bow tie instead of a necktie.