New to wearing ties, but still don’t know how to tie one? You are not alone. In fact, only a few men know how to tie a nice tie knot. Tying a tie may seem complicated and even confusing, but it really isn’t. After all, there are over 180 different ways to tie a tie. However, for our purposes, we will concentrate on the two most popular tie knots and the two most attractive: the half Windsor and the slightly larger double Windsor knot.
If you know how to tie a tie with those two knots, you will be in perfect shape to combine the appropriate tie knot for each tie design and different shirt collars. Both tie knots are closely related, and once you know how to tie the smallest single Windsor knot, learning how to tie the double Windsor knot is just one step away.
First, let’s focus on the single Windsor knot, or also known as a half Windsor knot. As with any tie knot, start by lifting the collar of the shirt and buttoning the top button. Then take your tie and wrap it around your neck with the wide end on the right side of your chest and the narrow end on the left. The back of the tie should face your body and neck. Make sure the wide end hangs much lower than the narrow end. A landmark of the sticky substance is a mark on the back of the tie. There is a diagonal seam near the narrow end. The tie should be placed around your neck so that the narrow end crosses over what it appears to be. Cross the narrow end with the wide end to form a “V” and pinch this intersection with the thumb and forefinger of your left hand.
You will want to pin this area until you are ready to tie the final knot. Then with your right hand take the wide end of the tie and pass it through the “V” near your neck. Then, without any twists, wrap the longer end around the entire bottom of the “V” just above your pinched area, then back up and through, and tuck this long end behind the loop you just made, and exit through the bottom. Tighten the knot and adjust it so that it is centered between your necks. Lower your collared shirts and you have a single Windsor knot!
The only Windsor knot is a slightly smaller, asymmetrical tie knot. Looks best on shirts with a narrow collar. The best ties for a single Windsor knot are ties made of a thicker material, solid colored ties, as well as classic British striped ties.
The double Windsor knot is done quite similarly. It is called a double Windsor knot because it requires the wide end of the tie to pass through the “V” twice, once on each side. So, start the same way as with the single Windsor knot. Once you wrap the wide end of the tie the first time through the “V”, do the same for the opposite donning portion of the “V”. The key to an attractive double Windsor is to make sure each wrap overlaps. There should be no space inside the “V”!
The double Windsor knot is the most sought after tie knot these days. Even internet searches for “double Windsor knot” are higher than all other tie knots combined, only a few men know how to tie this popular knot. If you start with the single Windsor knot and then practice the double Windsor for 10-15 minutes, you will be in good shape.
The double Windsor knot is one of the largest and most symmetrical tie knots. It is a great looking knot for shirts with a wider collar and if you are wearing an Italian silk tie. Italians, in particular, value the larger-looking, triangular shape of the double Windsor.