How to tie a Winsor knot

Are you 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 an attractive 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 and two most attractive tie knots: the half Windsor and the slightly larger double Windsor.

If you know how to tie a tie with those two knots, you will be in a great position to match the correct tie knot with every tie design and different shirt collars. Both tie knots are closely related, and once you know how to tie the single and smaller Windsor knot, learning how to tie the double Windsor knot is just a step away.

First, let’s focus on the simple Windsor knot, or also known as the half Windsor knot. As with any tie knot, start by lifting the collar of the shirt and fastening the top button. Then take your tie and place 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 sticky point of reference 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 looks like. 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’ll want to hold on to this area until you’re ready to tie the final knot. Then, with your right hand, take the wide end of the tie and thread it through the “V” near your neck. Then, without twisting it, loop the longer end around the entire bottom of the “V” just above the pinched area, then back up and through, and tuck this long end behind the loop you just made, and out through the bottom. Tighten the knot and adjust it so that it is centered between the collars. Turn down your shirt collars and you have a single Windsor knot!

The simple Windsor knot is a slightly smaller, more asymmetrical-looking tie knot. It looks best on shirts with a narrow collar. The best ties for a single Windsor knot are ties made of thicker material, solid colored ties, and classic British striped ties.

Therefore, the double Windsor knot is quite similar. It’s 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 simple Windsor knot. Once you’ve wrapped the wide end of the tie the first time through the “V”, do the same with the opposite part of the “V”. The key to a good double Windsor is to make sure each wrapper overlaps. There shouldn’t be any spaces 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’ll 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 especially value the double Windsor’s larger-looking, triangular shape.