How to Tie a Tie: Four-in-Hand, Half Windsor and Windsor Knots

Quick answer: To tie a tie, drape it around your collar with the wide end on your dominant side and hanging lower, cross it over the narrow end, wrap it around once (four-in-hand), twice on one side (half Windsor) or on both sides (Windsor), bring it up through the neck loop, then down through the front band and slide the knot up to the collar.

A mirror, a collar turned up, two minutes before the car arrives. The silk slides through your fingers and the knot climbs to the collar, square or leaning. The three knots below cover nearly every occasion, from a Monday meeting to an evening wedding, and each one can be learned in an evening of practice.

Before you start: length, side and seam

Turn the collar up and fasten the top button. Drape the tie around your neck with the seam facing your shirt and the wide end (the blade) on your dominant side. Right-handed readers put the blade on the right; the steps below assume that, so left-handed readers can mirror them.

The blade always hangs lower than the narrow end, because the blade does all the wrapping. As a starting point, let the blade hang about 12 inches (30 cm) below the narrow tip for a four-in-hand, a little more for a half Windsor and more again for a Windsor. When the knot is done, the tip of the blade should reach roughly the top of your belt buckle. If it lands high or low, note the difference and start lower or higher next time.

Which tie knot for which collar

The knot should fill the space between the collar points without crowding them. A small knot in a wide spread collar looks lost; a large knot in a narrow point collar forces the collar open.

Knot	Size and shape	Collar it suits	Typical occasion
Four-in-hand	Small, slightly asymmetric, long	Point collar, button-down, narrow spread	Office, dinner, wedding guest
Half Windsor	Medium, close to symmetric triangle	Standard spread collar	Interviews, ceremonies, wedding party
Windsor	Large, wide, symmetric triangle	Wide spread or cutaway collar	Formal weddings, evening events

Tie width matters too. A standard 3.1 in (8 cm) tie handles all three knots. A slim 2.4 in (6 cm) tie, made for narrow lapels, looks right with a four-in-hand and can look bunched in a Windsor. For more on width, length and pattern, read our guide on how to choose a silk tie.

How to tie a four-in-hand knot

This is the everyday knot: quick, slim and a touch off center.

1. Start with the blade on your right, hanging about 12 inches (30 cm) lower than the narrow end.
2. Cross the blade over the narrow end, from right to left.
3. Bring the blade back under the narrow end, to the right.
4. Cross the blade over the front again, from right to left. This makes the horizontal band of the knot.
5. Bring the blade up through the neck loop from underneath.
6. Pass the blade down through the front band you made in step 4.
7. Hold the narrow end and slide the knot up to the collar. Fold the collar down.

How to tie a half Windsor knot

The half Windsor adds one wrap on a single side. The result is a tidy, medium triangle that suits most dress shirts, which is why many men keep it as their default for interviews and ceremonies.

1. Start with the blade on your right, hanging a little lower than for the four-in-hand.
2. Cross the blade over the narrow end, from right to left.
3. Bring the blade back under the narrow end, to the right.
4. Take the blade up to the neck loop, over the top and down through the loop, so it hangs on the right again.
5. Cross the blade over the front from right to left. This is the front band.
6. Bring the blade up through the neck loop from underneath.
7. Pass it down through the front band and tighten by sliding the knot up.

How to tie a Windsor knot

The full Windsor wraps both sides of the neck loop, so it builds a wide, balanced triangle. It looks composed and formal, and it uses the most length.

1. Start with the blade on your right, hanging well below the narrow end, often 14 inches (35 cm) or more.
2. Cross the blade over the narrow end, from right to left.
3. Bring the blade up through the neck loop from underneath and down on the left.
4. Pass the blade behind the narrow end, to the right.
5. Bring the blade up to the neck loop and down through it on the right side.
6. Cross the blade over the front from right to left to make the front band.
7. Bring the blade up through the neck loop from underneath.
8. Pass it down through the front band and slide the knot up firmly.

How to make a dimple

The dimple is the small fold just below the knot. Before the final tightening, press your index finger into the center of the blade, right under the front band, and pinch the edges together with your thumb and middle finger. Keep the pinch while you slide the knot up. Woven jacquard silk takes a dimple well, because the textured weave has enough body to keep the fold.

What knot is used for a wedding tie?

There is no single official wedding knot. Grooms and groomsmen commonly wear a half Windsor or a Windsor because the fuller shape looks finished in photographs and fills a spread collar. Wedding guests can wear any of the three; a four-in-hand with a point collar is perfectly correct for a daytime ceremony. What matters more is that the knot sits snug against the collar and the tip reaches the belt. If the wedding party is coordinating, agree on one knot so the line of ties in the photos matches. Our guide on what tie to wear to a wedding covers color and width for guests and groomsmen, and groomsmen gifts in silk covers ordering ties for a whole party.

How to tie a tie on someone else

Prom night, a job interview, a son in a new suit: often the person tying the knot is not the person wearing it. The easiest way is to stand behind him, both of you facing the mirror, reach around and tie the knot exactly as you would on yourself, so the steps above stay the same. If you face him instead, everything reverses, so the blade starts on your left. Ask him to tilt his chin up, slide the knot to the collar, then step back and check that the tip touches the top of his belt buckle. A four-in-hand is the kindest knot for a nervous early try, because it takes the fewest moves.

Silk scarf knots: the square knot and when to use it

Many readers searching for tie knots want the scarf version. The basic knot for a silk scarf is the square knot: cross the right end over the left and tuck it under, then cross the left end over the right and tuck it under. Pull both ends evenly and the knot lies flat. A granny knot (the same direction twice) twists sideways, so if your scarf knot keeps turning, check that the second cross went the opposite way. For neck styles with step-by-step photos, see how to tie a silk scarf around your neck, and for the narrow twilly, how to wear a silk twilly.

How to untie a tie without damaging it

Untie a knot by reversing the steps. Loosen the front band, pull the blade back out the way it went in and unwrap it. Avoid pulling the narrow end straight out through a tight knot: it stretches the lining and leaves creases in the silk. Hang the tie or roll it loosely overnight so the wrinkles relax before you wear it again. Silk ties go to the dry cleaner; for spills and storage, read how to clean a silk tie.

Choosing a silk tie that knots well

Every Folk Form tie is woven jacquard in 100% mulberry silk, which means the pattern is built into the cloth on the loom. The standard width is 3.1 in (8 cm), with a 2.4 in (6 cm) option for slim lapels. Geometric patterns such as windowpane, dot grid and diagonal stripe are there for how they look in a knot; they carry no symbolic meaning. Ties are $142, and the woven dragon ties are $167. The tie and cufflink sets need a shirt with French cuffs, which our guide to French cuffs and cufflinks explains. You can browse the full range of silk ties for men, or start with a classic such as the red windowpane silk tie.

Frequently asked questions

What is the easiest tie knot to learn?

The four-in-hand is the easiest. It takes one wrap around the narrow end, then the blade goes up through the neck loop and down through the front band.

What knot is used for a wedding tie?

Grooms and groomsmen commonly choose a half Windsor or Windsor for a fuller, symmetric knot. Guests can wear a four-in-hand or half Windsor, matched to the collar.

How long should a tie hang?

The tip of the blade should reach roughly the top of your belt buckle. Adjust how low the blade hangs before you start until the finished knot lands there.

Which knot goes with a spread collar?

A half Windsor suits a standard spread collar. A wide spread or cutaway collar can take a full Windsor.

How do you tie a square knot in a silk scarf?

Cross right over left and tuck under, then cross left over right and tuck under. Pull both ends evenly so the knot lies flat.

Should I untie my tie every night?

Yes. Reverse the steps to untie it, then hang it or roll it loosely so the silk relaxes and creases fall out before the next wear.

Can a slim tie be tied in a Windsor knot?

It can, but a 2.4 in (6 cm) tie usually looks better in a four-in-hand. The Windsor tends to bunch a slim blade and makes the knot wider than the tie.

Browse every guide in our silk scarf and tie guides.

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