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So men’s ties are being knotted in the basic “Four-in-hand”, which is the smallest knot on a tie.

Unlike the Windsor, the Double Elliot or the Pratt which are perfectly symmetrical (and larger) knots and easy to learn, the Four-in-hand is an asymmetrical knot and initially more difficult to master.

It’s easiest not to look in the mirror…..(my numbers correlate with the diagrams above, BTW).

1. Start with the correct length tie; ties come in various lengths.  Longer for tall men, standard sizes for most, sometimes short lengths in designer  and custom ties.  Both ends of the tie should be about even upon completion of tying the tie. (Ugh, alliteration…).

Wider side of the tie left, slim right, the bottom of the slim side should roughly hit your belly button.  Seam side flat against your chest (other knots require outward-facing seams).  You stand 90 degrees from the ground; hold the slim part out 45 degrees from your body. It can be slack.

With you left hand (L), cross the wide part of the tie over the top of the tie.

2.  Keep holding the slim end in righty (R).  Then, wide part of the tie under….

3.  Keep holding the slim end in R.  With L, wide part of the tie over the top making a complete circle, past the 360 mark, drop to 540.

4.  Keep holding the slim end in R.  L brings wide part of the tie of the tie through the knot and neck.  Drop the wide end on the left side of slim end.

Here’s the thing; you can’t go to step 5 and just pull the wide part through the knot.  If you do and you “pull” (like videos and diagrams), you get a big tube that collapses like this:

The trick is to pinch the bottom knot into a triangle BEFORE pulling the knot taut.

So, your inverted triangle. (Call the bottom the “V”).

Look down.  With your R, pinch the “V” of the triangle with your thumb and forefinger; form the knot into an origami triangle, or as close to a triangle as possible. Hold the skinny part of the tie with your other fingers, as in the photo above.

5.  L puts wide end of the tie through the triangle knot hole.  L pulls taut until triangle “closes”.

R pulls smaller end of the tie down, L pulls knot up to neck and evens out the length of the tie.

Insert a dimple in the middle of the tie.

What is the easiest way to tie a tie?

The Four-in-Hand knot is the quickest and simplest.  Once you can get the “triangle” knot part mastered it will take you less than a minute.