Want to signal power? What about trust in a business relationship? Or casual approachability?

One subconscious signal can give this.

The tie knot.

Why? It’s a subliminal message that speaks to our attention to detail.

Don’t believe me? Look at nearly every President. The full Windsor knot.

Look at less formal business outfits. The four-in-hand or half Windsor knot.

Over the next couple blog posts, I’ll be showing you 18 ways to tie a necktie, so you will be able to tie all the best tie knots – starting with the quickest and easiest tie knot, the Simple or Oriental Knot.

The Simple Knot (Oriental Knot) Tying Instructions

Learn how to tie a tie: The Simple Oriental Knot:

1. Drape the tie around your collar with the seam facing inward and the thick end on your left, two or three inches lower than your desired finishing position.
2. Bring the thick end horizontally across the front of the narrow end, and then pass it back horizontally behind the narrow end.
3. Pass the thick end again across the front of the knot from left to right.
4. Now pass the thick end again behind the knot horizontally from right to left.
5. Pass the thick end AGAIN across the front of the knot from left to right. Slip a finger under this third horizontal loop.
6. Bring the tip of the thick end up underneath the loop around your collar and feed it up behind the knot, down over the front of the knot and through that third horizontal loop.
7. Pull the thick end through the horizontal loop and snug it down.
8. Adjust the tie by holding the knot in one hand and pulling gently on the narrow end with the other.

Click here to watch the YouTube video – The EASIEST Knot To Tie

Now you know how to tie a necktie the easiest way… are you ready for a challenge?

1. Four In Hand Knot

Learn how to tie a Four In Hand Knot:

1. Loop the tie around your collar. Thick end on the left, 3-4 inches lower than the thin end.
2. Cross the thick end in front of the thin end.
3. Wrap the thick end around behind the thin end and cross horizontally from right to left.
4. Bring the thick end horizontally across the front of the knot from right to left. Slip a finger beneath this horizontal band.
5. Turn the tip of the thick end upward and in, sliding it beneath the loop around your neck.
6. Feed the thick end down through the loop you’ve held open with your finger.
7. Pull the thick end all the way through the loop and snug the knot down tightly.
8. Tighten the knot by holding it gently in one hand and tugging on the thin end with the other.

The four in hand knot is one of the most popular necktie knots for beginners learning how to tie a tie. Not only is it easy to learn, but it’s also one of the oldest – British horsemen are said to have invented it to tie scarves while holding the reins of four horses in the other hand.

This knot requires less of the tie’s length, making it a great choice for tall men trying to tie a regular length tie.

The narrower shape is perfect for narrow spread collars and button-down collar dress shirts.

2. Half Windsor Knot

Learn how to tie a Half Windsor Knot:

1. Drape the necktie around your collar with the wide end on your right hanging down to your thigh and the thin end on the left at about your rib cage.
2. Cross the wide end in front of the thin end from right to left, making an X-shape below your chin.
3. Loop the wide end of the tie horizontally around and behind the thin end.
4. Take the wide end over from the top and through the opening of the X and pull tight.
5. Hold the wide end with your right hand and wrap it in front over the thin end, from your right to your left.
6. Keeping the triangle intact with your left hand, bring the wide end towards your chest and from behind the loop, pass it over the X.
7. Using the index finger of your left hand, open up the triangle that has now formed over the X and pull the wide end all the way through.
8. To adjust the length, pull the knot up towards your collar while pulling the thin end of the tie down. You may need to adjust the horizontal loop to make sure it’s flat and even.

Along with the Four-In-Hand knot, the Half Windsor is most suited to guys just beginning to learn how to tie a tie.

This knot is the perfect choice for medium-width and thick ties. It is the most versatile and popular tie knot.

Because the half Windsor requires less of the tie’s length than the larger Windsor knot, it is also a great choice for big and tall men trying to wear a regular length tie.

3. Full Windsor Knot

Learn how to tie a Full Windsor Knot or Double Windsor Knot:

1. Drape the necktie around your collar with the wide end on the right hanging 4-6 inches lower than your waistband.
2. Cross the wide end horizontally in front of the slim end, making an X-shape just below your chin.
3. Tuck the wide end up and beneath the loop around your neck, coming out point-upward behind the X. Use one finger to hold the X in place.
4. Pull the wide end all the way down.
5. Bring the wide end around behind the knot and pass it horizontally from right to left.
6. Flip the wide end tip upward and tug it diagonally across the front of the knot.
7. Loop the wide end over the top of the loop around your collar and bring it back down. It should emerge on the left of the thin end.
8. Bring the wide end horizontally across the front of the knot, from left to right. This forms a horizontal band. Tuck a finger through it and hold it in place.
9. Bring the wide end underneath the loop one more time, around the collar with the tip aiming upward.
10. Turn the wide end downward and slide the tip through the horizontal loop you saved with your finger in step 8.
11. Pull the wide end all the way down and smooth out any creases or slack in the knot.

When I’m asked how to tie a tie, the Full Windsor Knot is always mentioned.  Also known as the Double Windsor, the Full Windsor has a large, triangular symmetric shape and is perfect for wide spread collars, and on men with a large neck.

Additional tie length is required for the Windsor knot because of the two wrappings. Tall men with a larger neck size will need a tie that measures between 61 – 64 inches.

4. Nicky Knot

Learn how to tie a Nicky Knot:

1. Drape the necktie around your collar with the seam outward and the thick end on your left, about two inches lower than you want the finished position.
2. Cross the thick end underneath the thin end, making an X-shape below your chin.
3. Flip the thick end up in front of the loop around your collar, then tuck it down through the loop, emerging to the left of the thin end.
4. Bring the tip of the thick end horizontally across the front of the knot. Slip a finger underneath the horizontal band you’ve just created across the front of the knot.
5. Bring the tip of the thick end up and underneath the loop around your collar.
6. Tuck the tip of the thick end down through the horizontal loop you created in Step 4.
7. Pull the thick end all the way through the horizontal loop and snug it down.
8. Adjust the knot as needed by holding it with one hand and pulling on the narrow end of the tie with the other.

5. Bow Tie Knot

Learn How To Tie A Bow Tie Knot:

1. Start with the bow tie draped around your neck with the seams facing down and the right side longer than the left.
2. Place the right end over the left end, making an X-shape just below the chin.
3. Loop the longer end behind the ‘X’ to create a simple knot similar to the first knot while tying shoelaces. Pull tight and leave the longer end resting on your shoulder.
4. Placing your index finger on the widest part of the curve of the shorter end, fold it to create a bow shape. Place the folded tip across your collar with the shorter end as close to your neck as possible.
5. Holding the bow created above with the forefinger and thumb of your left hand, bring the longer end straight down over the shorter end in the middle of the bow.
6. Using your right hand, fold the longer end back towards the chest, pinch the fold and double the tip over to make a wing.
7. Tuck the folded tip of the longer end behind the folded tip of the shorter end and through the small loop you formed when you first passed it up behind the knot.
8. With the wings in place, tug the loops behind them to tighten the vertical front knot.
9. Hold the front of the knot down with one finger, and wriggle the wings until they’re symmetrical.
10. Make final adjustments. Ensure your bow tie lies flat and horizontal against your collarbone. You’re done! Now you know how to tie a tie AND how to tie a bow tie.