slosh down the pepper!

Tying up

My brother still doesn't know how to tie a tie. He's probably the only guy I know who can't do the knotting. Anyway, so I will help him to tie the tie, and he will take care not to undo the knots for a long period of time till the next wash. This has been going on since his JC years. It's also kinda weird that he didn't bother to learn to do it himself. What's gonna happen if he undid his tie in the office accidentally and needed to wear it on the same day? Heh, maybe he already had a few spares in the office, that's why he bought several ties.

I have always known 2 ways of tying - the half triangle and the full triangle.

I used to do the full triangle for my brother. I remembered asking him his preference in the past and he chose this style rather than the simpler half-triangle. Personally, I prefer the latter. It may appear lope-sided, but it's exactly this asymmetry that lends it a stylish look, with a hint of casualness. Thus for the past 2 times, I did the lope-sided version for him. He didn't complain, or maybe he can't see the difference. :-p

Tempest didn't share my preference. He likes the traditional full triangle, also touted the windsor knot. It is supposedly more formal and meant to be worn with wide spread collar shirts. With his broad build, it is probably also more suitable for him. Kinda reminds me of 'Dr Simon' in "Fighting Spiders" - retro .. hehe

Today, I googled and learnt that there are actually 4 ways of tying a tie:

Four-in-Hand Knot

The Four-in-Hand Knot is the most popular type of necktie knot and easiest to learn, probably over 80% of tie wearers knot their ties with this. The knot is long and straight but slightly lopsided.

Half-Windsor Knot

The Half-Windsor knot is a medium triangular knot that is considered more formal than the four-in-hand. Also my favorite!

Windsor Knot

The windsor knot is a wide triangular knot that is usually worn for formal occasions, this type of knot should be worn with wide spread collar shirts.

Pratt Knot-Shelby Knot

The Pratt/Shelby knot is Semi-wide knot, when beginning to tie this knot the tie is turned outward.

Oh, and it's necessary to have a 'dimple'. I like those intentional creases. Read more abt it:

The Dimple
A good knot should always have a dimple. The dimple is the little indentation right below the knot of your tie. A good dimple is made before you tighten the knot. You start by putting your index finger in the fabric directly under the knot while lightly squeezing the side of the fabric as you tighten the knot by pulling down on the wide end of the tie. The dimple should be centered in the middle of your knot.


I may not have done a perfect job, but it ain't too bad either!

posted by slingwoof @ 7/07/2009 11:20:00 AM