How to Tie a Tie
Putting on a tie is considered a dreaded task for some men, but it really doesn't have to be. Just follow these simple directions and you'll know exactly how to tie a tie at the start of the day in no time.
Selecting a Tie to Wear
The first step is making sure that your tie matches your shirt. This goes beyond knowing which color ties go with which color shirts; you don't need to look like you're auditioning to be the host of “Who Wants to be a Millionaire.”
For a crash course on matching ties with shirts, just know that solid ties should be worn with "busy" shirts and shirts that have patterns. On the other hand, if you want to wear a funky tie to work, wear it with a solid shirt. Just remember not to mix patterns with patterns.
Tying the Tie
Don't leave yourself less than 5-10 minutes to tie your tie. Give yourself enough time in the morning to properly tie and readjust it if it doesn't look right.
Use a mirror to assist you. You'll need it to measure whether the tie is the right length and if it falls properly on your shirt.
Step one: Button up your shirt all the way, including your collar. Flip up your collar and place the tie around your neck. You would want the wide part of the tie to hang twice as low as the thin part, and it should hang on the side of your dominant hand – depending on whether you're right or left-handed.
Step two: Take the wide end of the tie, and wrap it around the thin part once, a little bit below your neck. The wide part is also the longer part – so the long end goes around the short end once.
Step three: Once you wrap the wide end around the thin end, slip the wide end through the knot that has formed.
Step four: Tuck the long, wide end through the knot.
Step five: Pull on the thin end and the wide end, from below, to tighten the knot.
Step six: Hold the thin end with your non-dominant hand and with your dominant hand, and slide the knot up to your neck – be careful not to choke yourself in the process.
The Outcome
The wide end should hang lower than the thin end, covering the thin end. You don't want the wide end to hang too low; a good rule of thumb for measuring a tie's proper length is making sure the bottom tip of your tie touches the upper part of your belt (or your pants if you are wearing suspenders). Although this is the traditional length, it varies from country to country.
Put your collar back down, and use the mirror to check if the tie and the knot look right.
Removing Your Tie
When removing your tie, don't pull the thin end through the knot to untie the tie. Remove the tie by doing the above steps backwards, even if you're in an extreme hurry to get undressed. Do not remove the tie haphazardly; doing so will ruin the shape of the tie.
