The necktie has been around for a very long time. In fact, both men and women have been known to wear neckties and other neck adornments since 400 years ago. In current times, these are commonly worn by men for formal or business purposes such as during cocktails, events involving fine dining, corporate meetings and at the office.

There are many types of ties available and as you would guess, there are also various ways to tie those ties. The five most popular ways to do this include the Windsor Knot, the Half Windsor Knot, the Four in Hand Knot, the Bow Tie, and the Pratt Knot (or Shelby Knot).

The Windsor Knot is characterized as having a wide and triangular knot which makes it perfect for shirts with spread collars. The Half Windsor Knot is a more symmetrical version of the Windsor Knot. This makes the Half Windsor a perfect match for any dress shirt. On the other hand, the Four in Hand Knot has an asymmetrical knot which is great when paired with a button down shirt. The Pratt Knot has the widest base among the five popular ways to tie a tie. Similar to the Half Windsor, the Pratt Knot looks good on any dress shirt. A Bow Tie typically matches any shirt. If your shirt is of a light or patterned fabric, a bow tie usually adds quirkiness and fun to an outfit.

How do you tie a tie?

To tie a tie in the Pratt Knot fashion (which is not demonstrated in the photo above) you only need to follow 8 simple steps. The first step is to make sure you have an appropriately matched shirt and tie. If you are new to neckties, it is best not to pair a patterned tie with a patterned shirt. You can move to more sophisticated pairings later on when you get the hang of ties. The next step is to wear the necktie such that the end with a wider base hangs on your right side at approximately 1 foot below the narrow end. Make sure that the label faces away from you. Create a cross on your chest by putting the wide end under the narrow end. Take the wide end over the narrow end and slip it into the hole where your neck is. This should create a loop. Tighten this loop until it is comfortably settled on your neck. The neck part is going to be a bit tricky.

What you need to do is to take the wide end again and pull it over the narrow end towards the right. Pull the wide end from under/behind the loop and bring it inside the knot. Pull it down, tighten the knot and that is how you tie a tie!

Of course, following these instructions might not render a perfect knot automatically. Tying a tie is an art which requires a certain amount of practice, so continue giving it a try and you will eventually be able to tie that tie even when you are blindfolded!