Tie and Tie Again...

Ok, ladies, correct if I’m wrong, but there’s something about a man in a tie that’s just so…professional.  Unless the tie looks like it was pulled from the bottom of the hamper and has never, ever, ever been untied, or dry-cleaned, or worn without an equally sloppy shirt.  Hear that guys?  A sloppily tied tie will get you nowhere.  But lucky for you, the fashion merchandising majors are here to help!

Not a Good Look.

Definitely not UCM Fashion Approved.

Good Looking Guy - Bad Looking Tie.

SO MANY CHOICES!

Although there are over 80 different ways to tie a tie, the three most commonly used are the four-in-hand knot, the half-Windsor knot, and the Windsor knot.  Any of these knots are appropriate to wear to a job interview – the most common place college students and grads wear a tie.

THE FOUR-IN-HAND

The four-in-hand knot is a smaller and asymmetric tie knot.  It is very simple to tie and works for almost every type of tie and every type of shirt collar.  It looks best on men of medium or tall build.  Here's how to create your very own four-in-hand!

To begin, turn up the collar of your shirt, button the top button, then put the tie around your neck.  Medium height men should position the narrow end of the tie at waist level. Tall men should position the narrow end a little above the waist.

1.  Just below the collar, lay the wide end over the narrow end.
2.  Take the wide end behind the narrow end.
3.  Bring the wide end across the layover.
4.  Holding a finger in the loop, bring the wide end up, then down through the loop.
5.  Holding the narrow end, pull the knot gently up to the top shirt button.

When the knot is finished, the narrow end must be concealed and the wide end should be level with your belt.

Tying a Four-in-Hand Knot

Here’s a video to help you out.

THE HALF-WINDSOR KNOT

Tying a half-Windsor produces a neat, triangular knot.  It is larger than the four-in-hand but smaller than the Windsor.  The half-Windsor is derived from the Windsor in that it is only brought up around the loop on one side rather than both.  It works well with light- and medium-weight fabrics.

To begin, place the tie around your neck. Medium-sized men should start with the narrow end well below the belt.

1. Lay the wide end over the narrow end. Hold this layover and make a second turn around the narrow end just above the first.

2. Take the wide end horizontally behind the layover and bring it forward.
3. Hold the layover, take the wide end up under the layover and slide it down through the loop.
4. Hold the narrow end and pull gently on the wide end to form the knot. When finished, the narrow end should be concealed behind the wide end, which should be level with your belt.

Tying a Half-Windsor Knot

Here’s another video to help you perfect your half-Windsor.

THE WINDSOR KNOT
Made popular by the Duke of Windsor, the Windsor knot is a thick, wide and triangular tie knot that projects confidence.  It's great for presentations and job interviews and works best with spread collar shirts.  This is also the knot you want for special occasions.

While just about everyone looks great in a Windsor knot, it works especially well on men with longer necks as its wide form shortens the perceived height of the neck a bit.  Ideally, it should fit exactly between the two ends of the collar and completely hide the top button of the shirt.

To begin, slide the tie around your neck after first having buttoned up the top button of your shirt and turned up the collar.  The two ends of the tie must be of different lengths.  The wide end must hang down much longer than the narrow end.

1. Lay the wide end over the narrow end.
2. Bring the wide end up through the gap between the layover and your neck.
3. Take the wide end to the right behind the layover, then forwards and up, then down into the gap between the layover and your neck.
4. Take the wide end round the front of the layover, up close to your neck, and down through the loop just formed.
5. Hold the narrow end and tighten the finished knot by pulling it gently up to center it on your collar.

Tying a Windsor Knot

Here’s a video to guide you through your Windsor-tying adventures.

Ok gentlemen, now you need the perfect tie to make that great impression - and I know just where you can get it!  Pick up your own UCM tie (or scarf!) designed by Fashion Merchandising students right here: UCM Fashion Merchandise Store

Remember the scruffy looking characters from before?  Well, rest assured that with these expert tie tie-ing tips from the fashion students at UCM you'll be looking like these dapper gents with a little practice.  Happy tie-ing!

Nice Ties Guys - You're Hired.

Written by Kelli Morford & Angela VanBiber