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9.13

Tying a four-in-hand necktie knot

Start with the wide end long, wrap it over, under and over, then go up through the neck loop and down through the front.

A man in a white shirt, collar turned up, works a black necktie into a knot.
Photo: Stephen Andrews / Pexels
Area: HandsFrom age 16Time to learn: 15 minutes, plus a few repeats

You will be able to tie a neat four-in-hand knot without watching a video.

SafetyTake off a tie, or tuck it into your shirt, before using power tools or working near moving machinery. OSHA warns that loose clothing and ties can get caught in moving parts.

Why it matters

Job interviews, weddings, funerals and some workplaces may expect a tie, sometimes at short notice. The four-in-hand is the simplest common knot and suits most shirts and ties. It is slightly uneven by design, which is normal.

How to do it

  1. Button your shirt to the top and turn the collar up.
  2. Drape the tie around your neck with the wide end on your right and the narrow end on your left. The tip of the narrow end should sit about at your belly button or a little higher.
  3. Cross the wide end over the narrow end, from right to left.
  4. Bring the wide end back under the narrow end, to the right.
  5. Cross the wide end over the front again, to the left. Leave this front wrap a little loose.
  6. Bring the wide end up through the neck loop from underneath.
  7. Push the wide end down through the loose front wrap you just made.
  8. Hold the narrow end and slide the knot up to your collar. Keep the fabric flat, with no twists.
  9. Check the length. The tip of the wide end should reach about the top of your belt buckle. If not, untie and start with the narrow end higher or lower.
  10. Fold your collar down and tuck the narrow end through the small loop on the back of the wide end.

Common mistakes

  • Starting with the ends at the wrong length, the most common reason to retie.
  • Letting the tie twist during the wraps.
  • Pulling the knot very tight, which makes it small and crumpled.
  • Leaving the knot below the collar so the top button shows.
You can do this when …you can tie the knot in front of a mirror, without a video, in under 2 minutes, and the tip reaches your belt.

Sources

  1. Animated Knots: Four-in-Hand Necktie Knot
  2. iFixit: How to Tie a Tie: Four-in-Hand
  3. OSHA 3080: Hand and Power Tools (loose clothing and ties)

Sources and numbers last checked . How we check

Topic: Knots and bows

Go deeper

GuideHow to tie shoes that stay tiedA common reason laces come undone is a crooked granny bow. Here is how to check yours, the one change that fixes it, and how to teach it to a child.

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