How to Tie a Half Windsor Knot

These instructions will teach you how to properly tie a tie with a Half-Windsor knot. The only materials you need are a collared shirt and a tie! Remember, if at any point you think you may have messed up, just go back a few steps or start over; it will take a few tries before you master the art of tie tying.

Note: The pictures that follow are mirrored to make it easier for you to see what you're supposed to be doing. You don't have to imitate the images exactly. Please feel free to use whichever hands feel most comfortable.

Getting Started

Take your tie with both hands and put it around your neck so that the wide end is on your right side and the narrow end is on your left *(remember the images below are mirrored). Adjust the tie so that it lies under your collar.

Now We're Uneven

Adjust the length of the tie so that the wide end hangs about a foot lower than the narrow end (if you have a really long tie, like in the picture below, you may need to make the wide end even lower).

Cross Over

Take the wide end of the tie and cross it over the narrow end of the tie so that the wide end is in front. Make sure not to cross the ends of the tie too low, but not so high that you can't see what you're doing either - you'll be tightening the knot at the end and if it's tied too low, the narrow end might extend past the wide end and the knot will have to be retied.

Get Behind Me

Bring the wide end around and behind the narrow end.

Upper Hand

Bring the wide end of the tie up.

Through the Looping Glass

Push the wide end down through the loop around your neck, then pull it all the way through.

Double Cross

Cross the wide end of the tie over to your left side.

Under and Over

Reach under the narrow end to grab the wide end of the tie and bring it up through the loop.

Loosen Up

Raise the wide end of the tie up to give you a clear view of the knot. Then loosen the front layer of the knot, forming a gap.

Tie It Down

Take the wide end and push it down through the hole you have just made, then grab the wide end from underneath and pull it through gently.

Adjustin' Tie

Adjust the tie by holding the knot with one hand and gently pulling the narrow end with the other.

Additional Notes

For a cleaner-looking knot, grab the tie around your collar on either side of the knot and pull gently to widen it.

To undo the knot, simply hold the knot with your and pull the narrow end out of it upwards.

If the narrow end extends past the wide end, undo the knot and start again at step 1, allowing the wide end to hang even lower. Try to tie the knot as high as you can while still being able to see it.