Tie Knots - Why They Are Wide or Narrow, Symmetrical or Not

 

The Shape of Necktie knots and Why?

An interesting question was sent to us from our blog or our retail site regarding the size of a necktie knot.

Subject:	Knot size
Message:	Hello just wanted to check and confirm that this silk still gives you a smaller knot compared to most of the current ties on the market today, and is about 4\" in with. Thanks

The size of the knot is determined by the ties lining and the kind of knot you'll tie.  The ties width will also effect the size of the knot 

A Windsor or even a Half Windsor will yield a bigger knot than the 4 in Hand Necktie Knot.  The widest and the most symmetrical necktie knot is the Windsor Knot.   This is the most respectable necktie knot, the one that commands attention and is almost a "shoo-in" to get the new job during an interview.  Tying the Windsor is not so hard to accomplish however most men are too lazy to learn how or are shown a complicated method to do it.  Checkout our "simple to learn" exclusive diagram - link below.

The lining in a tie is wool or wool-blend and can be heavier or lighter which will effect the fullness and shape of the knot. Also the width of the tie length that composes the part of the tie that becomes the knot can be narrower which will create a slimmer knot than a tie with a wider tie length above the 18 inch mark measuring from the bottom of the wide tie blade.

With narrow ties coming back in style the knots should be slimmer as a result.   The width of ties changes in cycles that are in tandem with the width of jacket lapels.  I hope that this answers your question.

Check out the Romantic Way to Tie the Windsor Tie Knot 

“The apparel oft proclaims the man,"  William Shakespeare - poet, and dramatist -  from Hamlet - trending from1564 - 1616.“

Jeffrey Hunter
Nice Tie Store

A Giraffe Businessman Ties a Tie For Work

If you ever had the urge to complain about having to wear a necktie you may be surprised to see a giraffe tie a necktie.  This very creative TV ad for Residence Inn Marriot illustrates the need for a quality place to prepare for business.   Check out a new post we did How Should A Giraffe Tien His Necktie

“The apparel oft proclaims the man," ( And Giraffes)  William Shakespeare - poet, and dramatist -  from Hamlet - trending from1564 - 1616.“

Jeffrey Hunter
Nice Tie Store

The Windsor Tie Knotting Diagram the Easy Way

The Romantic Way to Tie a Necktie  - The Windsor

The Windsor Tie knotting diagram and lesson is below. You are welcome to print the diagram for later use if you like. Tying ties is really not so hard, if you know the easy way to do it. Our Windsor Tie Knot lesson is simple to master - with a little practice you will be a pro at it.  Your necktie will have an automatic symmetrical knot and a very sexy dimple in the length of the tie just below the knot.

This diagram  is drawn in reverse so you can attach it to a mirror and follow it step by step.  It is, however illustrated for right handed tie knotters, so if you are a south paw you may need to create this diagram in reverse.  In no time at all you will master tying this refined gentleman's necktie knot.  Tying ties could not be easier - the double Windsor necktie knot.

Checkout the romantic story The Mystery of the Windsor Tie Knot

There is another way to achieve the Windsor Tie Knot however it is fairly confusing to master.  When you tie this knot using this method your tie will go on and off easy - no inner knot remains when you loosen this knot by carefully pulling the knot down the narrow tie length.  Step # 7 & 8 are going the opposite direction from how the Duke of Windsor demonstrated it in a 1936 photo sequence.  That reverse of direction makes the difference and makes the Windsor knot a horrible task unless by accident you have made this tie knot the easy way.  Besides making the knot hard to master if the knot is made the way that the photo sequence illustration instructs; an inner knot remains once the tie is removed causing great damage to a tie unless it is completely unraveled.  That inner knot makes the tie knot really difficult to undo and will twist the inner lining and wrinkle the tie’s fabric, a common result of laziness or sheer neglect, which is evident on used ties at thrift stores.   Hoax, or just a way to complicate the steps so not every man could look as handsome as the "Blue Bloods" the awkward necktie knot is easily tied now that you have our tie tying diagram.

The wide blade of the tie does all of the work.  Start by turning your collar up and drape the tie over your neck with the wide tie blade near your knee.  This is the most important step as the end result proves the correct length of the tie once the knot is finished.  This practice will calibrate the length of the tie so the wide blade covers your waist band when you are finished.  The ties slip stitching is against your chest with the front or face of the tie showing.  As mentioned you may need to practice several times so you are starting with the wide blade of the tie at the right place.  Carefully fold the tie without twisting and after the final step just draw the knot up to your collar while holding the narrow blade of the tie.

“The apparel oft proclaims the man,"  William Shakespeare - poet, and dramatist -  from Hamlet - trending from1564 - 1616.“

Jeffrey Hunter
Nice Tie Store

The Mystery of the Windsor Necktie Knot

The Windsor tie knot - unmistakable for its symmetry and
that wonderful dimple

A Love Story Like No Other, a King - a Would be Queen, and a Tie Knot Fashion Statement.

The Duke of Windsor was given credit for the stylish necktie knot that was so attractive it caused a fashion phenomenon so endearing that more than 75 years later it still has heads turning.  The most popular necktie knot "The Windsor Knot" was named after the Duke of Windsor against his wishes thanks to a romantic story that caught the world’s attention.  British folklore has it that his father King George V passed down this very stylish tie knot along with the crown jewels to the Royal Prince. However the origin of its popularity goes to handsome Duke of Windsor only because some very unique things happened when he became the King of England.

The Duke of Windsor tying the famous
knot is introduced to the world in 1936

In 1936, after just an eleven month reign as King of Britain, Edward the VIII abdicated his throne to marry Bessie Wallis Warfield Simpson an American divorcee – a women he was rumored to been having an affair with.  The Church of England and the Royal opinion looked down on divorce and went against the King's decision to marry his love.  He was the head of the Church of England and no queen could be a divorcee. His will to violate the doctrines of the church he was head of created a crisis that swept the United Kingdom leaving Edward the VIII’s brother the Duke of York to take the throne becoming King George the VI.

The title of the Duke of Windsor was given to the vacating King by his brother in a show of respect.   Many in the United Kingdom were set aside by the dashing gentleman who captivated the world with his abdication of the throne for love.  Bessie Wallis Warfield Simpson wary of the publicity had been in seclusion in a villa in France received hate mail as the political scandal became fact from rumor. Privately and later publicly she reveled that she had tried to appeal to Edward the VIII to give up his quest for love and to avoid the inevitable abdication.  There were numerous clandestine secret meetings and campaigns to bring the matter to a close which only fueled the media’s hunger.  The British press had abandoned its respect for the King and joined the world’s media trying to get the scoop on the paralyzing affair.  

In a public announcement that captivated the United Kingdom and the world, King Edward the VIII appealed to his subjects that his decision was unavoidable.  Finally he put to rest the hysteria with a resolution, "But you must believe me when I tell you that I have found it impossible to carry the heavy burden of responsibility and to discharge my duties as King, as I would wish to do, without the help and support of the woman I love."  With the statement carried over the radio on Dec 11, 1936 Edward the VIII became the first monarch in British history voluntarily abdicate the Royal Throne.  "I now quit altogether public affairs, and I lay down my burden," he said in his broadcast the day after the act of abdication had been signed.  On Dec. 12, at 2 A.M., he left England and six months later married Mrs. Simpson on June 3, 1937 in France.

The Duke of Windsor demonstrating how he ties the "Windsor" tie knot, 
however he is tying it a confusing way  on purpose so not all men 
could look so dashing 

The never waning fascination with the Royal Family, especially in America, and the scandal that enveloped two people in love became a modern day fairy tale that captured the attention of people the world over..  With honor and great character the Duke of Windsor followed his heart and showed the World what was most important to him.  To abandon and ignore his love just to be King would not have been possible for him.  No doubt there were few women alive that were not spellbound by their romance and the Duke of Windsor's charm, let alone his devotion to his lady.  It was just as perfect a medicine as possible that the weary world needed as the great depression continued.  None-the-less. There was however resentment in the United Kingdom for the decision that he made; to stand down from the Throne, most notably from Sir Winston Churchill which has been revealed only recently.  The rejection by the Royal family forced them to live in exile.

This tale of Duke of Windsor is a part of a controversial history and is a well-known sore in the British fashion and political world.  Many Brits do not give the Duke credit for his wonderful necktie knotting and a prejudice of sort has followed to this day.  So much so that even Ian Fleming's spy 007 James Bond considered a man that wore a Windsor Tie Knot as a Cad and not to be trusted.  It is no wonder that some of those bad guys out to conquer the World, that Bond had to eliminate - looked so handsome with their perfectly symmetrical Windsor Knotted ties.

How it all can to be. There is always a reason why some things especially fashion trends become so popular due to an obscure event or some unrelated occurrence. During the Paparazzi media frenzy to satisfy the international appeal of such a sensational fairy tale, Edward VIII sported the symmetrical necktie knot that American journalists especially adorned and inadvertently gave him credit for, in turn setting the stage for the Royal Fashion Statement.  Fashion and style sometimes have a unique origin.  If the Duke of Windsor had never fallen in love with a married American woman the sexy and very stylish tie knot, that only a few select gentlemen were accustom to, may never have become discovered.  

In the corporate world of banking, in the sales room or on the car dealership lots the real shakers and movers tie the Windsor.  In fact, at a job interview you may not get past the greeting hand shake very easily if your tie knot does not have symmetry of the Windsor. And as far as love and attraction goes women have a great value for men who dress well. Neckties have sex appeal and women just seem to become hopelessly intrigued a lot faster if that adorable dimple in the fabric below the knot is just so elegantly revealing itself.  Ties are the only thing that a man can wear to express himself artistically.  Unless of course a young man is part of the rapper generation and by some delusion he considers it an expression of style that his pants are hanging so low that his buttocks crack is visible and as well his boxers.  That is a different kind of expression though, one that will have mixed reactions - certainly with more refined people.  For sure it is safer to go with a tie and the Windsor. while desiring to make an impression.

Thanks to a very romantic and passionate love affair and a King's compelling desire for a once in a lifetime love; a fashion statement became iconic.  The mystery and allure of the Windsor Necktie knot is no more obscure then a very sensational woman and a man's uncompromising attraction,   His devotion was born from her intrigue - no doubt caused by his charismatic persona and perhaps a very captivating necktie knot.  Thus, by such an uncommon love and a sensational affair, the result of the politics and grandeur of the Royals, modern man was gifted the Windsor tie knot.

Click here for the documentary on You Tube illustrating the historic abdication

Click here for the documentary on You Tube - The American Woman Who Cost A King His Throne

Click here for a You Tube video illustrating how to tie the Windsor Tie Knot

A cool video - learn how to tie a Full Windsor Necktie Knot at BikiniHow - there is nothing sexier than a man wearing a tie

The Duke and Duchess of Windsor
Cover of Life Magazine June 1941

Edward VII, the Duke of Windsor remained devoted 
to the woman he  sacrificed the throne for and later 
on exclaimed that he had no regrets.

  

Watch the movie trailer W.E. 
The Duke and Duchess of Windsor - 
perhaps the greatest love story 
ever told. Directed by Madonna

Jeffrey Hunter

Nice Tie Store

  .. Google +     Jeffrey Hunter – Neckties by Nice Tie Store

Jeffrey Hunter has been involved with retailing and designing neckties since 1996. He started selling ties to Los Angeles and Orange County car salesmen out of the trunk of 1966 Lincoln Continental. Several kiosks in Orange County at Newport Fashion Island and the Irvine Spectrum called Too Sexie Ties proved successfully but too much work. From the summer 2001 he has built web sites that offer collector ties like Spiderman, Disney and really wild ties on line.  He is now designing ties that rival Rush Limbaugh's designs from over ten years ago.

Prior to selling ties he was a freelance professional photographer traveling to Iceland, India, the US South West, and other adventures.  His fondness of fancy novelty ties and the difficulty of finding them was one of the attractions of starting the neck wear business in 1996. 

Alfred Hitchcock's Love of Neckties

Alfred Hitchcock hanging by two neckties, if you look close one tie is hanging around his neck while the other is... 

"Hitchcock’s films abound with objects as visual correlatives - the missing finger in "The Thirty-Nine Steps" - the milk chocolates on the assembly line in Secret Agent, the knife and time bomb in Sabotage.   Hitchcock’s objects are never mere props of a basically theatrical mise-en-scene, but rather the very substance of his cinema.",   Andrew Sarris

Hitchcock’s films always included symbolic objects.  His film plots usually incorporate these objects or missing objects, which have become known as "MacGuffins."  Hitchcock said that he directed his films so that "if by any chance the sound apparatus broke down in the cinema, the audience would not fret and get restless because the pictorial action would still hold them!"  His film  titles as well have an "objectness" to them (The Birds, Rope, Champagne, Lifeboat, Psycho, etc.)

He had a fondness for neckties using them as valuable props that either helped tell the story or as in his film "Frenzy," the necktie is more than a prop it is as much a character as the actors are in which a serial killer uses a necktie to strangle his victims.   See our Post The Necktie Strangler.   In the movie "Strangers on a Train" Hitchcock actually designed the Lobster Tie that Bruno wears so that it would resemble a pair of hands formatted in such a way - not unlike a pair of hands that would be capable of strangling someone.  

New York Times Review - Strangers On a Train (1951)

THE SCREEN IN REVIEW; 'Strangers on a Train,' Another Hitchcock Venture, Arrives at the Warner Theatre

In one of Alfred Hitchcock's suspense classics, tennis pro Guy Haines (Farley Granger) chances to meet wealthy wastrel Bruno Anthony (Robert Walker) on a train. Having read all about Guy, Bruno is aware that the tennis player is trapped in an unhappy marriage to to wife Miriam (Laura Elliott) and has been seen in the company of senator's daughter Ann Morton (Ruth Roman). Baiting Guy, Bruno reveals that he feels trapped by his hated father (Jonathan Hale). As Guy

listens with detached amusement, Bruno discusses the theory of "exchange murders." Suppose that Bruno were to murder Guy's wife, and Guy in exchange were to kill Bruno's father? With no known link between the two men, the police would be none the wiser, would they? When he reaches his destination, Guy bids goodbye to Bruno, thinking nothing more of the affable but rather curious young man's homicidal theories. And then, Guy's wife turns up strangled to death. Co-adapted by Raymond Chandler from a novel by Patricia Highsmith, Strangers on a Train perfectly exemplifies Hitchcock's favorite theme of the evil that lurks just below the surface of everyday life and ordinary men. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi.  

Full New York Times Review

Farley Granger and Robert Walker in Strangers on a Train

Checkout our Hollywood Movie Star Neckties

Ghost Wearing a Tie Captured on Marine Drive CCTV.

Ghosts do wear neckties

Checkout my Halloween Story A gentleman Ghost wearing neckties

Ghost Wearing a Tie Spotted at Churchgate Subway

Yes, Ghosts really wear neckties

Beats me how this is done - probably a real ghost who wears ties

Checkout my original Ghost Story  A Gentleman Ghost wearing Neckties

A Ghost Wearing a Necktie Spotted in Kolkata.

Ghosts wear neckties - Really

Checkout my story called A Ghost and a Tie

The Ghost and the Necktie

The Gentleman Ghost wearing a suit and necktie

by Jeffrey Hunter 

A gentleman ghost who wears a suit and tie for Halloween

The legend of the gentleman ghost wearing a tie at the State Inn on Oak Hollow Lane was a most haunting tale as any other ghost story.  It was quite an attraction for the small town of Grants New Mexico to say the least.

"A most gentlemanly ghost wearing neckties" the tag line pitch on the highway bill boards. However this was a haunted house that wasn't of great notoriety, not because it was unworthy.  It was a sensational haunting, however the town of Grants New Mexico was hardly a spot on the map.  Before the Interstate went through New Mexico, Grants was at least a gasoline, bathroom, food pit stop and if the timing was right, a nights rest on the trek going east to west from Chicago to Los Angeles, or visa verse on Old Route 66.  The town's main attraction had to compete with other towns promoting their tourist traps such as the famous Arizona "thing" an alien supposedly found near Area 51 and the Billy The Kid in Fort Sumner New Mexico.  The competition was especially a great challenge after Interstate 40 was completed and Grants New Mexico could easily be missed in the blink of eye.

The Old State Inn Haunting

The haunting of the Old State Inn on Oak Hollow Lane was practically forgotten save for the few ghost enthusiasts who had knowledge of its past reputation or the modern travelers that just happened to arrive in Grants when the long day on the road had taken toll on the weary.

The main attraction of this tourist trap was very polite tie wearing ghost who had charmed his way into the hearts of all who stayed at the State Inn. He never made an appearance until late at night and he was not easy to count on. It was as if he had other matters to tend to besides his entertaining of tourists.  Most of the time he was not alone for his appearances. The ghostly gentlemen wearing a suit and necktie was usually accompanied by his likewise ghost wife who had been by his side helping manage the State Inn in its hey day in the late 20s and 30s when Route 66 was the most significant road to travel across the USA.

The staircase to the haunted loft of the Old State Inn 

After dinner the guests would climb the stairs to the loft where the ghostly gentlemen would sometimes appear.  At the very top of the stairs the every gust would trip and fall on landing of the loft.  The Gentleman ghost would show himself with a very amusing smile startling the curious patron of the Inn.  It was not everyone who would see the ghost however everyone did not fail to stumble on that last step.  As would be expected an eerie feeling would overwhelm the guests when appearing in the usual transparent haze that is becoming of ghosts would be a gentlemanly ghost in a suit and necktie.

Sometimes the Gentleman Ghost would be accompanied by a lady who was said to be his wife. He was never threatening nor was his wife although they always became very amused at the manner in which the guest would try to shrug off the clumsy fall.  And them as quick as the ghost would appear he would gone in an instant.  The staff of the Old State Inn would always get a kick out of and sure they would receive a nice tip too for being a guide of sort.

The haunting of the Old State Inn in Grants New Mexico had been the pride of Grants for as long as anyone could remember. Certainly the guests were astonished by this phenomenon however there was one young man who was not so impressed indeed.  To say he was a  non-believer would be an understatement as he had decided to prove that the ghost story was a big hoax.

Only he ventured to the second floor to where the staircase to the loft was.  It was not so hard to figure out the cause of the stumbling at the top of the stairs. The very last rise of the stair case was 11/2 inches taller then the rest. This certainly was the cause of the miss-stepping and the stumbling.  As for the appearance of the Ghost he gad a very simple theory to explain nit away.  The guest that had claimed to see the ghost were merely faking the sighting so they could feel special among the other guests.

The clever guest was so proud of himself after his discovery of the difference in the stair rise that he immediately set out to prove his theory of the mysterious appearance of the gentleman ghost in a suit and tie as not actually ever occurring.  Ever so confident of himself he raced up the stairs and no he did not trip on the very last rise as he skipped that last step and hopped on to the landing of the loft

He did however become quite startled when just before him was the gentleman ghost so carefully groomed in handsome attire and his wife each with smirk on the faces.  As if to say you think you are so smart to prove me false and my loving wife no less.  Then he heard with in his head the soft voices of the ghostly pair, "We would never cause any harm to the guests of the Old State Inn.  That would not be a polite manner in which to treat them. It was never are intention to cause them to fall either."   They looked upon him with a bit of disdain and then in an instant they were gone. The man was spellbound , taken aback with a bit of solitude as he had failed to proved that the gentleman ghost wearing a suit and
tie was a fake.  He returned the lobby a bit disheveled and explained that he had a perfectly sound explanation to why the guest of the Old State Inn would fall at the top of the stairs.  "You see it is a matter of measurement, the top rise in about 1 1/2 inches taller than the rest of the rises."

As for the ghosts that you have here I am at a loss to explain that.  And with that the entire staff of the Old State Inn on Oak Hollow Lane in Grants New Mexico became quite happy as did most of the town folk. Tombstone had the OK Corral, Albuquerque had the Hot Air Balloon Festivals, Sante Fe had Georgia O'Keeffe, and someplace without even a name had an alien corpse.  Grants had a haunted hotel, the Old State Inn with its very own gentleman ghost who wore a suit a necktie!   Why not, after all Shakespeare did say the apparel oft proclaim the man - er ghost.

I was inspired to write this make believe story after remembering Jimmy Stewart tell a story of a bed and breakfast in Connecticut that was said to be haunted.  He had figured the mystery out by measuring the steps of the stair case to the loft that everyone seemed to trip on by the miss-deeds of a ghost.

Checkout Nice Tie Store

Keel Walking in a Hugo Boss Suit and Tie

Professional Yacht Racer Alex Thompson sporting Hugo Boss tie on the water

Dare devil sailor Alex Thompson does the unbelievable in a suit and necktie.

Professional sailor Alex Thompson provided a little extra promotion for Hugo Boss his sponsor in sail boat regattas since 2003.  Keeping the eight ton yacht at 45 degrees with one of the dual keels just right while tacking was no easy task.

The part that is most usual in this fashion stunt was Thompson walking the keel.  He not only walked the keel several times he did it in a Hugo Boss Suit and tie,  No one ever said getting a big sponsor to finance a racing yacht team would not come without extra effort other than winning yacht races or at least sailing with great skill making sure to get the sponsor logos and on the pages of newspapers,magazines and television.

Alex Thompson keel walking Hugo Boss style

Hugo Boss has sponsored Formula One Auto racing so getting behind the The British Yacht Racer was a natural.  He is the youngest skipper to win a round the world yacht race.   In November of 2012 Thompson set off on the challenging Vende Globe - a single handed race around the world that includes sailing the most dangerous seas.

Hugo Boss has provided Thompson with his racing gear, and survival kit.   Their experience with Formula One Auto Racing was beneficial in the effort to design and fabricate Yacht racing gear. What they have experienced along the way will be used in the sports clothing line of action wear.   The apparel design will be similar to what they have already achieved for golfing, which was part of their affiliation with the Ryder Cup.

Thompson's Spinnaker in the Vende Globe Round the World Regatta will feature an illustration of the Hugo Boss Black Regatta Watch. This is more than just a chronograph time piece. The watch has audible signals that will make the challenging starting of the race segments easier to gain the advantage over competitors

Concerning his choice of suits, shirts and neckties you guessed it - Hugo Boss will have Alex Thompson looking sharp and ready for what ever challenge comes his way on dry land.  For that matter he can also face anything on the water in a suit and necktie should it deem appropriate. James Bond come to mind on that one  - walking the keel of a racing yacht in a suit and tie.

click here to see the Hugo Boss Collection Winter 2013

Click the video to how Alex Thompson walked the keel of his Hugo Boss Race Boat

Yacht Racer Alex Thompson ties his tie

                                                                                         

Keel Walking in a Hugo Boss Suit and Tie

Keel Walking Hugo Boss Style