Q. You once had a diagram on tying bow ties, but I never thought I’d wear one. Then, recently, I saw a look I liked, with wilder colors and patterns worn with sweaters. I bought a couple, but I’ve been forced to rely on my roommate to tie them. Can you help?
A. Good for you for taking the grown-up approach. Today, the pendulum is swinging back from casual dressing to somewhat more formal and more fashion-aware looks. Younger men, especially, seem to be paying new attention to dressing up. One element of this shift is the renewed popularity of the bow tie, and not just for black-tie attire. I’m afraid the world of men’s dressing is divided - and not very equally - between those men who do, and those who do not, know how to tie their own bow tie.It’s strange that no man past his early teens would need someone else to knot his long, four-in-hand tie for him. Yet competent men of all ages - apt in the art of dressing - often think they cannot learn to tie a bow tie. Nonsense! It takes a little practice, but it is not difficult.
I found a lot of sites on the Internet that “explain” the process. Most say it is just like tying your shoe (not true!). Many made it more complicated than necessary, and a few actually gave wrong information. I have been teaching men how to tie their own bow ties for years and can pretty much guarantee your success if you follow my steps exactly.
Learning to tie your bow tie is only slightly different from tying your shoe. These are the six steps.
One, begin with one end (whichever one you prefer, but if you are right-handed, it is usually easier to hold the long end of the tie in your right hand) 1½ inches longer than the other. Cross the longer end over the shorter one.
Two, bring the longer end up and through the back. (This part is a simple halfknot, the same as the first step in tying your shoe.) Keep the long end above the other. Pull tight (in fact, tighter than is comfortable).
Steps 3 and 4 are the crucial ones, different from tying your shoe. The original shorter piece is now the one that hangs closest to your body. Use it to form the front loop by folding horizontally across (making a sort of S shape that goes back on itself, precisely as in drawing number 3).
Four, while holding the front loop with your left hand close to your neck, drop the long end down in front.
Five, create the second loop with the long end by poking the midsection of this piece through the hole behind the first loop. (This step is once again just like tying your shoe.)
Finally, pull the two parts evenly. Loosen the too-tight part around your neck until comfortable. Tighten and correct the shape of the bow. Smooth it out. These minor adjustments take some practice at first to make the two sides equal. (It gets easier rather quickly and is definitely worth the effort to learn.)
A few important notes:
Bow-tie lengths are adjustable. Before you begin, adjust the tie’s length with the small hook in the back so the tie is at least one-half inch bigger than your correct neck size. If your neck size is 15½, hook it on 16 or 16½.
Work in front of a mirror.
Lift the collar of your shirt up to make the tying process more visible and easier.
Some men find it helpful in step 2, after tightening, to throw that long end over your shoulder to keep it out of the way until step 4, when you will drop it down in front of the first loop.
The only even slightly tricky part is step 3, using the correct piece for the first loop and which direction you start its S shape. Doing it right is the total difference between a bow tie that sits perfectly straight across and one that will be crooked.
After tying the bow, fold your shirt collar down; if it’s a button-down, button the two buttons. Be sure the bow is in front of the collar points.
When it’s finished, a real bow tie (as opposed to clip-ons and some pre-tieds) has a loop in front on one side and an end in front on the other side.
Incidentally, this method guarantees that every bow you tie will be straight across and not lop-sided. It is useful for men and women, for any situation where you want a bow to sit straight … whether you are tying a bow tie, your shoe laces, or the bow on your daughter’s party dress.
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High Profile, Pages 42 on 02/23/2014