Tie knots - does it really matter?

[English Bloke]

Full windsor always for me. Has been for about 25 years. I like the symmetry of it. Much smarter than a tie knot scooting off at an odd angle. Almost as bad as a tie not done up fully, leaving the fastened top button exposed. Drives me to distraction that does.

[Brian K]

When I was a teen (40 years or so ago) I always tied a Windsor (named for Windsor Castle in honor of its resident George V, not his wastrel son) or a half Windsor mainly because it was in vogue in the 70s and fit in well with the wider lapels and wide ties of the time. As I got older I abandoned the Full Windsor and went mainly with the half Windsor. For the last 20 years ago I have stuck with the four-in-hand. In its simplicity and asymmetricality it has an elegance, rather than a showiness, that I truly like. If you buy a nice enough tie with substantial enough fabric (I look in discount places for my ties because I can't afford the retail price of most nice ties) the knot will still be large enough to not look too small, but it will also be small enough and restrained enough to not mark you as a peacock. With a slightly off center dimple it's perfect for most occasions.

As mentioned earlier in the thread, the four in hand is damned near impossible to tie symmetrically, and that is a big reason I like it. If your knot is as perfect as an isosceles triangle and the dimple is perfectly centered it looks like you either fussed and fretted over it too much or you bought it pre-tied. A well tied four-in-hand gives you the air of casual insouciance that is just right for almost any occasion.

Brian

[auld argonian]

A well tied four-in-hand gives you the air of casual insouciance that is just right for almost any occasion.

Brian

...and anyone who's spent any time in this forum knows that we only have two kinds of kilties here: the insouciant and...the souciant...I guess...

I've been following this thread and I guess that I realize that there may be some generalizations about what knot goes with which collar and what width of tie but there are no hard and fast rules; if it looks good, it goes.

Best

AA

[Panache]

Full windsor always for me. Has been for about 25 years. I like the symmetry of it. .

I'm with John. Having been quite satisifed with the full windsor knot my father taught me how to tie as a teen I have never bothered to learn any other way. For me, better one good thing done well than a number of lesser things done poorly.

Cheers

Jamie

[Red Stag]

What about this: http://www.vat19.com/dvds/wood-tie.cfm?adid=youtube ? No knots required!

[Pleater]

Ah yes - when told to smarten myself up for an important visitation I dressed in boots, a smart skirt, a dark green shirt style blouse and a black waistcoat with tiny silver buttons, and a bottle green silk tie done in a Windsor knot. I coiled up my hair and pinned it with a silver comb.

Our lab manager was totally incensed when the site manager told me to show the visitors the urea formaldehyde resin production area and I ended up having coffee with them. They wanted to order three times the normal daily capacity and the management would not do three shift working to produce it, so nothing came of the visit, but don't think the lab manager ever forgave me for dressing so well.

Anne the Pleater :ootd: