How to Tie A Bow In Simple Steps

There are six steps to tying a bow tie that will transform you, as American songwriter Irving Berlin memorably phrased it, into a “million dollar trooper.” However, in the same way you’ll only know how to tie a tie by distinguishing one business end from the other, it’s crucial to learn the anatomy of a bow before diving in, neck first.

Pull the bow tie to a length where one side fits into the groove of the other (known as the ‘neck’). If you’re right-handed, the longer side should be the right, and vice-versa if left-handed.

Fold the longer side of the bow tie over the shorter side, crossing at the strap above the ‘leaf’ of the bow tie. Go under the centre and through, pulling tightly enough that you can feel it, but so it’s not pushing into your neck (or blocking any airways). Discard the longer side (the one you pulled through) over your shoulder.

Face a mirror and fold the other side up horizontally with the neck of the bow tie in the centre, so it resembles the shape of the finished product.

Bring the long end back into play, and pull it downwards perpendicular to the other horizontal spread. This will form the central knot, so this movement should only use the material on the strap of the bow tie, not the leaf.

This movement will make a little hole between the initial knot and the back of the neck of the horizontal spread. Bring the vertical spread under the horizontal spread and push through the hole with your thumb. Ease it through gently, making sure not to twist it as it goes.

Once it’s through, stand in front of the mirror again and give it a sharp tug with a hand on each folded end. Then play around with it until you’re satisfied. Don’t worry if it’s a little uneven – that’s the sprezzatura-style top note of imperfection that’s going to telegraph that a) It’s a bona fide DIY job, and b) Raffish dandies like yourself have more elevated things on their minds than hospital corners.

Like many of today’s mainstays – duct tape, microwaves – black tie as we know it had its beginnings in the military before its co-option by civilians. The earliest iterations of the bow tie appeared around the necks of Croatian mercenaries during the Thirty Years’ War of the 17th century; they sported a knotted scarf around their necks designed to keep the collars of their shirts from flapping open (and, presumably, distracting them from their swordplay).

Upper-class French dandies took note and adopted the item – under the name ‘cravat’, derived from the French for Croat – through the 18th and 19th centuries when fashionable neckwear in silk or grosgrain became de rigueur. This eventually led on to both the bow tie as we know it today and the classic four-in-hand necktie. And while the whole concept of eveningwear might be considered a little haute now, it’s rather prosaic in origin. It dates from a time when men would devote the majority of their day to horses – riding them, grooming them – and a change of clothing was essential so as not to trail a ripe equine scent to the dining table or ballroom (this is why dinner jackets should always be side-vented or ventless, as a centre vent brings back a metaphorical whiff of horsey pursuits).

Got yourself knotted? Then we can move on to black tie lore. Alan Flusser, author of Dressing The Man, says that a fastened bow tie should always be narrower than the width of one’s face shape, but wider than the outer edges of one’s eyes. Ideally, you should avoid adjustable ties (especially if you’re wearing a wing collar) in favour of a made-to-measure number in your neck size.