Learn How to Tie a Bow Tie

Although a large majority of men nowadays wear a so-called pre-tied bowtie, the true bow tie aficionado will tie his own. Tying your own bow tie not only can be fun, but it also allows for adding a personal touch in styling, size and fit of the bow. Below are instruction on tying your own bowties.

How to Tie a Bow Tie

  1. Just like you do when tying a necktie flip up the collar, and lay the bow tie around your neck with one end hanging about 2 inches lower than the other.

  2. Cross the longer end of the bowtie over the narrow end, and then wrap it from behind through the gap between bowtie and neck.

  3. Now fold the shorter end of the bow over.

  4. Pull the wider end over the folded part of the bow from step #3.

  5. Wrap it all the way around back through the gap between neck and bow tie. Don’t pull tight yet, but create a loop in front of this wrapping. Take the bow tie and pull it through this loop.

  6. Tighten the bow and give it a final adjustment to your liking.

Bow ties are not only worn for black tie attire functions but even for casual wear. Common professions known to wear bow ties are college professors, architects, and designers. For an even more sophisticated look we recommend wearing a folded handkerchief in your breast pocket while wearing a bow tie. In case you like to learn about different pocket square folds please visit our section on How to Fold a Handkerchief.