I am a sucker for a good looking necktie. The problem is, I only wear one a few times a year. But I love the look of a nice shirt and tie.
When I was a kid, my dad taught me how to tie a tie. He taught me how to tie a small knot, what he called a Half Windsor. He never taught me how to tie any other knots. He probably didn’t know any others. So I went through life tying the Half Windsor all the time.
A few years ago, a friend showed me how to tie a Full Windsor knot. I was hooked. That knot was symmetrical and very snappy looking. That’s the knot I use now every time I tie a necktie.
When I received a copy of How To Tie A Tie, by Ryan Tristan Jin, my first though was, “How can there be an entire book about this?” But I was surprised and amazed at the variety of styles and the information that was out there on how to tie a necktie and make it look as good as it possibly can.
Jin begins with the fundamentals, such as fabric choices and matching ties to the rest of your clothes. From there, he moves to tying classic knots, to easy knots, and then finally to some bold looking knots. Some of these I may never use, but it’s good information to have handy in case I do.
The final two chapters cover such things as collar styles, cuff links and jackets, along with information about such wardrobe details. He also covers some final accessories, like pocket squares, watches and shoes.
