This article was created for eBay via Fractl in fall 2014.
There is more than one way to tie a tie. In fact, there are 177,147 possible ways, according to a team of mathematicians at the KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, Sweden. For your sake though, we’ve narrowed the list down to six of the best.
Your body: Some knots are smaller or larger than others, and knots are either even or asymmetrical. Experiment to see if any styles look better with your body frame, neck size, and facial features.
Your tie: Thick ties may require the use of smaller knots, while thin ties may benefit from larger-sized knots. Thin ties also tend be easier to manipulate into more complicated shapes. Large knots may benefit from the use of longer ties, depending on your height. Finally, the general rule of thumb is that the more complex your knot, the more subtle your tie pattern should be, to avoid any distracting or dizzying results.
Your shirt: Large knots are best paired with shirts that have a spread or cutaway collar, to accommodate the size of the knot.
Your style: Each type of knot has its own character. Consider what your favorite knot says about you.
The Windsor
It is said to be named after England’s Duke of Windsor and to have become popular in the U.S. after a royal visit in the 1930s. The Duke had ties specially made with a thick cloth to produce a wide knot, and the Windsor knot was created to emulate his look with ties of normal thickness.
The Windsor is considered comfortable because it will not slip during wear.
The Eldredge
The best ties for this knot use thin fabrics, to avoid too much bulk, and either plain colors or very small patterns that won’t look too busy in intricate folding.
This look is considered appropriate for events such as weddings, and other semi-formal festivities.
The Trinity
This knot is a bit rounder than others and is larger than the Windsor. It is also slightly asymmetrical.
This is a knot best served by using a solid color tie, though you can use a striped tie to produce a very striking result. With some practice, you make the stripes either converge in the center to create a pinwheel effect, or you can get them to go around the edges to produce a triangle shape.
Be prepared to get plenty of requests to teach this knot to others.
The Van Wijk
This knot is also very versatile. Since it is not particularly large or distracting, it can easily fit casual or formal settings, and is easy to wear loose.
Tip: After tying, the little end of the tie is likely too short to tuck into the tie loop, so you may need to improvise and secure it with some tape or a safety pin.
The Balthus
This is a knot that works with ties of any pattern or style. In fact, it can be used to help showcase your tie’s pattern.
Note: Because the large end of the tie needs to be wrapped around the small end so many times to get the large size knot, the ends will hang shorter than usual and may look best hidden under a vest or suit jacket.
The Ediety
If you’re looking for something simultaneously subtle and unexpected, the Ediety is your pick. What distinguishes this knot is the narrow end of the tie that hangs in front of the wide end. Although this knot might look the most exotic, it is not the most difficult to tie because it is essentially a reversed Windsor.
The Ediety knot became famous after it appeared in the 2003 movie “ The Matrix Reloaded.” The character called The Merovingian, or The Frenchman, achieved a slick and fashionable look with it in all black.
Tip: This knot looks best with the ends of the tie covered by a vest or suit jacket, because it may strike some as strange to see the narrow end hanging loose in the front. If it is tucked away, the knot appears polished and intentional.