The half Windsor is the middle ground of necktie knots — symmetrical like a full Windsor, but slimmer and considerably easier to tie. It suits nearly every collar and nearly every occasion, which is why it tends to be the knot men settle on once they have outgrown the four-in-hand.

Step-by-Step Instructions

• Step 1: Drape the tie around your collar with the wide end on your right, hanging about 12 inches below the narrow end.
• Step 2: Cross the wide end over the narrow end.
• Step 3: Bring the wide end up and pass it down through the neck loop, so it comes out on the right.
• Step 4: Bring the wide end across the front, from right to left.
• Step 5: Bring the wide end up through the neck loop again, from underneath.
• Step 6: Pass the wide end down through the front loop you have just made.
• Step 7: Tighten gently, slide the knot up to the collar, and pinch a dimple just below it.

Need a visual reference? See the illustrated guide below:

Tips for a clean half Windsor

The dimple is the detail worth practising. Pinch the fabric just below the knot as you draw it tight, and hold that fold while you slide the knot up to your collar. That single crease underneath is what separates a tie that was tied from one that was thrown on.

Keep it balanced. A half Windsor should sit as an even triangle. If one side bulges, loosen the knot and re-seat it rather than tugging the narrow end, which pulls the whole thing crooked. The tip of the tie should finish at your belt line — no lower.

Fabric changes the size of the knot. Fine silk and silk/cotton blends stay neat and compact. Hand-loomed linens and heavier wools build a fuller knot, which reads well in autumn and winter but can crowd a narrow collar.

Which collar it suits

The half Windsor is happiest under a semi-spread or spread collar, where its symmetry fills the space between the collar points. It works under a button-down as well, though you may want to keep the knot on the smaller side. If your collar has a very wide spread, a full Windsor will fill it better; if it is narrow, the four-in-hand's asymmetry is the more natural fit.

Still deciding? Compare it with the four-in-hand knot, or learn how to tie a bow tie.

Pair it with the right tie

Every General Knot necktie is designed in Bedford, New York and hand-made in our local US factory from selected specialty and contemporary textiles — printed cottons, fine silk/cotton blends, sun-washed chambrays, hand-loomed linens. Our standard 2 7/8" width is well suited to the half Windsor: enough body to form a full, even knot without overwhelming the collar.

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