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A Guide to the world of Tartan Ties
Welcome to our guide to the world of tartan ties! Today are going to delve into the rich history of ties, tracing their origins back to 17th-century Croatia. Discover the art of selecting the perfect tie, from size and style to fabric and pattern. Master the techniques of tying a tie with step-by-step instructions for classic knots like the Windsor, Half Windsor, Four-in-Hand, Pratt, Oriental, and St. Andrew's. And, of course, we'll explore the timeless elegance of tartan ties, a symbol of Scottish heritage and style. So, whether you're a seasoned tie wearer or a beginner, join us on this sartorial journey.
Where did the Tie originate?
The evolution of the necktie traces back to the 17th century when Croatian mercenaries arrived in France, sporting distinctive neck scarves. Their elegant knots and colourful fabrics captivated the French fashion scene, inspiring them to adopt a similar style. The French named this new fashion accessory the "cravat."
Over time, the cravat underwent various transformations, eventually evolving into the modern tie we recognise today. The tie has since become an enduring symbol of sophistication, style, and personal expression, seamlessly blending tradition with contemporary trends.
This historical connection is still honoured today, as evidenced by the Cravat Regiment, a guard of honour established in 2010 in Zagreb, Croatia. The Regiment wears uniforms that are replicas of those worn by the original Croat mercenaries.
Which size & style of Tie do I need?
Our Wool Tartan Tie is a a standard size tie and is our most versatile option. It's suitable for most people and can be tied in a variety of knots, including the Four-in-Hand, and Half-Windsor, you'll learn to tie these knots later in the blog. For taller individuals or for those who prefer larger knots like the Windsor, then our Extra-Long Tartan Tie is the perfect option. While a wider tie is more traditional, if you want a more modern take, then our Skinny Tartan Tie can bring a youthful edge to your outfit. Your tie should ideally fall between the middle and top of your belt. This ensures a lovely neat and polished appearance.
Tartan Ties
Tartan ties are a bold and vibrant way to showcase your Scottish heritage, but for a more understated look, consider the timeless elegance of tweed or the classic simplicity of a plain wool tie. These versatile options can complement any tartan and add a touch of Scottish sophistication to your wardrobe.
Scottish Ties
How to tie your Tartan Tie
Learning to tie a tie is a valuable skill that can elevate your style and confidence. Whether you prefer a classic four-in-hand or a more intricate Windsor knot, mastering these techniques will open up a world of possibilities. Keep reading to discover our favourite tie knots.
Our Favourite Tie Knots
The world of tie knots is a vast and varied one, with countless styles to choose from. We've selected the Windsor, Half Windsor, Four-in-Hand, Pratt, Oriental, and St. Andrew's knots as a diverse range of knot sizes, styles, and occasions, offering a comprehensive guide for both the novice and experienced tie wearer.
The St. Andrew's Knot
Could we start with anything other than the knot, named after our Patron Saint? The St. Andrew's knot is a classic tie knot that offers a sophisticated and elegant look. It's a versatile knot that works well with a variety of tie fabrics and collar styles. its medium size and slightly asymmetrical shape make it suitable for most face shapes and necklines. It's a relatively quick and easy knot to tie, and its self-releasing nature makes it a really convenient option for both formal and informal settings.
Origins of The St. Andrew's Knot
While the exact origins of the St. Andrew's knot are somewhat obscure, it's believed to have been popularised in the early 20th century. Its name, however, hints at a deeper connection to Scottish history and tradition. The diagonal cross, often associated with Saint Andrew, the patron saint of Scotland, is thought to have inspired the knot's distinctive shape. This connection to Scotland adds a lovely layer of cultural significance to the St. Andrew's knot, making it a fitting choice for those who appreciate both style and heritage. We may be a little biased, but it's a firm favourite within the ScotlandShop tartan team.
The St. Andrew's knot paired with the Earl of St Andrews or United States St Andrews Tartan make the perfect combination, especially on St. Andrew's Day!
How to tie The St. Andrew's Knot
1. Start by draping the tie around your collar with the seam facing out, with the wide end of your left, two to three inches lower than the desired finishing position.
2. Cross the wide end horizontally beneath the narrow end, making an X-shape under your chin.
3. Bring the wide end horizontally across the front of the narrow end.
4. Continue looping the wide end around the narrow end, passing it horizontally behind the back of the narrow end from left to right.
5. Bring the wide end vertically up and over the front of the knot, then tuck it back down behind the knot.
6. Now bring the wide end out and to the left of the narrow end.
7. Next bring the wide end across the front of the knot from left to right. This will form a horizontal band. Place your finger through it.
8. Finally, bring the wide end up behind the knot and tuck it through the horizontal loop you made in the last step. Pull the wide end all the way through and then tighten the knot by grasping it with one hand and pulling carefully on the wide end with the other. To release the knot, just pull the narrow end up and out.
The Windsor Knot
We recommend using an extra long tartan tie for the Windsor as this larger knot can make a standard length tie rather short. The right combination of shirt collar and tie knot can add the perfect finishing touches to your outfit and this style is best suited to a spread shirt collar.
Origins of The Windsor Knot
The Windsor Knot became popular in the 1930's when the Duke of Windsor's fashion sense was quickly adopted after his visits to the United States. It's reported that the Duke never specifically used the Windsor knot but that instead this was invented by the public to imitate the his style. The Duke's trick was to use a heavy weight cloth and and a specially made extra wide tie which was then tied with the Four-in-hand knot.
How to tie The Windsor knot
1. Start with the wide end of your tie on the right and the narrow end on the left. Position the wide end to be approximately 12 inches below the narrow end. Cross the wide end of your tie over the narrow end.
2. Bring the wide end through the back of the loop formed and bring this up between your collar and your tie (towards your face). Bring the wide end back down to the left.
3. Pull the wide end of your tie underneath the narrow end and to the right hand side.
4. Then loop the wide end of your tie back up between your collar and your tie and pull this to the right hand side. The wide end of your tie will now be inside out.
5. Bring the wide end of your tie across the front of the narrow end to the left hand side.
6. For a third time loop the wide end of your tie between your collar and your tie, this time bring the wide end of the tie down through the loop you have just created. Using both hands carefully tighten the knot, drawing the knot up towards your collar making any small adjustments.
A well-tied tie is the first serious step in life. ― Oscar Wilde.
The Half Windsor Knot
Despite its name, the Half Windsor Knot isn't really half the size of a Windsor Knot but in fact is about three-quarters of the size. It's a great knot to master being both a good size to wear with most collar types and a symmetrical shape making this a simple, yet formal knot.
Origins of The Half Windsor Knot
It is believed that the Half Windsor knot was originally created as a way of simplifying the slightly more advance Windsor Knot. The Half Windsor started to gain popularity in the 1950's, worn with the grey business suits of the time.
How to tie The Half Windsor Knot
1. Start your Windsor Knot with the wide end of your tie on the right side and the small end on the left. Adjust your tie so that the small end of your tie rests slightly above your belly-button. Cross the wide end of your to the left, over the narrow end of your tie.
2. Bring the wide end of the tie around the back of the narrow end.
3. Now bring the wide end up towards your face and then down through the loop created and to the left side.
4. Cross the wide end of the tight across the front of the tie and to the right hand side.
5. For the second time bring the wide end of the tie up through the back of the tie and then straight down through the loop. Tighten the knot by pulling down on the wide end of the tie and adjust by sliding the knot up.
The Four In Hand Knot
The four in hand knot is today's most popular tie knot and has become a menswear staple. It ticks all the boxes as it's very easy to tie as well as being both stylish and comfortable.
The knot works really well if you have a shorter neck, as it is quite narrow and elongated, which helps to stretch the perceived height of the neck.
The origins of the four in hand knot
The four in hand knot takes its name from the four horse carriage. The knot is tied in such a way that it resembles a knot used by the carriage driver to keep the reins of all four horses in hand. In the 1800's there were a number of Gentleman's clubs in London, The notorious Earl of Barrymore attended the Four in Hand Club. The young gentlemen would bribe coachmen to let them to take the reins of coaches and drive these as break-neck speeds on the roads of London. The club had a strict uniform and are said to have adopted the Four in Hand Knot, making this a fashion statement of this time.
How to tie your found in hand knot
1. Start with the narrow end of your tie resting at waist level, or if you are quite tall adjust this to be a little above the waist. Cross the wide end of your tie across the front of the narrow end.
2. Take the wide end of your tie behind the narrow end.
3. Now bring the wide end of your tie back across the front of your tie.
4. Bring the wide end of your tie up between your collar and your tie and then down through the loop already created. Using both hands carefully tighten the knot, drawing the knot up towards your collar making any small adjustments.
Of course tartan ties will always be our favourite, but if you are wearing a tweed suit, picking out an accent colour from your tweed check can be a great option for a plain coloured tie.
The Pratt Knot
The Pratt knot is a medium sized knot, somewhere between the size of the Four in hand knot and the Windsor knot. Due to it's size this is quite a versatile knot and will work well with most dress shirts.
The Pratt knot is a great knot for perfecting the tie dimple, a style statement and the final detail to top off any outfit. This finishing touch conveys that you are someone who really cares about the details.
Pratt or Shelby?
The Pratt knot was originally invented by Jerry Pratt, a former employee of the US Commerce Department. Mr Pratt wore this knot for over 30 years before visiting Don Shelby, a news anchor from Minneapolis in 1986. After filming the news article Mr Pratt insisted on retying Shelby's Tie. In a later interview with Mr Magazine, Shelby recalled:
He attacked me and attacked my tie! He untied my tie when I’m standing there and then he re-tied it and said ‘now doesn’t that look better?'
Shelby then began to wear this knot and articles were written referring to the Shelby Knot, so for many this name was adopted. The knot's popularity rose dramatically at this time becoming a bit of a fashion statement.
How to tie The Pratt Knot
1. Start with your tie facing inside out, the wide end needs to be around 12 inches below the the narrow end. Take the wide end of your tie and cross this under the narrow end of your tie.
2. Bring the wide end of your tie up to the centre and loop this over the narrow end of your tie and then back down to your left. The wide end of your tie will now be facing inside out once more, pull on this loop slightly to tighten.
3. Take the wide end of your tie across the front of the narrow end to the right.
4. Now bring the wide end of your tie up towards your face, between your collar and your tie, then taking the wide end of the tie down through the loop you have already created. Tighten and adjust your knot as required.
Dress up our Men's Tartan shirt (made to order in no less than 500 tartans) with a textured or chunky plain wool tie for a great weekday look.
The Oriental Knot
The Oriental Knot is very simple to tie and has less steps to learn than many other popular tie knots, perfect if you are just starting to explore the world of tie tying. The Oriental Knot is hugely popular across Asia but is relativity unknown in the West so this is your chance to set a new trend.
If you are quite tall but want to be able to use a standard length tie, the Oriental Knot will work well as this doesn't use a lot of the tie length when forming the knot.
It is a rather small and narrow knot so works well with a classic shirt collar and ties made from a slightly thicker fabric that would create too much bulk when using alternative knots.
Styling The Oriental Knot with a Collar Pin
If you want to add a little extra style to your outfit you could opt for a collar pin or collar bar, these fit really well underneath the Oriental Knot due to its small size. The collar pin is quite a rare item nowadays, originally designed to keep collars looking neat when turndown collars were first designed. Menswear Style describe the collar bar as the choice for a true distinguished gentleman. Now who wouldn't want to be a gentleman?
The collar bar lets everyone around you know that you’re serious about appearance and you appreciate good tailoring.
How to tie The Oriental Knot
1. Start with your tie facing inside out, then place the wide end of your tie behind the narrow end. You want the majority of the tie length to be hanging down on the wider end as this is what you will use to create the knot.
2. Bring the wide end of your tie across the front of the narrow end. The wide end of your tie now needs to be brought towards your face, between your collar and your tie.
3. Now that you have formed a loop bring the wide end of your tie down through the front of this loop. Pull down on the wide end of your tie to tighten the knot and carefully adjust.
Now that you know how to tie this simple knot, why not teach the little ones too. Matt & Max Wear the Earl of St Andrew's Tartan.
Remember, the key to a well-tied tie is practice. Don't be discouraged if it takes a few tries to perfect your technique. Keep practicing, experiment with different knots and tie fabrics, and you'll soon be tying ties like a pro. Let us know how you get on!
