How to Tie a Tie

Practice Makes Perfect!
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GENERALLY - if you are tying a contemporary tie, you'll want to use the Windsor knot. It is symmetric and makes a clean line with the collars in today's shirts. HOWEVER, if you are trying to tie a vintage tie from the 1940s, you'll have to use the half-windsor because the bulk of material would make a knot as big as your fist if you used the full Windsor. This also applies to those polyester ties from the 1970s. You should know how to tie a variety of knots because ties change in width just like womwn's skirts go up and down. Tie LENGTH has also varied. In the 1940s, ties were short, because pants were high-waisted. This came about because people were ultra-thin because they didn't get good nutrition during the Depression. High-waisted pants accentuated the shoulders. If you try to wear a 1940s tie with modern pants, you'll leave at least two buttons above the waist uncovered.

Here's a guide to ties for the discerning 1959 Collegian, aptly yclept "Fit to be Tied" Those skinny 1950s ties require the Full Windsor.

The "Little Devils" Tie would be highly collectible!
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If you want a .pdf (about 2.0 MB) of the full 1959 Esquire Magazine "Guide to College Style" (including the helpful graphics above), contact us. You can enlarge the drawing to your hearts content...

Thanks for joining us. This is primarily a website about swing (jitterbug) dancing. In addition to Ties, we have a Calendar of Swing Dancing in DC, a Directory of Vintage Clothing Stores, a Guide to 1940s Collectibles, and a Host of other Feathures. Feel free to Contact Me if you have questions or want to share photographs and/or "Get on the Line" with the rest of the readers.

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