The Art of Mastering the Popular Kelvin Tie Knot

You may ask yourself: “what is the point for yet another tie knot? I already know the four in hand as well as the Windsor. Shouldn’t this be enough?” Well, for 9 out of 10 shirt & tie combinations, these two knots will work just fine. But when tying a skinny tie you may want to consider the so-called Kelvin knot. The Kelvin has a longish shape and is a bit thicker than the four in hand, while being narrower than a double Windsor. My tip for this knot: wear it with a skinny tie (2 to 2.5 inches) made from either cotton (great for summer), or worsted wool (excellent winter choice). These 5 step instructions will help you master the Kelvin knot in just a couple minutes. Print them out, tape them next to a mirror, and simply copy these 5 steps.

Step 1:
I suggest you practice in front of a mirror. Flip up your collar and turn your tie around so that the stitching shows. The wide should hang about 3/4 down compared to the narrow end.

Step 2:
Create a tight wrap around the narrow end using the wider end of the tie.

Step 3:
Create a second wrap, but this time to not pull tight. Instead leave a loop on top of the tie. This will be needed to secure the tie knot (in step 5).

Step 4:
Take the wide end of the tie and feed it between collar and the part of the tie that goes around your neck.

Step 5:
Last but not least, secure the knot by feeding the wide end through the loop on to of the knot. Pull tight, flip down your collar, and center the tie.

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Style Tips for Knitted Ties

Just a few weeks ago I wrote an article on “Ties for Fall/Winter 2012“, and the knitted wool tie was among the three featured must have styles. Knitted ties have gained a huge amount of popularity over the past few months. GQ and Esquire have both been featuring men wearing knitted ties on their cover, and by now most designer labels offer a few knit ties in their current collection. When worn correctly, they are excellent accessories – not just for the Fall and Winter, but also for the warmer months of the year. To keep you from committing major knit tie fashion Faux Pas, I wrote this Style Guide:

Finding the Right Size:
Typically knitted ties look best when slightly narrower in width (2 to 2.5 inches). Some designers do make wider knitted ties (about 3.25 inches) which are great for wearing double breasted suits, and jackets with wider peak lapels.

Knit Tie Colors
The color depends on the season. Darker, muted shades suit the colder months of the year while brighter, more vivid shades should be reserved for the warmer days in spring and summer. For the Winter in 2012/12 knitted ties in charcoal, maroon, and dark navy are great choices.

Popular Patterns
Solids and horizontal stripes are most popular. Personally I like the simplicity of the dark solid knits for the Winter. In my opinion the knitted fabric texture adds enough contrast as is. Another favorite of mine are knitted ties with small polka dots (see images below). Looking for something different? Then you may fancy knitted ties featuring a different colored tip.

Tying a Knitted Tie

To compliment the more casual looking fabric texture of the knitted tie, slightly asymmetric tie knots are best. The best (also the easiest knot) here is the so-called Four in Hand (see instructions above).

Some Matching Inspiration
A did a little bit of searching for examples of well matched knitted ties. Here are some of my favorites. For more inspiration, please check out this Board on Pinterest.

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