I find the Windsor knots childish and over-large; they remind me of a boy who complains that his Sunday clothes are uncomfortable, so he ties the biggest knot he can find. Unless you wear Windsor collars, four-in-hand is the way to go (or Pratt, if you have a particularly thin neck).
Four-in-hand.
It’s the only one I know. (my Mom taught me)
I’d always heard that the Shelby knot was another name for a half-Windsor (which would make a half-Shelby equivalent to a quarter-Windsor) named for a newscaster in Minneapolis who brought that knot back to popularity. A web search says that the Shelby is another name for the Pratt, though.
Four-in-hand because it’s all I know how to tie. I prefer the look of the symmetrical ties but I don’t know how to do them and can’t be bothered learning.
I usually go with a half-Windsor, although I have a couple ties that lend themselves to a full Windsor knot due their length/thickness. The Pratt is actually a pretty cool knot that I’ll bust out at weddings etc - it looks good when you get to the tie-loosened, top button-undone, shirt-untucked on the dance floor part of the night.
I don’t like the 4-in-hand. On most people I think it looks childish, like they don’t really know how to tie a tie and this was the best they could do. Which is probably because that’s why I used to wear it!
I use the Pratt (didn’t know the name before). I like it because the knot is small, but symmetric.
Windsor knot. I don’t buy Donald trump elephant ties so I’ve never had a problem with them.
A four-in-hand. It’s the only knot I ever learned (self-taught). I wear a tie about twice a year.
Anyone else have this problem: I have a really long torso, so when I tie a half windsor, it uses up too much of the length of the tie and I end up with it being too short.
I have someone else do it and I won’t completely undo it unless necessary.
Half-Windsor. It looks great when I wear a suit (approx 1 time every 2 years) My dad always told me it looked lopsided, but he wore those wide 80s knit ties!
I chose Four In Hand, but I wanted to tell y’all about the best-tied tie EVER and I wish I could show you a picture, but alas, I can’t find one on the net.
The tie I speak of is the one around the neck of the late great actor David Jannsen!
That man could make a tie look regal!
If anyone can find a picture of Mr. Jannsen with that knot in his tie, I’d appreciate seeing it and knowing what it is is called.
(And of course how to tie it! :))
Thanks
Q
Pretty much what Robot Arm said; I tried four-in-hand, but it was always crooked. So I went with Half Windsor. Full Windsor only works with certain collars IMHO, and I don’t own any of those.
Exactly the reason that, after I finally learned there were other ways to do it, that I chose not to bother with any of them. That little bit of tie in the back is already too short for my tastes.
Same here.
Usually a half-Windsor. I never knew the Four-in-Hand had a name and, looking at the picture, it looks like my ties do when I do a shitty job of a half-Windsor and have to start over.
True, but I use the half windsor simply because most ties these days are so damned short. Maybe I am buying cheap ties, but if I used the full winsor, the tie would only hang down to about nipple length - not exactly a “classy” look.
Pull my pants up to my nipples as well, and then I could look like Fred Mertz, ready for a night on the town.
Although from those pictures/diagrams - that Pratt and Half Winsor look almost the same to me…
I chose Windsor, as that’s how I most often tie my tie. But I do have a few ties that look good tied in a four-in-hand, so that’s what I use with those ties.
Everyone complaining about short ties should try the Pratt.
just tried a pratt… am i supposed to fudge with which way it’s facing when i wrap the big part around (to form the loop)? otherwise i keep on getting it to face outwards.
regardless, i like it but it didn’t make a big difference lengthwise over the half windsor. maybe i’ll say i rock the Pratt just as a conversation starter, but for practical purposes, it’s virtually identical with the half windsor, +/- an inch?