Q: I think heritage is important, even when it comes to ties. It bothers me when I see a friend with a half knot in his Zegna tie. When GQ printed instructions on tying a Windsor knot in September 1998, I photocopied the piece and sent it to my friends. In the April issue, you mentioned the four-in-hand knot. How is that tied?

A: Heritage, huh? In From Russia With Love, Ian Fleming wrote that Bond mistrusted anyone who tied his tie with a Windsor knot; it showed too much vanity. It was often the mark of a cad. And so, dear reader, I bet you think this column’s about you, don’t you, don’t you? Seriously, men, as I’ve said before and will probably babble in a group home somewhere eventually, Windsor knots are best left for spread-collar occasions. I always go four-in-hand because I’m Irish and generally don’t like things started by the foppish Duke of Windsor on principle. OK, read carefully, because I refuse to illustrate this: Assume the usual position with the wide end of the tie longer than the short; cross the wide side over and around the thin side until it is in front again. Next, pull it up behind the crossed sides, then pass the wide end down through the loop you have now created. Pull it down and fuss over the knot until it looks right. If there is a considerable disparity in length between the wide and thin parts, do it again. If that doesn’t work, find yourself a tutor. It should look asymmetrical and imperfect, unlike the fussy, fanatical, anal Windsor. And remember, dear boy, a Zegna tie is simply a well-made necktie, not an insignia of rank.

August 2000

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