Neckties are complicated business. A Cambridge University study determined that there are 85 unique ways to do up the modern tie, and chances are good that you know just two or three of them. Working with your tie for everyday situations, however, need not be so hard, so long as you keep a few simple rules in mind.

Rule #1: Use the Four-in-Hand
Whether you’re going to a casual lunch out or a very formal dinner where you’re going to propose marriage, the four-in-hand is the knot that works. It’s well-proportioned enough to work with most shirts such that it’s not overwhelmed and never overwhelming. And admit it: memorizing too many knotting techniques is hard work.

Start with the narrow end about a foot higher than the wide end. Pull the wide end over across the narrow one, and then draw it across underneath. From there, draw the wide end across over the narrow end again. Pull the thick end to the back and then feed it through the loop around your neck. Finish off by threading the thick end through the knot that you created with it, keeping your fingers on the same knot as you go along to keep it tight.

Rule #2: Never Mix and Match
Neckties and bow ties are in two completely different strata of formalness. Though you’ll see the two at the same events, the required accompanying apparel should never be mixed. Keep your neckties to the suits and your bow ties to the tuxedos. Knowing how to tie both, however, has never hurt anybody.

Rule #3: Seek Silk
Silk neckties are the best ties in the world, period. There are many polyester and cotton blend jobs in the men’s section of the department store, but silk is at the very top of the necktie pyramid. If you want to be able to say that your tie is better than the next guy’s, ask for a seven-fold tie, which is a piece of silk folded seven times to make the shape of the tie. Just don’t expect it to come cheap.

Rule #4: Go for a ‘Just Right’ Knot
Knots can be too small or too huge. In the first case, which is common with larger spread collar shirts, the necktie is drowned out by the shirt. The rest of the suit, meanwhile, is overpowered by the latter. You can easily control the size of the knot by using the right amount of pressure when doing the final step in tying your necktie.

Rule #5: Too Loose? Too Bad!
Loosening the tie has become a common and widely accepted practice in men’s fashion nowadays, especially for creative black tie or themed affairs. But there’s also such a thing as too loose, which makes your tie look like a leash and less of a fashion accessory. At the most, let the the knot hang about an inch to an inch and a half below your Adam’s apple.
They might look like such a dressy item, but a necktie can bring your outfit in either direction of the formalness spectrum. A bright-colored, loosely done tie makes an outfit look young and fun, while a tight and traditional necktie keeps things conservative.

Pohl is a necktie aficionado. Not only does he wear ties on a daily basis, but he is also the founder of one of the internets premiere tie stores, that offers a huge selection of mens ties as well as instructions on how to tie a necktie such as the Double Windsor Knot.

[tags]mens ties,how to tie a necktie,double Windsor knot,how to wear a neck tie[/tags]