How to Tie a Double Windsor Knot

May 21st, 2009 by Mike

Known also as the “full Windsor” or just “Windsor” knot, the double Windsor is a wide triangular tie knot , named by the Duke of Windsor after his grandfather, King Edward VII. The Duke preferred wide-collared shirts, and thick tie material, resulting in a large, shapely knot. This knot is larger and more even than the simple tie knot, and looks good with spread-collar shirts on formal occasion.

If you already know the simple tie knot, the double Windsor is very easy. Step-by-step instructions:

1. Flip up your collar, and place the tie around your neck, with the wide end on your right side. Because the double Windsor is a large knot, you’ll want a lot of length to work with. Give the wide end about a foot more length than the narrow end.

2. Pull the wide end left, over the narrow end.

3. Bring the wide end up and under the left part of your tie, pull it all the way through, then bring it back down to your left, parallel with the narrow end. Make sure to pull each wrapping fairly tight with each step to get a secure knot.

4. Take the wide end under the narrow end, to your right. Pull it back to your left side, crossing over the knot. Don’t pull this part of the knot all the way tight yet.

5. Pull the wide end up, underneath the left part of your tie, like you did in the beginning of step three. But this time, instead of taking the wide end back down to the left, thread it under the crossing part of the knot you made in step four.

6. Draw the knot tight, removing slack, and shaping the knot as necessary. Though it is a nicer and more even shape than the simple tie knot, the double Windsor is very large. Adjust for comfort; don’t asphyxiate yourself!

You may not tie a perfect knot on your first attempt. Make sure you have a long enough tie, and enough length on the wide end to work with. Also make sure to keep the knot fairly tight after each step, with the exception of step four- you don’t want the knot to loosen or fall apart, but you need some room to work and breathe. Above all, the best advice for success is practice. Try standing in front of a mirror, and tie multiple times to get the feel of the double Windsor.