Written by Akil Wingate in Tips & Advice on the 7th March 2014

Photography by Craig Landale

Gentlemen, time to put on your big man britches. You’ve weathered more than your share of hoity toity cocktail parties in your open collar button downs and sports blazers. 

You’ve conquered your best girl’s fave night at the theatre in your turtleneck and slim fit trousers. You've even gone to your best mate’s wedding day with your clip on bow tie strategically placed. 

Rented tuxedo be damned. It’s time you’ve had some tough love. Some frank talk. Some hard truths. You don’t know how to tie a tie? Don’t be ashamed, you’re not alone. 

There are a legion of tough grown up lads like yourself secretly sulking in their bedroom before their dressing mirror, begrudgingly disguising their fear of knotting a tie with clip ons, badly assembled Ascots, clumsy turtlenecks recycled from the Beatnik Era (Google it or ask your Grand Dad), or wearing open collared dress shirts like they’re David Hasselhoff behind the wheel of a talking Trans-Am.

Pay attention. This is is how you tie a tie like a boss. First let’s get the perfect model. Uber designer Camilla Franks (Beyonce, Miranda Kerr, Kate Hudson) has a fun collection of ties for the modern man who refuses to turn into the stuffy suit like his Pa. 

Anyway, pick out your chosen tie and get ready for a simple knot. Think classic, silk, and bursting with colours. 

1) Start with the back face of the tie facing you. The wide portion of the tie should be on your right and the skinny portion on your left. The diamond tip of the skinny portion should rest just above your navel. 

2) Bring the wide end under the skinny end across to the left. 

3) Cross it in a neck loop to the right 

4) Thread it up through the loop 

5) Thread it again down through the front loop over the skinny portion of the tie. Pull to tighten. This will look amazing on the tie.

To make all the onlookers bow down before your Prince Albert Knot, do the following: 

1) Wide end goes to your right and the skinny to your left. The diamond tip should sit just above the navel. 

2) Cross the wide end over the skinny end to the left and bring it under the skinny end to the right. 

3) Cross it over the skinny end to the left and back under to the right 

4) Bring it once more across the skinny end to the left and thread it up through the loop. 

5) Thread it down through the top loop and pull to tighten. 

Now your men's Tie is all kinds of royal bad ass. It already was to begin with. You just made it better. 

The Half Windsor is the bread and butter of tie-tying aficionados. The Fiesta Chullo Tie is equally the centrepiece of Camilla’s neckwear collection with its blazing fire colours and homage to Latin art. You conquer this knot with this tie, you can kiss your clip-on days goodbye.

1) Wide end goes to the right and the skinny end to the left. Bring the wide end across the skinny to the left and under to the right. 

2) Loop it up over the wide loop towards the center and thread through the loop to the left. 

3) Bring it across the front to the right and up through the loop and back down through the front loop. Pull to tighten.

There you have it. In 3 or 4 easy steps, give or take, you can be a tie-tying boss. Invest in ties that are all bursting with colour and personality if you're a man with a sense of adventure. Wear with confidence and separate yourself from the turtleneck-wearing herd.

An article and video on How To Tie A Tie with tips and simple instructions on tying a Prince Albert, Half Windsor and a Simple Knot.