The Right Tie Knot For Every Type Of Collar

Just like many other aspects of your suiting game, proper proportions go hand-in-hand with other crucial factors like fit and sizing.  Keeping the proportions of your shirt collar and tie knot dialed in is going to go a long way in not only creating a balanced look but also it’s going to make sure your colors and patterns look their absolute best.  Nothing’s going to signal you as a style rookie quicker than pairing up a fist-sized full Windsor with a tiny spread collar.  So get ready to start matching up like a pro with this handy collar and tie guide.

The Collar:  Forward Point
The Knot: Four-In-Hand
A classic forward point collar has a narrow gap between collar points so it needs a smaller, more narrow knot.  The classic four-in-hand is the perfect go-to here, it creates a balanced, manageable knot that will look right with the proportions of the shirt collar.  Just make sure you use a tie that’s of thin or medium thickness and width here, a thicker tie is only going to create a larger knot, regardless of what style of knot you use.

The Collar: Semi-Spread
Caption 2: Four-In-Hand or Half-Windsor
The semi-spread is probably your most versatile collar set up so you’ve got some flexibility with your knot choice.  A larger four-in-hand (done with a thicker tie) is a great choice with the semi-spread because of its timeless look.  Alternatively, the semi-spread collar also works really well with a medium-sized half-Windsor if you’re looking for some more impact.  Just make sure you use the smaller, half variation as the large, triangular shape of a full Windsor can overwhelm the semi-spread.

The Collar: Full Spread
The Knot: Full-Windsor or Half-Windsor
Because of its large-scale width, a full spread collar shirt demands an equally bold knot, and the Windsor is just the ticket.  The symmetrical, triangle shape of the full Windsor will create bold sartorial impact but use caution, you don’t want to go overboard with its size and end up looking like a strip club bouncer who’s trying too hard.

The Collar: Button-Down
The Knot: Four-In-Hand
If you’re going to throw a tie on with a classic button-down collar an equally classic knot in a manageable size is what you need, and that’s why we recommend a small to medium-sized four-in-hand.  Anything too large or bulky is just going to be at odds with the style of the collar.  It’s also important to keep the knot size in proportion to the length and width of the collar flaps as well.