How to Tie a Bow Tie

Stand in front of a mirror. Button your shirt all the way up and flip the collar up so you can see what you're doing. Tying against a flat collar is harder, and you can fold the collar down at the end anyway.

Drape the bow tie around your neck with both ends hanging down. The ends are shaped like fish: a narrow tail and a wider body. Both ends are identical, so it doesn't matter which side starts where.

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Slide the tie so the very top of the fish shape on the left end sits right in front of the collar button. The left end crosses over the right end.

This sets the starting length so the two ends end up even when you're done. If one end is noticeably longer than the other at this stage, slide the whole tie sideways until the short end is near the collar button.

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Without letting the tie shift on your neck, pull the two ends apart to open up a gap where they cross. Take the end in your right hand, tuck it up through that gap from underneath, then pull it straight up.

Tighten that crossover firmly against the collar button. This is the only chance you'll have to tighten the tie against the collar, so don't go light here.

Check that the front end now hangs lower than the back end. If it doesn't, you positioned the tie too far to one side in Step 2. Reset and try again.

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Throw the front end over your shoulder so it's out of the way. Hold the tail of the fish on the back end with your left hand.

Put your right index finger across the narrow waist of the fish (where the body meets the tail) from behind. Lift that waist up and forward so the body sits in front of the collar button.

You've now got a horizontal bow shape pressed against your collar. Pinch it in place.

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Bring the front end back down over the top of the bow you're holding. Smooth out any creases in the fabric.

Now slide your right thumb in from above, pushing it through the top edge of the bow you're pinching. The thumb makes a small tunnel through the knot.

This is the move everyone gets wrong the first time. Take your time and feel the thumb push through the layers. If you can't get the thumb in, the bow shape from Step 4 probably collapsed - go back and pinch it tighter.

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With the front end hanging down, put your left index finger on the front of the fish body and turn it up and back. Fold it on top of your thumb and push it through the tunnel your thumb made.

Pull your thumb out as the material comes through. The part of the fabric that was touching your finger is the part that faces forward. Make sure it faces out, not in.

Push the fold through until the tail is about halfway through. Don't pull it all the way - you still need a bow on this side.

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You now have two folded pieces (one front, one back) and two single pieces on opposite sides. Grab the folded pieces and pull them gently outward. The knot in the middle starts to tighten.

Pull until the knot feels firm, but don't pull the tail all the way through or you'll lose the bow on that side.

To make the front bow bigger, hold everything in your left hand and tug on the back loop. To make the back bigger, tug on the front loop. Work back and forth until both sides are the same size.

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Pinch both bows together where the knot is. Stretch the bow horizontally to flatten the fabric and smooth out any bumps.

Fold the collar back down over the tie. The tie should lie flat against the collar without sticking out or pulling the collar up.

Step back from the mirror and check how it looks from normal distance. If one side is still bigger than the other, you can grip the knot and pull a little fabric through.

You're done. A slightly imperfect bow tie looks better than a machine-perfect one.

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