Tired of same old tie knot?
I know it feels dull sometimes…
But what are the options?
Not all knots go well with your face…
some make your head look small…
Thankfully, there’s the Kelvin Knot.
The Kelvin Knot is easy to learn and appropriate for business environments and social events. It's best used with point collars and button-down collars and is most compatible with men who have smaller faces.
If you'd like to learn how to tie the Kelvin Knot, watch our video and check out our infographic and step-by-step guide, below.
#1. Kelvin Knot – History and Description
The Kelvin is a small knot similar to the four-in-hand knot, with an extra turn to make it symmetrical. The knot is tied “inside-out,” with the seam facing outward as it drapes around the collar. When finished, the thick end of the tie, the knot, and the shirt collar hide the seam from view.
The Kelvin knot is named for William Thompson, Lord Kelvin, the nineteenth-century scientist best known for his work in thermodynamics. The knot is a more modern invention, and would never have been worn by the Lord Kelvin; it was named in honor of his contributions to early mathematical knot theory.
As a smaller knot, the Kelvin works well when you have little spare length to work with, and may need a thicker tie to bulk it up. Tied in a very light and narrow tie it can tighten down until it appears very small, making the wearer’s head appear unattractively large.
Use the Kelvin for a quick, casual necktie knot with a little more symmetry than the angular four-in-hand.
#2. Step By Step – How To Tie A Kelvin Knot
- Drape the necktie around your collar with the seam facing outward and the thick end on your left, hanging two to three inches lower than the desired finishing position.
- Cross the thick end under the thin end from left to right, creating an X-shape under your chin.
- Bring the thick end back across the front of the knot from right to left. Continue wrapping it around the thin end and pass it back from left to right behind the knot.
- Next, bring the thick end horizontally across the front of the knot from right to left again. Slip a finger underneath the horizontal band this creates.
- Tuck the thick end upward underneath the loop around your collar.
- Bring the tip of the thick end down through the horizontal loop you created in Step 4 (but not the smaller one you created in Step 3).
- Pull the thick end all the way through the horizontal loop, snugging the knot down into place.
- Tighten the tie by grasping the knot with one hand and pulling gently on the narrow end with the other.
Looking for an infographic that covers this whole process in a single image? Look no further than this article.
Great job! Now you know how to tie the Kelvin Knot. It's time to learn new knots for different occasions and shirt styles. Did you know we have an article which shows you the 18 different ways of tying a tie?
