# How to tie a bow tie, step by step

Source: Snaza Journal, https://snaza.app/journal/how-to-tie-a-bow-tie/
Publisher: Snaza
Topic: Ties and knots
Published: 2026-09-26
Updated: 2026-09-26

Learn how to tie a bow tie step by step, with a checkpoint after each fold, how to find the hidden opening, and how to fix a bow that is lopsided or loose.

## Quick answer

> To tie a bow tie, start with the longer end on your left. Cross it over the shorter end and up through the neck loop. Fold the shorter end into a horizontal bow, drop the longer end over its center, fold the longer end back on itself and push that fold through the opening behind the bow. Tighten by pulling the folded loops, not the loose ends.

A bow tie usually looks nearly finished just before the hardest move. You are holding a neat bow shape at your collar, one end is hanging down over its center, and the instruction to push it through seems to point at a hole you cannot find. This guide shows you how to tie a bow tie with that moment in mind: what the hidden opening is, why a folded section goes through it rather than the whole tip, and what the bow should look like after each fold.

If you have ever tied your shoelaces, you already know the knot. A self tie bow tie uses the same bow as a shoe, only tied around your own neck, facing outward, and without being able to see your hands. That is why the first few attempts feel clumsy and why the checkpoints below matter more than speed.

## Self tie, pre tied and clip on bow ties

There are three kinds. A self tie bow tie is a single strip of fabric with a shaped end at each side, and you tie it yourself with the method on this page. A pre tied bow tie has the bow sewn in place on a band that fastens behind the neck with a hook or clasp. A clip on bow tie attaches to the collar with a metal clip and has no band at all. Pre tied versions are quick and perfectly acceptable, but a self tied bow is the traditional choice for formal evenings.

The difference shows. General Knot points out that a bow you tie yourself is slightly uneven by nature, and that small irregularity is how people can tell it is not pre tied. A factory bow is perfectly flat and symmetrical; a tied one has a little depth and life. You do not need to chase perfect symmetry, only a bow whose two sides look balanced at a glance.

**Three kinds of bow tie**

| Type | How it fastens | How it looks |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Self tie | A single strip you tie yourself, with an adjustable band | Slightly uneven with depth, the traditional formal choice |
| Pre tied | Sewn bow on a band with a hook or clasp | Flat and perfectly symmetrical |
| Clip on | A metal clip on the collar, no band | Flat and symmetrical |

## When to wear a bow tie and with which collar

The black bow tie is the standard partner for a dinner jacket, so it is expected at a black tie event and often worn at black tie optional ones and at many [galas](https://snaza.app/journal/what-to-wear-to-a-gala/). Our guides to the [black tie dress code](https://snaza.app/journal/black-tie-dress-code/) and to [the difference between a suit and a tuxedo](https://snaza.app/journal/suit-vs-tuxedo/) cover the rest of that outfit. For evening, the bow usually matches the facing on the lapels, so a satin bow with satin lapels or a grosgrain bow with grosgrain lapels. Outside formal wear, a bow tie in wool, cotton or a patterned silk works with a suit or sport coat in daytime, though it reads as a more personal choice than a long tie.

Most modern evening shirts have a turndown collar, and a bow tie sits comfortably inside one. A wing collar, with its small points turned out, is the traditional companion for [white tie](https://snaza.app/journal/white-tie-dress-code/) and an option for black tie; the bow then sits in front of the wings. As for size, General Knot suggests the bow should be about as wide as your collar and should not extend past your jaw. A bow that is much wider than that looks theatrical, while a tiny one on a broad neck looks lost.

## Set the neckband and the starting lengths

Most self tie bow ties have an adjustable band with a small slider. Set it to your shirt's collar size before you start; if you are unsure of that number, see our guide to [dress shirt sizes](https://snaza.app/journal/how-to-find-your-dress-shirt-size/). A band that is too long leaves a droopy bow, and one that is too short pinches and makes the bow small. Fasten the top button and turn the collar up.

Drape the bow tie around your neck with the finished side facing out. In this guide the longer end starts on your left and the shorter end on your right, the convention Ties.com uses. The Tie Bar shows the mirror image, with the longer end on the right; both work, but do not switch halfway. An inch or two (about 3 to 5 cm) of difference is a reasonable first try. Left and right always mean your own hands.

**Before you start**

1. Set the band to your shirt collar size, since a long band droops and a short one pinches.
2. Start with the longer end on your left, an inch or two longer, and do not switch sides halfway.
3. The finished bow should be about as wide as your collar and never extend past your jaw.
4. Balance the bow by pulling the loops, not the loose ends, which is how a bow unties.

## How to tie a bow tie: the first half of the bow

Call the ends by their starting lengths. The longer end stays the longer end in these directions even after it moves across your body.

1. **Cross the longer end over.** Bring the longer end from your left across the front of the shorter end toward your right. Cross at the narrow part of the band, close to your collar. Checkpoint: an X sits just under your chin, longer end on top.
2. **Bring it up through the neck loop.** Take the longer end under the shorter one and up through the neck loop, then snug the crossing against your collar. Rest the longer end over your shoulder for now. Checkpoint: a simple knot sits at the front of the collar, like the first half of a shoelace bow.
3. **Fold the shorter end into a bow.** Lift the shorter end, which now hangs down in front, fold its shaped part back on itself and turn it sideways to make a horizontal bow shape. Hold its narrow middle over the knot. Checkpoint: one half of a bow sits across your collar, with a folded edge on one side and the loose tip on the other.
4. **Drop the longer end over the center.** Bring the longer end off your shoulder and let it hang straight down over the middle of that horizontal bow. Checkpoint: the longer end covers the center of the bow like a vertical band.

## Find the hidden opening and finish the bow

Pinch the front bow gently so its two sides come toward each other. Behind its center, where the longer end hangs over it, there is now a small tunnel. Feel for it with a fingertip from the side rather than pushing at the closed front. That tunnel is the only opening you need.

5. **Fold the hanging end.** Fold the shaped part of the hanging longer end back toward your chest and pinch the fold. Checkpoint: the longer end is folded into a loop roughly the size of one wing of the front bow, pinched between your fingers.
6. **Push the fold through.** Push the pinched fold through the tunnel behind the front bow. Bring only the fold through, far enough to form a loop on the other side. Do not pull the whole tip through. Checkpoint: you see two loops and two loose ends, one of each on each side.
7. **Tighten by the loops.** Hold the two folded loops and pull them gently away from each other to firm the center. Then fold the collar down and adjust a little at a time. Checkpoint: a bow with even wings sits centered on the collar, and a finger slides between the band and your neck.

## Balance a lopsided or loose bow

Ties.com tightens a bow tie by pulling the two folded sections away from each other, and that is also how you balance it: work on the loops, not the loose ends. If one wing is clearly longer, General Knot suggests easing the long side back through the knot until the ends match. Small alternating adjustments are easier to control than one hard tug. Remember that pulling a loose end is how you untie a bow, so leave the ends alone while shaping.

If the bow keeps drooping or turning, the band is probably too long; shorten it by a notch on the slider and tie again. If the bow comes out small and tight, lengthen the band. If it will not balance however you adjust the loops, untie it and change the starting lengths slightly. Practice once or twice before the evening itself, when there is no time pressure, and the length that suits your tie will quickly become obvious.

## Common mistakes

- **Pushing the whole tip through the opening.** If the entire loose end goes through the tunnel, you get a knot with only one loop and a flat strip, and it will not hold. Push a folded section through, not the tip.
- **Tightening with the loose ends.** The loose ends are what you pull to untie a bow tie, so tugging them while you adjust can collapse the bow. Pull the two folded loops away from each other to tighten, and balance the sides by easing fabric through the knot a little at a time.
- **Wearing the band too loose or too tight.** A bow tie should stay upright without pinching. You should be able to slide a finger between the band and your neck. If you cannot, lengthen the band; if the bow sags, shorten it.

## Questions people ask

### Is a pre tied bow tie acceptable for black tie?

Yes, it is acceptable and many people wear one. A self tie bow tie is the traditional choice and looks slightly more natural, so many people prefer it for formal evenings. If you choose pre tied, make sure the band fits your collar so the bow sits straight.

### Why does my bow tie look lopsided?

Usually one loop has more fabric than the other, or the starting lengths were uneven. Hold the smaller side and ease the larger loop back through the knot a little at a time until the two wings match. If that does not work, untie it and adjust the starting difference.

### Which bow tie shape should I choose?

The butterfly, with wings that flare out from a narrow center, is the classic shape and the safest choice for black tie. The straight or batwing bow has narrower, parallel ends and a slimmer, slightly more casual look, and the diamond point ends in pointed tips on both sides. All three are tied with exactly the same steps, so choose by the width of your collar and face rather than by difficulty.

### Is tying a bow tie like tying shoelaces?

It is the same bow, just tied around your neck and facing outward. The difficulty is doing it without seeing your hands, so a mirror helps at first. Many people find it easier to practice by tying the bow around their thigh while seated.

### How do I tie a bow tie on someone else?

Stand behind them if you can, so their left and right match yours, and follow the same steps. Facing them reverses everything. Our guide to [tying a tie on someone else](https://snaza.app/journal/how-to-tie-a-tie-on-someone-else/) explains both positions.

## Sources

- [Ties.com bow tie instructions and diagrams](https://www.ties.com/how-to-tie-a-tie/bow-tie)
- [General Knot bow tie guide with sizing and balancing tips](https://www.generalknot.com/pages/how-to-tie-a-bow-tie)
- [The Tie Bar self tie bow tie guide](https://www.thetiebar.com/how-to-tie/bow-tie)
- [Beau Ties Ltd on adjusting a bow tie for fit](https://www.beautiesltd.com/blogs/beau-ties-blog/how-to-adjust-a-bow-tie)
- [R. Hanauer guide to bow tie shapes and widths](https://bowties.com/blogs/the-gentlemans-guide/top-five-bow-tie-styles)

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This guide is part of the Snaza Journal, published by Snaza. Snaza is a minimalist digital wardrobe for iPhone. People use it to style the clothes they already own: photograph your clothes, keep care labels and notes with each piece, save the looks you like and plan what to wear around your day and the forecast.

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