While many of you out there are probably already “style icons” in your own right, for some of you, the sartorial journey might have just begun.
We believe in the old saying, “you have to learn the rules before you can break them.” This is the very foundation of dressing well. Understanding the basics, like what color shoes match with which color fabrics, how to “stage” your pocket square, and how to properly tie your tie; these are all key pieces of knowledge that will serve you well in life whether you are 25 or 75.
Once you have a solid grasp of these fundamental concepts and rules, then you can start to break them, and explore your own personal sense of style.
That said, this is a first in a series of simple guides that we feel every gentleman should read and learn. We begin with the proper way to tie your tie.
Tying your tie:
It seems simple, but there are a hundred and one different ways to tie your necktie, and everyone has a different idea of what looks best. Perhaps you’re already familiar with the Windsor or the Four-In-Hand, but how about the Uncle Sam, the Nicky, the Shelby, the Prince Albert, or the Onassis? (Yes, those all are real necktie knots, look it up).
At 18th Amendment, we believe simplicity is the best route to elegance and sophistication. So for us, only one knot will do. For us, the classic four-in-hand reigns supreme.
The four in hand is the most basic of necktie knots; a single pass around and loop with no frills. It looks good under any collar (wide spread, long point, button down, etc.) and will always serve you well. Although we encourage you to explore the vast array of different knots that exist, (more than you would even find in a sailor’s book of rope tying) we have found that you will likely always return to the trusty four-in-hand. Perhaps you should just stick with it from the get go.
HISTORY
Historically, the “Four-In-Hand” term references a style of horse-drawn carriage riding where one driver holds a grouped rein commanding four horses at one time.
As for HOW this title came to be associated with the necktie knot, some say it was the horse rider’s Four-In-Hand Club in London. Others claim it was the carriage riders themselves who wore their scarves with such a knot. Perhaps the carriage riders tied their leather reins using such a knot. As with many items of sartorial lore, the actual truth is lost to history and has slipped into legend. However it came to be, due to its simplicity in technique and appearance, the four-in-hand is by far the most popular and widely used knot in the world.
