Your Tie Guide
Occasions

Formal evening

Read the invitation first. The dress code on it decides between a suit and tie and a dinner jacket and bow tie.

A bow tie in black

Colours that suit it

Black. Black tie means a black bow tie, in silk, satin or twill.

Knots that fit

Tie it yourself

Etiquette and style guides agree: learn to tie your own bow tie instead of wearing a clip-on. A self-tied bow sits better, and it should be a normal size, not oversized.

Which knot

  • Bow tie

    For black tie, and in white for white tie.

  • Half Windsor

    For a dark suit, when the code is lounge suit or black tie optional.

  • Four‑in‑Hand

    Also right with a dark suit.

Tie the bow tie

It depends

White tie
The most formal code: a tailcoat, a wing collar and a thin white bow tie. Never a long tie.
Black tie
A dinner jacket, a white shirt and a black bow tie.
Black tie optional
A dinner jacket, or a dark suit with a dark, plain tie. Skip the black bow tie with a suit.
Creative or relaxed black tie
A coloured or patterned bow tie is fine, and a relaxed code may even allow a black long tie.
Lounge suit or dark suit
A dark or grey suit, and you should certainly wear a tie.
Cocktail
A dark suit and a tie in a classic colour, perhaps with a quiet pattern.

Better left at home

  • A long tie with a dinner jacket at a black-tie event.
  • A clip-on or ready-tied bow tie.