×

Newsletter

Get new monthly style tips directly to your inbox.

Tie Knot Tips for Short Men

7 Tips to Tie a Tie That is Too Long

tie-a-tie-for-short-menFew things bug me more than a poorly tied necktie. Even the nicest designer suit, shirt, and tie combination can look wrong with a badly tied knot. One of the worst fashion eye sores, in my opinion, is a tie that has been tied either too long or too short – something that can be tricky for men that fall outside of the 5’4″ – 6’2″ height range. Below I put together 10 tips short men can use to tie a necktie to the right length – so that the tip ends near your belt buckle.

#1 Buy Certain Brands: Some designers are known for making ties that are a bit shorter than the average. Some excellent brands I suggest are: Feragamo (55″-57″), Paul Stuart (about 55″), and Ralph Lauren (54″-55″). These three brands are about 2-3 inches shorter than the average men’s tie and will be perfect for any man shorter than 5 foot 10 inches.

#2 Tie a Larger Knot: Larger tie knots take up more of the tie’s length. I suggest the Windsor knot – symmetrical and larger tie knot that is actually the most popular knot among US tie wearers.

#3 Custom Tailored Ties: Yes, there is an option to get a tie custom tailored. A good place I have found is TieCrafters.com. Unfortunately there are some design limitations.

#4 Add a Tie Bar: Accessorize your necktie with a tie bar – a metal clasp that slides over the necktie and prevents the tie from dangling. Simply slide the tie bar over the necktie and pull up the narrow end so that it hides behind the broad end of the tie. I personally am a big fan of tie bars, and I found this accessory especially suited for skinny ties.

#5 3-Piece Suits: I am a huge fan of 3-piece suits. They are elegant, classy, and sophisticated! Also, they work well for ties that are too long as only the top 1/3 of the tie will be visible.

#6 Hide the Narrow End: If the narrow end of the tie is hanging lower then the wide end, then you can tug it in between two buttons of your dress shirt. I have tried it and it does work. The downside: It can be slightly uncomfortable. Also, if you choose this option I suggest you wear an undershirt that prevents the tie from touching your skin because perspiration can damage the delicate silk of your tie.

#7 Scissors: Yes, cutting an inch or two off the narrow end is an option. I only recommend this if none of the six suggestions above worked for you. If you do decide to cut some of the tie off then please stitch up the cut to prevent fraying. I suggest you have your tailor do this for you.

Thanks for visiting my blog!

Hendrik

7 thoughts on “Tie Knot Tips for Short Men”

  1. Venice says:

    Quality blog post, I actually anticipate updates by you.

  2. Anthony Bramble says:

    Ive found being a 5’9 man working as a debt collector wearing suits everyday that I can get away with tieing my necktie to the correct height—then taking the narrow end(end behind showing end) and running it through that back loop they give you to hold the narrow end in place—then i take the narrow end back up through that same loop we went down and let it drape over works like a charm every time for me

    1. Billie says:

      Being a 5’4 man adding a Tie Bar has been my practice since I started working.

      Here’s another 51 tips for short men, written by my friend Terence 🙂 http://liftheightinsoles.com/blog/51-fashion-tips-for-short-men/

  3. Jim says:

    Don’t shorten it at the ends. Re-tipping is tedious and not necessary. Shorten from the middle. Find the seam and open it. Remove material from one or both ends. Re-sew, iron, re-tack. Done. MUCH easier.

    1. hendrik says:

      Hi Jim, thanks for the suggestion. Can you explain further? Sounds interesting but I am a bit unclear of how to do this. Maybe you have a video?

      1. Michael says:

        I had the same question, but then I found this:
        http://www.makeit-loveit.com/2013/08/turn-mens-tie-boys-tie.html

        Haven’t tried it myself yet, but since I’ve been slimming my ties down myself, I’ve started to run into this problem so I’ll be giving it a go soon.

        Cheers!

        1. hendrik says:

          Hi Michael, thanks for sharing this link with us here!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.