How to Tie a Bow Tie: Butterfly, Batwing, and the Dimple Myth

The fold that actually holds

Stand at a mirror. Collar up. The bow around the neck should sit at the collar band, not the throat. Ends even to start, then drop the right side about 3–4 cm lower. Cross the long end over the short, up through the neck loop, and tighten so the knot sits in the collar gap — about 4–5 cm of shirt showing at a black-tie wing or a turndown. Fold the hanging short end into a bow shape against your collar. Drop the long end over that fold, pinch a nest behind, and push the middle of the hanging end through. Pull the folded loops, not the blades, to tighten.

If it looks like a pretzel, you pulled a tail. Undo and redo. The finished knot should be a horizontal bow, 11–13 cm tip to tip, 6–7 cm tall, sitting level with the collar points. A 2 mm tilt is character. A 15° tilt is a mistake. This is not a four-in-hand; there is no blade to dimple and no Windsor bulk.

Butterfly versus batwing, and why size is a measurement

Butterfly (thistle) flares. It is the default for a dinner jacket. Batwing is a straight bar, 5.5–6 cm tall, cleaner on a slim face and a narrow shawl. Diamond-point ends are 1970s revival; skip them unless the invitation is a theme. Adjustable necks exist because collar sizes are 38–46 cm and a fixed 40 cm band on a 44 cm neck will choke. The bow should be about as tall as the collar is high, not taller than the lapel is wide.

Silk, knit, and the rooms that still want this knot

Black silk satin or grosgrain for black tie. Midnight navy is acceptable and photographs with more life than dead black. A knit bow is a summer garden party, not a ballroom. White marcella is white tie only — do not put it on a black dinner jacket. Velvet and novelty prints are Christmas-party cloth. Practice on a $15 polyester twenty times; the silk you will actually wear costs $40–90 and will crush if you learn on it the night of.