How to Tie the Simple Neck Tie (Oriental Knot)
Usage
The Simple Neck Tie — also called the Oriental Knot, Small Knot, or Kent Knot — is the one to reach for on a thick or knit tie, or when you're tall and need every inch of length you can keep. It uses a single wrap instead of the two wraps a Four-in-Hand Knot takes, so it finishes smaller and eats less fabric. It's a close cousin of the Four-in-Hand and the two names get mixed up constantly, but they're tied differently: this one starts with the tie's seam facing outward and takes one fewer move.
It's also the fastest conventional necktie knot to learn — fewer moves means fewer chances to get lost partway through.
Why Learn the Simple Neck Tie?
If you wear thick or knit ties, or you're tall and your ties always seem to run short, this knot solves both problems in the same move. It's popular across Asia for exactly that combination of speed and thrift with fabric, even though it's rarely worn in the West. If knots are your thing beyond neckwear, the Knot IQ app has free step-by-step 3D animations for hundreds of rope knots you can practice offline.
Common Uses
Everyday and Office Wear
- Thick or knit ties, where a bulkier knot ends up looking oversized.
- Narrow-collar dress shirts, where a smaller knot fills the collar opening correctly.
- Tall wearers or short ties, since the single wrap conserves length.
Learning to Tie a Tie
- Recommended as one of the easiest tie knots for a beginner to pick up first.
Other Names
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Notable Features
- Fewest moves of any conventional tie knot: a single wrap and tuck, one move shorter than the Four-in-Hand.
- Compact finished size: noticeably smaller than a Four-in-Hand, which is why it suits narrow collars.
- Seam-outward start: you begin with the tie's inner stitching facing out — the reverse of how most knots start — so the single wrap finishes right-side out.
Similar Knots
Four-in-Hand Knot vs. Simple Neck Tie
- Advantage: The Simple Neck Tie is smaller, faster to tie, and uses less fabric than the Four-in-Hand Knot — better for thick ties or a tall wearer.
- Disadvantage: It slips more during wear and doesn't spill open with one pull the way a Four-in-Hand does; you'll work it loose in stages instead.
Security Level
It holds well enough for a day of ordinary wear, but it isn't as steady as a Four-in-Hand — expect to snug it back up once or twice through the day, especially on smoother or lighter fabric. That's a cosmetic annoyance, never a safety issue.
Downsides
- Slips during wear: the single wrap has less friction than a Four-in-Hand, so it loosens gradually and needs re-tightening.
- Not self-releasing: unlike the Four-in-Hand, it won't spill open with one pull — you have to work the wide end back out in stages.
- Wrong for wide collars: its compact size leaves a gap at a wide-spread or long collar.
- Wrong for most silk ties: the flat, narrow shape doesn't hold well in thin, slippery fabric — save it for thick or knit ties.
History
Ashley's 1944 Book of Knots covers the necktie-knot family in detail but never uses the names Simple Knot, Oriental Knot, or Small Knot — those are later, 20th-century menswear names. The mathematical notation work published by Fink and Mao in 1999 is the earliest source that treats it as a distinct, shorter knot than the Four-in-Hand, and specialist tie retailers picked up the modern instructional naming from around 2012 onward.
How to Tie the Simple Neck Tie
Step 1
Start with the seam (the tie's inner stitching) facing away from you — outward, not inward. Wide end on the right, narrow end on the left, with the narrow end resting slightly above your belly button. Only the wide end moves from here.
Step 2
Cross the wide end under the narrow end, moving to the left.
Step 3
Bring the wide end back across the narrow end, moving to the right.
Step 4
Bring the wide end up and feed it into the neck loop from underneath.
Step 5
Bring the wide end down through the loop you just made at the front.
Step 6
Pull down on the wide end to snug the knot, then slide it up to the collar to finish.
FAQ
Is the Oriental Knot the same as the Four-in-Hand knot?
They're close cousins with overlapping names, but they're tied differently: the Oriental Knot uses one move fewer, starts with the seam facing outward, finishes smaller, and — unlike the Four-in-Hand — doesn't spill open with one pull when you untie it.
Why is the Simple Neck Tie tied with the seam facing outward?
Because it only uses a single wrap, the wide end would show its reverse side if you started the normal way — so you start inside-out to end up right-side-out. It's also part of why the finished knot comes out smaller than a Four-in-Hand.
