Sean Connery as James Bond wearing a four in hand tie. Courtesy Getty
Sean Connery as James Bond wearing a four in hand tie. Courtesy Getty
Sean Connery as James Bond wearing a four in hand tie. Courtesy Getty
Sean Connery as James Bond wearing a four in hand tie. Courtesy Getty

Deconstructing the four-in-hand knot


  • English
  • Arabic

Given that a smart tie adds polish and finesse to a suit, we consider its decline a real shame. We understand that, for the uninitiated, ties can seem a little daunting, so here is a mini-guide to one of the easier knots. 

The four-in-hand knot is thought to have taken its name from the practice of driving a coach and horses (which involves holding four reins in one hand), and is the most common knot, learnt by every child wearing a school uniform. The oldest-known knot, it appeared around the necks of the Terracotta Army of Xi'an circa 210BC, and was used by Roman soldiers to secure identifying ribbons.

Here's how you do it: with shirt collars folded up, drape the tie around your neck, with the wide end hanging long. Cross the wide end over the front of the narrow end, then pull it back underneath, forming a simple loop. Repeat, but this time push the wide end diagonally through the gap under the chin. Now, holding firmly, push the wide end through the front of the double loop you have just created. Pull to tighten. The knot should sit high at the throat, evenly in the gap between the shirt collars.

Small and tidy, it is meant to be slightly asymmetric, so should be a little higher on one side. Easy and quick to fasten, the four-in-hand knot works well with any shirt and, most importantly, is easy to loosen on dress-down Thursdays or after work. And in case you need further proof of its versatility, the four-in-hand is the knot of choice for James Bond, when he is not wearing a bow tie.

________________

Read more:

________________

About Krews

Founder: Ahmed Al Qubaisi

Based: Abu Dhabi

Founded: January 2019

Number of employees: 10

Sector: Technology/Social media 

Funding to date: Estimated $300,000 from Hub71 in-kind support

 

House-hunting

Top 10 locations for inquiries from US house hunters, according to Rightmove

  1. Edinburgh, Scotland 
  2. Westminster, London 
  3. Camden, London 
  4. Glasgow, Scotland 
  5. Islington, London 
  6. Kensington and Chelsea, London 
  7. Highlands, Scotland 
  8. Argyll and Bute, Scotland 
  9. Fife, Scotland 
  10. Tower Hamlets, London 

 

MATCH INFO

Serie A

Juventus v Fiorentina, Saturday, 8pm (UAE)

Match is on BeIN Sports

Day 2, stumps

Pakistan 482

Australia 30/0 (13 ov)

Australia trail by 452 runs with 10 wickets remaining in the innings

UPI facts

More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions

UK-EU trade at a glance

EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years

Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products

Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries

Smoother border management with use of e-gates

Cutting red tape on import and export of food