Pratt knot: how to tie the Shelby knot, step by step
In this guide
The Pratt knot begins with the back of the tie showing, and that feels like a mistake before you have even crossed the ends. Resist the urge to turn it over. Starting inside out is what lets this knot finish with a neat, nearly symmetrical front in only a few moves, and the wide blade still ends up facing the right way.
It is a good knot to know if the four in hand looks a little too slim and lopsided on you but the half Windsor uses more tie than you can spare. The Pratt sits between them in size, is easy to remember once the starting position makes sense, and suits most everyday shirts.
Pratt knot or Shelby knot: one knot, two names
The Pratt and the Shelby are the same knot. According to Ties.com, it was tied for decades by Jerry Pratt, who worked for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and became widely known in 1989 after the television anchor Don Shelby wore it on air. American shops and tutorials use both names, sometimes together, so if a guide calls it the Pratt Shelby knot it is describing the same sequence you will find here.
Ties.com describes it as a versatile, medium sized knot that falls between the four in hand knot and the half Windsor knot. It is more symmetrical than the four in hand, less bulky than the half Windsor, and has one unusual feature: because the tie starts inside out, the narrow tail behind the finished knot shows its seam. The Tie Bar likewise describes it as a fairly wide knot, though not as wide as a Windsor.
| Knot | Size and shape | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| Four in hand | Slim and slightly lopsided | Point collars, knit ties, casual wear |
| Pratt or Shelby | Medium, nearly symmetrical | Point and moderate spread collars, most everyday shirts |
| Half Windsor | Wider, uses more tie | Moderate to wider spread collars |
| Full Windsor | Large and full | Wide spread collars at very formal occasions |
When to wear it, and which collars and ties suit it
Because it is tidy, balanced and moderate in size, the Pratt works anywhere you would wear a four in hand: the office, an interview, a wedding as a guest. It looks slightly more deliberate than a four in hand without drawing attention to itself. For a very formal occasion with a wide spread collar, a full Windsor fills the space better; for a deliberately casual knit tie, the four in hand remains the easier fit.
Its medium size is at home in point collars and moderate spread collars; our guide to types of shirt collars shows how to tell them apart. The Tie Bar suggests smaller knots such as the Pratt and four in hand for straight point collars, while larger knots belong in wide spreads. Medium weight silk ties give the cleanest result. With a thick wool or heavily lined tie the Pratt grows noticeably, which can suit a wide spread collar but crowds a narrow one. Because the knot has only one more move than a four in hand, it also leaves plenty of blade for taller men; our guide to how long a tie should be explains where the tip should land.
Start with the seam facing out
Fasten the collar and turn it up. Drape the tie around your neck inside out, so the seam and the lining face away from your shirt on both hanging ends. The wide end goes on your right and the narrow end on your left. Ties.com suggests starting with the narrow tip slightly above your navel; treat that as a first try, since your height and the tie's length and thickness change the result.
Every left and right here means your own hands. In a photo taken from in front of you, your right side is on the left of the picture, so check your own body at each crossing instead of copying an image. The neck loop is the opening between the tie and your collar; the front band is the horizontal strip you make across the knot near the end.
How to tie a Pratt knot
Move only the wide end and keep the narrow end hanging still. A light pinch at the crossing keeps the layers together while still letting the fabric slide.
Pass the wide end under to your left
Take the wide end behind the narrow end, from your right to your left.
CheckThe blades cross just below the collar with the narrow end in front, and both still show their seams.
Bring it up and down through the neck loop
Raise the wide end in front of the crossing toward your chin, feed it down through the neck loop toward your chest, and bring it out on your left. Pull it down gently to settle the turn.
CheckThe wide end hangs on your left, now showing its good side, and a small wrap has formed at the crossing.
Cross the front to your right
Carry the wide end across the front of the knot from your left to your right, and keep a fingertip under this horizontal strip.
CheckA flat front band runs across the knot, open under your finger.
Come up through the neck loop
Lift the wide end up from underneath, between the knot and your shirt, and out through the neck loop.
CheckThe wide tip points up at your chin, with the front band still open below it.
Go down through the front band
Guide the tip down through the band held open by your fingertip, then remove the finger and draw the blade through without twisting it.
CheckThe wide blade hangs down the front showing its good side.
Tighten and slide it up
Pull the wide end down gently, then hold the narrow end and slide the knot up to the collar. Fold the collar down.
CheckA neat, nearly symmetrical knot sits centered between the collar points, and the narrow tail behind it shows its seam.
Check the finished knot
Look for a smooth knot slightly wider than a four in hand, with the wide tip landing around the middle of your belt buckle and the narrow tail hidden behind it. The seam on that tail is normal. Do not twist the narrow end to hide it; that pulls the knot sideways. If you want it out of sight, tuck the narrow end through the keeper loop on the back of the wide blade, or secure both blades with a tie bar placed between the third and fourth shirt buttons, as described in our note on where to put a tie clip.
A small dimple is optional. Press a fingertip into the blade just under the knot before the last tightening and slide the knot up while holding the crease. With a stiff or thick tie, skip it; a clean flat front looks just as correct.
Fix a twisted, lopsided or too long Pratt
If the wide blade finishes showing its back, a turn flipped during step two. Loosen the knot, follow the wide end back to that first wrap, and make sure it came down through the neck loop without twisting. A lopsided knot usually means the wrap from step two is tighter or bunched compared with the front band; loosen, smooth that wrap flat and tighten gradually from the wide end.
If the wide tip lands below your belt, start again with the narrow tip an inch or two (3 to 5 cm) lower so the wide end has less to spare. If it stops short, raise the narrow tip by the same amount. Change only the starting point and repeat the same moves, so the next result tells you something. If the front band vanishes before the final pass, you pulled it tight too early; loosen it and keep your fingertip in place until the blade goes through.
Common mistakes
Turning the tie right side out before you start
If you start with the seam against your shirt and follow these steps, the finished blade will show its back. The inside out start is part of the method, not an error.
Crossing over instead of under
The Pratt begins with the wide end passing behind the narrow end. Starting with an over cross turns it into a different knot and the rest of the sequence will not line up.
Pulling the narrow end to untie it
Drake's warns that pulling a knot undone strains the slip stitch that holds a tie together. Loosen the knot first, then undo the passes in reverse.
Questions people ask
Is the Pratt knot the same as the Shelby knot?
Yes. Pratt and Shelby are two names for the same knot, one for the man who tied it for years and one for the television anchor who made it widely known. Some shops call it the Pratt Shelby.
Pratt knot, half Windsor or Windsor: which should I choose?
Choose by collar and tie rather than by rank. The Pratt is slightly smaller than the half Windsor, uses a little less length and is quicker to tie, while Tie a Tie describes it as fairly wide but not as wide as the Windsor. The half Windsor fills a moderate spread collar more fully, and the full Windsor knot belongs in wide spread collars and formal settings, at the cost of more length.
Why does the Pratt knot start inside out?
Starting with the seam out means the wide end finishes face out after its single pass through the neck loop and the front band. The sequence is one move shorter than the half Windsor, which starts seam in with an over and under cross, and that is why the Pratt is compact and quick.
Does the Pratt knot have any disadvantages?
A few, none of them serious. It is not self releasing, so pulling the narrow end will not undo it; loosen the knot and unwind it in reverse. The narrow tail shows its seam, which matters only if it slips out from behind the blade, and the medium knot can look lost in a wide cutaway collar. With a heavy wool tie it also grows larger than you might expect.
Is the Pratt knot good for beginners?
Yes, once the inside out start makes sense. It has only six steps, and if you already know the four in hand the last three will feel familiar. For a complete beginner, our guide to tying your first tie is the simpler place to start.
Sources and further reading
References used for this guide. Each opens the original page in a new tab.
- Ties.com Pratt knot sequence, history and characteristics Opens in a new tab
- The Tie Bar necktie knot guide Opens in a new tab
- The Tie Bar on point collars versus spread collars Opens in a new tab
- Drake's guidance on untying and caring for ties Opens in a new tab
- Wikipedia article on the Pratt knot, including whether it is self releasing Opens in a new tab
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