How to Tie Necktie Blouses: 2-Minute Guide

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Necktie blouses are a trend that circles back every few years as a feminine alternative to basic button-ups. Usually in silky charmeuse or sheer and printed chiffon, the blouse’s high necklines and traditional tie detail make for an easy style statement — if you know how to tie it.

Get the tie on your blouse right and you are chic and fashion forward. Get it wrong and, well, the look turns awkward pretty fast.

Let’s put you in the chic category with this quick guide on four ways to tie a necktie blouse.

1. Bow crazy

For the bow look, tie your blouse as you would tie a shoe. You can then play around with the loops of the bow to suit your tastes. Large, draping bow loops are dramatic. Shorter bow loops emphasize the ends of the ties and create the appearance of length.

Know that the fabric of the blouse will play into the shape of the bow. You’ll find that soft, pliable fabrics are more forgiving than stiff ones.

You can also try an off-to-the-side bow for an unexpected twist on this classic.

2. Brooch the subject

You can also skip the bow altogether and tie a square knot instead. The square knot provides the perfect wide and flat surface to add a brooch or pin at the neck.

To make a square knot, cross the two ends over to form a half-knot. Then repeat and pull the ends tight. For a tutorial with photos, see animatedknots.com.

3. Slip and slide

Play up the draping look of the blouse ends by creating a slip knot that can be adjusted to desired lengths. To get the look, wrap one end over and under the other twice — like tying a men’s tie. Pull the shorter end up toward your neck, behind the back of the knot and then push it through the front.

4. Feeling French

Ever feel like the blouse ends are unnecessarily lengthy? A french twist is a quick fix. Wrap the blouse ends around the back of the neck, criss-cross and wrap back around the front. Make sure the blouse end is flat and flush to the neck and tie off to the side for some Parisian glamour.