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The four-in-hand is the most common and versatile tie knot for neckwear. You may also identify this as a schoolboy knot or a simple knot. Easy to tie, the four-in-hand tie knot works for almost every occasion and with any type of fabric and collar. Some exceptions would be black tie events, when you would wear a bow tie or times when you would choose the slightly more formal Windsor knot.

The origins of the four-in-hand tie knot are somewhat disputed. Sources suggest that at the turn of the century, carriage drivers tied their reins with this form of knot. Picture a carriage driver with the reins of four horses in one hand, or four-in-hand. Others believe the carriage drivers styled their scarves with the four-in-hand knot. Yet another theory says this tie knot originated from a private club in London in the 1800s where members of The Four-in-Hand Club wore their neckwear with this particular knot, making it fashionable. One thing we do know is that the popularity of this tie knot caught on once starched, up-turned collars became softer and turned down into the modern collar we know today.