The half Windsor tie knot, is as you might have guessed, the full Windsor's little brother. Beautifully symmetrical and very easy to master, the half Windsor is an extremely versatile knot that can be used in all many of sartorial situations, from formal to business as usual. Where the half Windsor really excels is not in a particular occasion but rather a particular tie - that is, a thin silk variety. Such ties, either old and have lost their body, or simply made from a thin silk fabric, often require a knot that is plumper than a four-in-hand in order to fill the collar. Although the full Windsor is the bigger knot, you'll find that thin ties don't hold the full Windsor shape all that well, which is where the half Windsor comes in.
So called because it's only brought up around the loop on one side rather than both (as in the full Windsor), it's a short, triangular knot that works very well with regular to short collar lengths, but will be perhaps too compact for longer collar points or excessive cutaways. As you'll see from our tutorial, there is nothing to fear in tying a perfect half Windsor and it's definitely a knot you'll want to keep in your sartorial repertoire.
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