How to Tie a Cravat
The day cravat — worn open-necked or tucked into the collar — is the most elegant way to finish a jacket without a tie. Here's the classic knot, step by step.
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- 1
Drape the cravat
Place the cravat around your neck under the collar, with both ends hanging evenly down the front of your chest.
- 2
Cross and loop
Cross the right end over the left, then bring it up and through the loop at your neck, the same first move as a simple scarf knot.
- 3
Form the front fold
Let the top layer fall forward over the bottom layer. Smooth the silk so the wider blade sits flat and slightly puffed, not pulled tight.
- 4
Tuck or leave open
For a formal look, tuck both ends inside an open shirt collar. For a relaxed day look, leave the collar over the cravat and let it sit against the chest.
- 5
Adjust the drape
Arrange the folds so the silk drapes softly and the pattern faces forward. The cravat should look full and natural, never stiff.
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Open-necked or tucked?
A cravat tucked into an open collar reads as more formal — ideal for weddings, the races, or a morning suit. Worn over the collar against the chest, the same cravat becomes relaxed daywear that lifts a blazer and open shirt.
Because our cravats are hand-finished in 100% mulberry silk, they hold a soft fold and drape naturally rather than springing flat — which is exactly what makes the knot sit well.
| Occasion | How to wear it | Ground & pattern |
|---|---|---|
| Wedding (groom or guest) | Tucked into an open collar, fuller knot | Deeper grounds — navy, burgundy, forest — or the party's palette |
| Races & garden parties | Tucked, with a waistcoat if the dress code allows | Lighter grounds, confident pattern |
| Smart-casual daywear | Over an open shirt, against the chest | Smaller prints, softer colours |
| Black tie | Don't — black tie calls for a bow tie; bring silk in at the pocket instead | — |
The most common mistakes
Tying it too tight. A cravat is meant to drape, not grip — if it looks like a bandage, loosen the knot and let the top blade puff slightly. The silk should sit full at the throat with soft, irregular folds.
Wearing it with the wrong collar. A cravat needs room: an open spread or cutaway collar works; a buttoned-down collar fights it. Leave the top one or two shirt buttons undone and let the collar frame the silk.
Polyester. A cravat is nothing but drape and sheen, which is why the fabric is the whole game — synthetic versions spring flat and shine harshly in photographs. Real mulberry silk folds softly and catches light with depth rather than glare.
Where the cravat comes from
The cravat is the ancestor of every modern necktie. Croatian mercenaries serving in France during the Thirty Years' War wore knotted neck-cloths that caught the eye of the Parisian court, and the style — and the word, from 'Croate' — spread through fashionable Europe in the seventeenth century. Charles II brought the fashion to England with the Restoration in 1660, and the English have been refining it ever since.
The day cravat you'll tie with this guide is the relaxed descendant of that court style: less architecture than the pleated, pinned ascot of Edwardian morning dress, more presence than a necktie.
Matching a cravat to the occasion
For formal events, choose deeper grounds — navy, burgundy, forest — and let a heritage motif carry the detail. For daywear, lighter grounds and smaller prints keep the look easy.
For a wedding party, pick a single design in multiples so the groom and groomsmen coordinate without matching exactly.
Looking after the knot (and the silk)
Untie a cravat fully after wearing — never leave it knotted, which sets creases into the bias. Hang it overnight so the folds relax, then store it flat or loosely rolled, away from direct sunlight. Light steam revives the drape; a hot iron flattens the hand-rolled edges and kills it. For anything more, dry clean only.
Frequently asked questions
- How long does it take to tie a cravat?
- About three minutes once you've practised the knot two or three times. The five steps above cover the classic day-cravat knot — drape, cross, loop, fold, adjust.
- What shirt do you wear with a cravat?
- An open spread or cutaway collar with the top one or two buttons undone. The cravat either tucks inside the open collar (formal) or sits against the chest under it (relaxed). Avoid button-down collars.
- Can you wear a cravat casually?
- Yes — worn loose against the chest under an open shirt, a day cravat is smart-casual rather than formal. It pairs naturally with a blazer or unstructured jacket.
- Is a cravat the same as an ascot?
- An ascot is the formal, pleated style of cravat traditionally pinned and worn with morning dress. The day cravat in this guide is the softer, unpinned style — in Britain, 'cravat' usually means this one.
- Should the cravat match the pocket square?
- Coordinate rather than match: let the pocket square pick up one colour from the cravat in a different pattern. Identical fabric at throat and pocket looks bought-as-a-set.