We’ve all heard the expression, “The clothes make the man.” The full version is a bit funnier: Mark Twain allegedly said, “The clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society.” The bottom line is simple: if you look good, people will treat you well. And as much as guys may hate it, looking good often means knowing how to tie a tie. If you struggle with making a perfect knot (or just want a change from the boring knots that everyone else uses), check out How to Tie a Tie, developed by Damir Nigomedyanov.

What is it and what does it do

Main Functionality

How to Tie a Tie, like the Android version, teaches you know to tie necktie knots, bow ties, and ascots. It also has an array of tasteful pocket square folding techniques. You will learn how to tie more than 30 knots (11 for free, pay to upgrade to get the rest.)

Pros

• Bar none, the most clear and well-animated instructions of any other tie app on the App Store
• Features a ‘virtual mirror’ which uses built-in video camera: you can follow the instructions seeing all your actions right on the screen!
• Huge array of tie knots, more than most other apps (especially when you consider the ascot and bowtie tutorials)
• A little history of each knot is presented, along with tips for matching a knot with the pattern on your tie

Cons

• You have to upgrade to the full version for the full array of knot tutorials
• You can access animated instructions for one day within the app without paying to upgrade: however there are always static instructions for your reference.
• Banner ads are distracting
• Some very cool knots are missing from the database, such as the Eldredge knot
• Tie knots aren’t organized alphabetically

Discussion

The App Store has a ton of different apps to help you tie a tie (and they all have very similar names, which is super confusing.) I’ve tried out a handful of other free necktie tutorial apps, and How to Tie a Tie knocks them all out of the water.

The reasons that this app is so much better than the other, similar apps are myriad. Firstly, there are a ton of different knots, including ascot knots! The app is beautifully designed, and very elegant. But the real reason this app rules is simple: the tutorials are the easiest to understand.

Even if you are limited to the static tutorial, the images are crisp and well-illustrated. The animated tutorials are even better (they’ll be available for the first day you use the app: after that, you’ll need to upgrade or re-install the app to trick the animations into working again.)

The app was updated just last month, so I’m hopeful the ties will be organized by name so they are easier to browse. I also hope they add more knots to the database: the Eldredge knot is so hot right now, and there isn’t a tutorial for it in this app.

Conclusion and download link

Whether you opt for How to Tie a Tie Free or the paid version, these two apps are the cream of the crop when it comes to necktie tutorials. I’d personally suggest that you pay to upgrade the app: you get the ads removed, improved instructions, and tons of unique tie styling instructions. Just because you have to wear a suit doesn’t mean you can’t stand out from the crowd: with the right tie, you’ll feel powerful. This app is worth your money.

Price: Free (paid version is $2.99)

Version reviewed: 6.4

Requires iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch, iOS version 5.0 or later

Download size: 45.9 MB

How to Tie a Tie on Apple App Store