What do people have against the bow tie? I’m being serious here. I’ve met a lot of people who turn their nose up to bow ties, always going off on tangents about how they’re “so old fashioned,” and “not hip enough” to wear. Oh, get real. Bow ties are cute, and the men who wear bow ties are making a clear statement: Hey, I’m secure enough in my adulthood to look like Orville Redenbacher. All joking aside—because Orville isn’t that cute when you think about it—bow ties have their place in the fashion world, and it’s high time that they got a little respect.

So many men in the world today wear neckties, but the bow tie only has a little niche. Guys like Tucker Carlson have no problem with the bow. Even George Clooney and Brad Pitt are frequent bow tie wearers. But, by and large, you’ll mostly find the long, silken, colorful ties accompanying the fashionable suits. It’s a shame; these little neck decorations have a long and storied history. The bow tie has earned its rightful place in fashion!

Well, ladies and gentlemen, if you have a hankering for a bow tie but don’t feel like dropping the money for a specific item, you may be pleased to know that you can tie a regular necktie into a bow tie shape with little effort. This saves time, money, and, if you’re not comfortable with the bow tie, you can also excuse yourself to the bathroom and come back wearing a regular tie. Okay, that last part may be awkward and unnecessary; let’s just focus on the bow ties.

To rig a regular necktie into a bow tie, simply find the tie you want to wear, start by placing it around your neck like you would with any tie (except a clip-on), and make the thin side of the tie about 5 inches longer than the thick side. Now, the motions here are basically the same as with the classic necktie. Cross the large end over the thin side, bringing it up near your face and tucking it underneath the knot.

Now, this next step is relatively simple. You want to fold the thick end of the tie in half, lengthwise. What we’re doing here is getting rid of the triangular tip. So, in order for neckties to resemble bow ties, we want to lose the tip and make it look like a rectangle. If it’s too wide, then simple fold it in half the other way.

Place the large rectangle you’ve just made by your neck. Check it out to make sure it’s the same size as a bow tie. Now, just take the long, thin end and pull it over the thick end of the tie. It’s basically the same as tying a necktie; only the folded ends make the fabric resemble a bow tie. Maybe any necessary adjustments and tighten the tie up. Unlike regular bow ties, you’ll have a lot of tie left over, just hanging out. Simply tuck this under your shirt and no one on earth will be able to tell the difference.