Ties come in a variety of colors, patterns, and designs. Solid color ties in every color imaginable can be purchased in department stores and online. So goes with ties with an allover design, abstract and geometric patterns. Most any necktie which is not solid color or featuring a repeating pattern such as stripes, dots, paisley or plaid, is a novelty tie. What are novelty ties?

Definition of "Novelty"

First it is important to understand what a novelty item is. According to Dictionary.com, the word “novelty” as a noun is “an article of trade whose value is chiefly decorative, comic, or the like and whose appeal is often transitory: a store catering to tourists who loaded up with souvenir pennants and other novelties”. As an adjective, the word “novelty” means “of or pertaining to novelties as articles of trade: novelty goods; novelty items”.

According to TheFreeDictionary.com, related words include “originality” (as in originality by the virtue of being refreshingly novel and not derived from something else), “article” (as in an article of clothing) and “adornment” (as in a decoration which is added to relieve plainness).

Novelty ties are a novelty item, and ties are articles of clothing, most often viewed as accessories. For example, if you were at a gift shop at Disney World, you would find many novelty items featuring various Disney cartoon characters such as Mickey Mouse: coffee mugs, calendars, key chains, and clothing, including men’s ties. A Mickey Mouse tie is decorative and is can be comic in nature. A Christmas themed Mickey Mouse tie would have more transitory appeal than just one depicting a cartoon character, which would be able to be worn all year round. Such a tie is decorative and most certainly more interesting to look at than a plain solid color tie.

Connecting People with People

Novelty neckties are also referred to as “picture ties”, “symbol ties” and “conversational ties”. Tie one on and more often than not you will start a conversation based on the theme of the tie you are wearing. In fact that is one of the reasons people wear novelty ties, besides sharing their interests everyone they encounter. Novelty neck ties can be great ice breakers at social events. They often break down barriers. They can elicit a positive reaction, especially if they are funny, by bringing a smile to another person’s face. Not all novelty neckwear is fun or funny, but many are. They help connect people, both young and old and from all walks of life.

When to Wear Novelty Neckwear

While mens novelty ties can attract people to one another and start conversations in new and exciting ways, they are best worn in casual atmospheres. It is not recommended that you wear them to job interviews, and advisable that you really know your work place before attempting to wear one.

Novelty Themes

There are many novelty ties to choose from for any casual event you plan to attend. In addition to cartoon novelty ties are animal, art, music, religious, Christmas, holiday, food and drink themed ties. Occupational ties often included symbols associated with a particular profession such as the scales of justice (law) or the caduceus (medical). Other themes include nautical, western, equestrian, sports, gaming and golf novelty ties. Patriotic and flag novelty ties are always popular. Father’s Day novelty ties are a great way to show your love for parents and grandparents. The list goes on. There are virtually thousands of novelty designs and pictorial scenes for every occasion and every one.