Novelty Ties: What They Are, When and Where to Wear Them

Novelty ties are the perfect way to imbue your sense of style with some personality and life. While they may be some of the least versatile pieces in your wardrobe, they are absolutely essential for standing out at different events and parties with your friends and coworkers.

In this article, we’re going to give some advice on when a novelty tie may be most appropriate and highlight some of our favorites.

What Is a Novelty Tie?

A novelty tie is a necktie featuring a playful, themed, or humorous design, often tied to holidays, hobbies, pop culture, or specific themes. While classic tie designs follow more formal and traditional patterns, novelty ties break the mold with bold, expressive designs.

Whether you’re dressing for a holiday party or want to impress your friends, The Tie Bar has a wide range of styles and designs that are sure to match anything in your closet.

The Purpose of Novelty Ties

Making a Statement

Novelty ties are perfect for making a statement and can be a great conversation starter at any party or event. Our Tie Bar x Miller High Life Girl In The Moon Champagne Tie is a great example of a tie that can fit right into any outfit you’re wearing, while also adding a pop of color in an interesting way.

Putting on a tie every day should be a conscious choice about how you want to look and carry yourself on a given day, and that goes for novelty ties as well.

Expressing Personality and Humor

In the same vein, novelty ties are an ideal way to express one’s personality — especially a sense of humor. Throwing on our Wandawega Lure Rust Tie and people might ask if you fish. Our Bicycle Ride Burgundy Tie might strike up an entire conversation about cycling.

Even further, wearing a Christmas tie in the middle of summer might turn some heads, but it could also be a fun way to express yourself.

Wearing a novelty tie can be an easy way to break the ice or lighten the mood in a professional or social setting and get the conversation going naturally.

When to Wear a Novelty Tie

Holiday Parties

The most obvious time to wear a novelty tie is during the holidays. Since festive designs are often encouraged, rocking a tie with candy canes, Christmas trees, or menorahs can be a great way to spruce up an outfit.

Wearing something like our Poinsettia Coral Tie with a classy solid-colored suit can even bridge the gap between fun and beautiful ensembles.

Casual Fridays

Casual Fridays are often the best opportunity to wear a novelty tie. Rounding out the week with something from our Bikini Sous La Pluie collaboration like our Fresh Picked Lemon Pale Pink Tie can show the office there’s more to your closet than solid and striped ties.

To avoid leaning too far into the novelty, shoot for a smart-casual look. A nice knit sweater or casual blazer will help you avoid looking too formal or too laid-back.

Special Events and Themed Parties

Coordinating a tie with a themed event is also a surefire way to put together a look. Going to a kid’s school band concert? Our Music Score Navy Tie will do the trick. Maybe you’re part of an astronomy club? Check out our Constellation Space Navy Tie.

There are nearly endless ways to coordinate an outfit with an event that doesn’t seem forced but instead will get you plenty of compliments.

Avoid Wearing Novelty Ties at Formal or Serious Occasions

There are times, however, when it may not be best to don your most vibrant tie. For a wedding, funeral, or any event where the focus should be on someone else, it might be best to go with a more understated pick.

A novelty tie could even be a risky choice for a job interview — unless you feel like conveying your personality could help nab you the job.

Understanding when to wear a novelty tie can be a bit of a tight rope, but hopefully this guide helped inspire some new outfit ideas.

Where to Buy Novelty Ties

Explore The Tie Bar’s full collection of novelty ties below and find your wardrobe’s next statement piece.

BROWSE NOVELTY TIES