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A tie, just like any article of clothing, is subject to direct and must occasionally be cleaned. But how do you clean it? Do you use a washing machine? Dry cleaning?

 
First, using dry cleaning is definitely an option. Any professional dry cleaning service should be able to easily clean your tie. It is important to note that silk ties are a bit more problematic as cleaning them using dry cleaning makes their color lose its luster.

 
A useful piece of advice with regards to dry cleaning (that’s not limited for ties): if you tell them the source of the stain on your article of clothing, they are much more likely to remove it and are less likely to cause damage to the piece of clothing as well.

 
Second, you can try and remove it yourself. Simply take a clean piece of cloth and gently dab it (never rub it – it may just make the stain spread) – do not use water! It’ll also make it worse.

 
If this doesn’t work, there are various methods of attempting to remove the stay, but these depend on its origin (is it butter or grease?, Is it ink? Coffee? Juice? Tomato sauce?). For the really tough stains, a stain remover should be used, and an additional solution with white vinegar might be applied as well. I deliberately do not elaborate on the specific methods that should be used for each type of stain because personally, I would not risk ruining a tie I like to save $2-3 (and some ties can easily cost $100 or more). Therefore, if you want to search for tie cleaning methods, the internet is full of those – but personally, I would go with a dry cleaner.

 
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The Windsor knot is one of the most popular method of tying ties. In general, it is a large and symmetric tie knot that is particularly appropriate for usage with wide collar shirts and is not suitable for narrow collar shirts. Furthermore, a tie that is made out of thick wool is not appropriate for this method – the knot will simply be too large.

 
Here are the instructions for tying the Windsor Knot:

 

1. Start from your right side and take the wide end of the tie. Extend it roughly a foot underneath the narrow end of the tie.
   

2. Take the wide end and cross it over the narrow end of the tie.
   

3. Take the wide end and pull it through the resulting loop.
   

4. Take the wide end above the narrow end, and insert the wind end through the loop (personally I find this step confusing, I hope you are not).
   

5. Wrap the wide end of the tie around the tie’s front.
   

6. After you finish wrapping around the front of the tie, take the wide end of the tie and pull it through the loop. At this point the tie knot should look like a triangle when you tighten it.
   

7. Finally, pull the wide end through the knot in the front of the tie. Make sure the knot is tightened by pulling the wide end while holding the knot in place.
   

 
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As stated, novelty ties are ties who are primarily worn for decorative or comic value rather than to serve as a part of a formal attire. In other words, you do not want to go to a formal event, a church, or a funeral wearing a novelty tie.

 
What makes Novelty Ties so much fun is that the range of possibilities is literally endless. There are Novelty ties which feature icons from popular culture (such as cartoons, actors, famous artwork):

1. Vintage ties: ties that feature old and antique motifs (i.e. posters from the 1920s)
2. Celebrity ties: ties that feature a celebrity (i.e. president Obama)
3. Gimmicky ties: ties that feature some sort of symbol you would not expect on a tie (i.e. pacman),
4. Cartoon ties: ties that feature cartoons or cartoonish characters (a popular type of tie is a tie featuring The Simpsons characters),
5. Funny ties: ties that feature funny images, catch phrases or jokes (my favorite is “Crackers for Obama”),
6. Music ties: Ties that feature musical patterns.

 
Not to mention superhero ties, patriotic ties, movie ties, art ties, holiday images ties. I bet you that whatever concept I come up with, a novelty tie like that exists – or can be made, and someone will buy it – such as “I survived the 2009 depression and all I got was this tie”.There are even ties that use batteries and display flashing lights.

 
When it comes to novelty ties, the sky is the limit. Wear one of those that fits with your personality, and you can be sure to draw attention – the kind you like – at a social event.

 
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Even though – and perhaps because ties are considered an essential part of the dress code, at some point the concept of novelty ties appeared.

 

What are novelty ties?

Loosely defined, Novelty ties are ties whose primary value is decorative, comic or can serve as a sort of a souvenir. Consequently, when one searches across shops or on the internet, there are endless variations of novelty ties, most of which will not be acceptable in any workplace, i.e. ties with Simpsons characters.

 

Why do people wear novelty ties?

This can be attributed to two reasons. First, as sort of a way to ‘rebel’ against traditional workplaces by making a formal piece of clothing comical and funny. Although not all novelty ties are in fact funny, many of them are.

 
Second, because of the huge variety of novelty ties, this truly allows a person to express his personal style in endless ways. As such, they are not only fun to wear, but also enable people to connect. For example, wearing a novelty tie can serve as a fantastic ice breaker in a social event. Some times in particular are bound to elicit responses and draw smiles, and that’s always a good thing when meeting new people.

 

When should novelty ties be worn?

Clearly they should not be worn in a place that is traditional or conservative. Nor is it recommended to wear one to a job interview – unless that is particularly appropriate for the job one interviews for. However, social events where the general atmosphere is casual and friendly are the perfect environment for wearing this unique article of clothing. Our advice: wear a good novelty tie for such an event and you’ll be the center of attention!