European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - August 06, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Mark a Bramoff co creator of fish tie. The stars and stripes by Maggi Jackson the associated press they re basically useless and occasionally uncomfortable. But even in this of so casual age men Aren t1 giving up their ties they re flaunting them. Despite an invasion of informality and the easing of dress codes in Many offices the $1.4 billion tie business has been shaking off its doldrums and perking up. Far from being left in the. Closet ties Are stepping out with new Pizazz. From Mickey mouse to Moon rocks endangered wildlife to Rock Star Art neckwear of the 1990s sports motifs from across the drawing Board. Inspired by the splash from Novelty ties tie makers even such upscale companies As Hermes Are bringing out neckwear for casual clothes and updating classic stripes and dots. They were a Wake up Call to the business Tempe Essell senior buyer for the department stores of Dayton Hudson corp., says of Novelty ties. It made everyone in the Industry realize there was a Lack of freshness in  before the Advent of Novelty neckwear the nation s More than 200 tie makers had reason to cringe. While still a popular gift at Christmas and father s Day ties were becoming a less common sight. Dressing casual on fridays has become popular in some offices. Store buyers say pricey designer ties snapped up in the 1980s fell out of favor in this More frugal decade. Particularly among younger men it s become trendy to Wear a shirt buttoned to the neck without a tie. As a result tie sales were Flat during the late 1980s, according to the neckwear association of America inc. _ enter the world wildlife fund with pandas tigers and More. The conservation group s ties depicting endangered species set off a National Boom in Novelty ties especially those that contribute to causes. Today ties that help others Are among the Novelty ties that sell Best. I travel a lot and i can t re tember the last time i was on a plane and did t see a Man wearing one of our ties says Ann Mcclellan marketing director for the International conservation group. Even More than the revenues it s a wonderful Way to get the word  other sensations have been ties by designer Nicole Miller featuring sports and other motifs and neckwear by Jerry Garcia. Ties based on the abstract Watercolours of the guitarist from the grateful dead Rock band have reaped $30 million in retail sales since their introduction in 1992. _ stonehenge ltd., the company that introduced Garcia s ties has since turned out abstract multicolour ties based on the molecular structures of vitamins and Moon rocks. The _ company is also negotiating for a License to make Ben & Jerry s ice Cream ties and plans designs to Benefit mothers against drunk  _ _ in the past few years cartoon ties with Disney peanuts and other characters have also been big Sellers. So were ties based on beatles songs ties with pictures of big macs and other Mcdonald s fare Are sold not at fast food restaurants but m department stores designers have taken advantage of every new fad in recent years. So Dinosaur ties were big last year after the release of the film Jurassic Park. Soccer ties hit stores this summer just in time for the world cup. But some of the Novelty in Novelty ties has already worn off sales have slipped from about 35 percent of tie sales to 10 percent estimates Elena Hart neckwear reporter for the daily news record the largest . Men s fashion Trade publication. _ _ _ _ still with tie sales boosted by about 10 percent Overall since the appearance of Novelty ties the Industry hop Eslo keep its momentum. Buyers Are now setting their sights on updates of classics and knit textured or other casual ties aimed at the sportswear Narket. _ no matter where the tie s future is going few predict its demise. _ the rules of dressing have eased but i Don t think that Means the death of the tie says Michael Solomon a senior editor of Esquire Magazine and author of a Book on ties and shirts. There s nothing redeeming about them but we can t live without Necktie sales survive despite changes in fashion  the stars and stripes 17 saturday August 6, 1994