(FORTUNE Magazine) – They're either coming off altogether or they're going wild. Dressing down at the office has become more common, so tiemakers have come up with eye-catching reasons to tie the knot. Novelty neckwear, like the Tabasco cravat from New Orleans-based Wemco, and cause-related ties -- which raise money for a variety of groups, including Mothers Against Drunk Driving, Save the Children, and the World Wildlife Fund -- have helped propel sales to $1.4 billion in 1993, up 9% from last year. "Ties got pretty boring in the Eighties," says Gerald Andersen, executive director of the Neckwear Association of America, an industry trade group in New York City. "The trend now is towards bolder, brighter, more statement-oriented designs." See above for a few hot and wholesome examples. -- J.M.G.