The Cambridge Scarf

Here in the South, cooler weather can’t come too soon.  The heat makes otherwise standard things like denim, socks, and blazers almost intolerable until well into October.  As I type, however, the sun has set and it actually feels (now that High School football is almost over) like football season.  In Ohio it’s nothing to trick-or-treat in the snow.  In South Carolina, we’re just starting to pretend like we need long sleeves.

Before long, though, I’ll be riding my Vespa in the early morning, and this bad boy will keep me from turning into a well-dressed, vintage icicle.

We’ve featured the Oxford patchwork wool scarves a short while back, and they’ve been moving nicely over at the store.

Now, behold: the Cambridge Scarf. More subtle, somewhat more elegant, and at a lower price point than its patchwork cousin, the Cambridge scarf will be available in several styles.  Those you see featured here, plus a handful of other options, will be available on the store Friday, November 5.

It’s hard for me to name a favorite when you’ve got the two-sided, all-wool option (above), the frayed-fringed, one-piece red tartan plaid option (left), and the part wool/ part chambray option (below).

But why limit yourself to just one?  If you’re in some place like Buffalo, Billings or Bismark, you’re going to need every motivation in the world to brave the cold for the next 6 months.  The Cordial Churchman hereby offers a money-back guarantee that an arsenal of Cambridge scarves will help.

 

What else is there to say, really?  Bring on the cold.  Grab a tweed jacket, a pipe, and a Cambridge scarf.  You’ll easily be the baddest man in town.

I’m Andy Stager, and I approve of this message.

It’s A Boy

I’m interrupting your regularly scheduled bow tie related post to share something a bit more personal and very exciting for us.

So we had a little “announcement party” with our two sons today to tell them that they will be getting a new baby brother. They didn’t seem too surprised because they both insisted it was a boy all along. Our 4 yo, Deacon even told us that Jesus and God told him it was going to be a boy. They were right! I guess we are a family that is good at making boys.

Here’s Owen enjoying his yummy cupcake with blue frosting.

And here’s a video of us telling them all about it.  Like I mentioned before, they don’t seem surprised, but I think the video is really cute anyway.  Click HERE for the link to the video if you can’t play it from here.

Club Diamond Point Bow Ties & Top Shelf Flea

This might be my favorite bow tie shape yet.  It combines the nerd-coolness of the straight batwing bow tie with the “yes, my bow tie has points on the end.  Got a problem with that?” of the diamond point bow tie.

These club diamond-point bow ties look especially snazzy in traditional stripes, though they’ll work nicely for other patterns as well.  If you’ve got some silk patterned neck ties in your closet you’re not wearing, pass them on to The Cordial Churchman and have them converted.

I’m pleased to be making some of these available at the 2nd Semi-annual TOP SHELF FLEA market, presented by Giuseppe, author of the best style-on-the-cheap blog out there: An Affordable Wardrobe. If you’re in Boston, you’ll not want to miss it.  One of these days I’m going to get there myself.

Look for the club diamond point option for any custom bow tie on the store soon. Until then, feel free to request it in the ‘notes’ section of any order.

PS–If you’d like to read Giuseppe’s interview with me from the last Top Shelf Flea, you can find it here.

PSS–I’ve just noticed that Giuseppe is wearing a charcoal wool bow tie from The Cordial Churchman in his most recent post.

Win a Free Bow Tie

Click over here to win a free bow tie from the editor of Southern Weddings Magazine.  She has a nice batch of bow ties from The Cordial Churchman as well as some other bow tie makers.  Last day to enter is today and all you have to do is comment on her post!

Bows & Squares in Southern Weddings Magazine!

Nearly 8 years ago I married Andy.  I told him in no uncertain terms that he was not wearing a bow tie* with his tuxedo in our wedding.  They were silly.  Clown-like.  Costumey.  That was in Ohio, in 2002.  It was a thoroughly Rust Belt-ish sort of position to take.

Fast-forward to 2010, South Carolina.  Today, I not only own and operate a bow tie business, but now my bow ties have appeared in–yep–Southern Weddings magazine.  

The ladies at Southern Weddings have, quite aside from my bow ties, put together a gorgeous volume 3 of their magazine.  There are a zillion brilliant ideas and a phenomenal spread of real wedding photographs in these pages. I think you’ll love this magazine whether you’ve long been married, plan never to be, or are in the very process of planning a wedding.  There’s nothing stuffy here. Rather, creativity and beauty abound.

Here’s Editor-in-Chief Lara Casey with a collection of bow ties from various makers featured in the magazine.

Even the most Southern of Southerners I meet think my run with The Cordial Churchman is pretty weird.  I’d have to agree.  This is a pretty fun story to tell now.  I imagine it will make our grandkids chuckle, too.

PS–I’ll see about scanning the pages that feature my wares.  But don’t hold your breath.  You should just go get the magazine.

*I had never even heard of a pocket square then.  I have some of them in SW v.3, too.

Square-end Neck Ties

It is felicitous that square-end neck ties are coming back into style, because making those points on standard long ties is a pain in the neck.  And really, these are pretty cool, no?  Put on one of these slim (2 1/4”) bad boys, and you’re tipping your hat to The Beatles and throwing some smart casual into your neck tie collection.  

The Joshua Madras Square-End is named after our second-most handsome model.  The navy blue base color scheme makes this patchwork madras workable for Indian Summer, and perhaps beyond.

Josh and Andy demonstrate the versatility of the Gray Chambray square-end neck tie.  Chilled the heck out with jeans and an unbuttoned top button; a subtle lean toward casual with a navy blazer, white oxford, and a pocket square.

The Samuel Square-End was donned by our friend last week at a very important job interview.  The guy hadn’t a clue how to tie the thing.  Rumor has it the interview went really well.  Surely it had much to do with the volumes spoken by The Samuel with a white oxford, blue blazer, and khakis.

For all you folks in the Southern Hemisphere, consider the Owen Madras (left) or the Jeremiah Madras (below) for the spring and summer.

With any square-end neck tie purchase, The Cordial Churchman will send you one brown vintage knit wool square-end necktie free.

Head over to the square-end corner of the store and before you know it, the courier will be at your door with your new piece of haberdashery.