366 Bow Ties: Day 31

Lots of spring anticipation going around here. Hence the shades and the (formerly Brooks Brothers) berry bow tie. And, I suppose, the pink sweater.

It’s funny how, since we deal mostly in non-traditional (read, non-silk) fabrics, wearing a silk bow tie feels odd. I’m going to be doing a bunch of it this year, though—and just yesterday I went through a box of about 200 neckties. I sorted them into 3 categories:

Category 1. “What was I thinking? This is a great necktie–perfect width (not too wide, not super modern-skinny), vintage, etc. Why would I ever demolish this and sell it so some dude on the internet?”

Category 2. “No one should ever, ever wear this tie, ever. But since I don’t believe in legislating sartorial morality, these will go to Deacon’s Kindergarten clothing drive.”

Category 3. “Okay, this is a nice necktie. But we’re in the bow tie business, and the cash is going to Haiti. It’s maybe a little too wide, a little funky in this way or that, not perfect. Much better possibilities as a bow tie. Besides, these guys on the internet aren’t that bad.

By the way, isn’t this kid of mine cute? Doesn’t he make you want to buy this bow tie? It’ll be posted on the store as soon as I can wrest the computer from the Church Belles, who are frantically packing and printing shipping labels, trying to get lots of orders in the post before it closes in 10 minutes.

Cordially,
Andy

366 Bow Ties: Day 29

When you get a new pair of blue jeans, you kind of have to wear them every day for a good while. Even if it’s Sunday. With a new pair of 501s, blue jeans were my Sunday’s best.

Throw on a bow tie, some longwings, a sport jacket with a crisp, linen, TV-fold pocket square (hand-rolled by Ellie some 2 years ago), and you have a respectable Sunday swag going, regardless of what my former Presbyterian self would have told you.

Sunday’s bow tie, known as The Jackson, is available in our store. This is the very last one left, unless we happen to stumble upon a stash of lost Jackson fabric in some recess of the studio (which, if it should occur, would probably be approximately a decade from now). In other words, if you like this (which you should), get it like right stinking now or you’ll regret it for the rest of your life. Do you really want to live with that sort of regret? Think of the money you’ll save from avoiding the therapy….

366 Bow Ties: Day 28

Saturday was (again) unseasonably warm, so I threw on a never-before-seen bow tie from our upcoming Spring/Summer line. It’s luxurious. An organic cotton & hemp blend. It’s got the texture of linen, and the look of seersucker, but without the pucker. As part of our premium selection of bow ties made with rare fabrics, this will be priced at $38 when it becomes available in late February. But for one privileged bow tie aficionado, this (and only this very one) will be had for $35.

I am straight-up loving my Oak Street Bootmakers penny loafers. In fact, I decided it was time to put the penny in penny loafers, literally. One shiny one, one weathered one.

I’m quite happy with how these look when paired with denim. Loafers are an essentially casual shoe, so it makes perfect sense that they’d complement a dark pair of 501s quite nicely.

And the great thing about the weather is, of course, that it was a sockless day. I love socks. But I love not needing them, either. I usually don’t wear socks at all from April through September.

It turned out that this was the perfect chilled out bow tie for the occasion: Beneath the Surface | A Forum on Beauty. I pretended to be artsy for the day, and in fact did have a semi-sophisticated discussion with a professor from Appalachian State University about the evolving social and religious significance of tattoos.

With all my many talents, I was reduced to just one: Pastor…

…which of course is a great honor. It’s just that, as usual, my wife is way cooler than me.

I leave you with some images from the event. A grand time.

Cordially,

Andy

366 Bow Ties: Day 27

I tried my darndest (sp?) to save this–my favorite spring/summer bow tie right now–for when spring or summer actually arrived. But since this January Carolina day has been about as springlike as a May Ohio day, I figured I’d go right ahead. After all, we’ve got lots and lots and lots of new linen coming up in our new spring lineup. (Sneak peak below!)

But back to this tie, which happens to have an exquisite name. A name that means “manly”. Andrew. Fitting. It’s a dollar off the regular price, just for this one, just until it’s gone. Then you’ll have to pay full price, which a’int so bad anyhow.

Had the opportunity to share lunch at Lell’s Cafe with The Cordial Churchman’s illustrator, the masterful Stephen Crotts, and one of our most talented customers, singer-songwriter and producer Jeremy Casella.   Stephen and his studiomates are putting on “Beneath the Surface: A Forum on Beauty” this weekend in Rock Hill, and Mr Casella is headlining the concert that opens this exploration of beauty. I’m running sound. Mr Kirk Irwin, theologian and arts advocate (not to mention dear friend and eventual bow tie wearer) is the keynote speaker, and the provider of beauty in the form of legal, tightly rolled Dominican smokable leaves for our friends while he’s in town.

I usually walk to meet Deacon at school and walk him home. Today I was a bit early, so I enjoyed some reading underneath a barren (and, due to the unseasonably warm weather, very confused) tree.

It’s Bow Tie Friday if you’re not joining me in wearing a bow tie every day of 2012. Why not celebrate with this beauty?

Cordially,

Andy

366 Bow Ties: Day 26

The pressure of this project–to throw on a different TCC bow tie every day–has had the interesting effect of causing me to scour the archives. On Day 26, I came up with this: one of my favorite of Ellie’s early neck-to-bow tie conversions. Medium-blue (darker than royal, lighter than navy) with red/white polka dots.

This is vintage silk. And by vintage, I mean really old. It also represents one of Ellie’s first tries at making a bow tie. It’s got quite a skeleton inside: it really stands up to be counted. It’s a little misshaped here and there. The silk is a little uneven in wear. But this bow tie looks s-h-a-r-p.

We don’t want to hype this bow tie as if it were the a Michael Jordan rookie card or Stan Lee’s first issue of illustrating Spiderman. But it is pretty special. And that’s one of the neat things about bow ties. Of course we pay close attention to the details–even the details that most no one will ever see. But it’s how things look when you show up in the bow tie that counts. They hide their idiosyncrasies much better than neckties. They’re all knotted and folded up and smushed together to begin with.

So, if you hold sentimental stock in The Cordial Churchman, and want to have one of our archival pieces, this bow tie is for you. If you’re going to wear the thing, this bow tie is for you. If you’re going to put this in a mirror-filled display case (not sure why you’d do that) with black velvet backcloth, you should balk. Available only until it’s no longer available: get this archival piece for the TCC throwback price of just $23.

Blue bow ties, by the way, are really important. Blue, khaki or tan, and a little bit of red make up 90% of my outfits.

Speaking of khaki, my Bill’s Khakis went head-to-head with my 4-year-old’s muddy shoes as I pushed him on the swing today. Since these things were originally made for the military, I’m expecting that they’ll hold up under these, and much more sartorially traumatic, conditions.

366 Bow Ties: Day 25

What’s with the weird pigeon-toed thing I’m doing here? I do this when I’m taking a normal jumpshot, too. Not that I take many jumpshots–maybe 4-5 per year.  I opted for the Alisdair in a fat butterfly shape for the big game. The big game, though, wasn’t basketball, but a presentation some of our church plant core group gave at a local church in our denomination, where the Moderator (the Presbyterian version of a Pope) is the pastor. It was good fun, and quite encouraging.

Usually for “the big game” sorts of occasions, you wear your ‘A’ Tie. It’s your favorite, your go-to tie, the one that makes you feel like you can really bring the heat. It’s your dress-f0r-success piece of neckwear.

But I’m more mature than all that nonsense, so I just grabbed the next available bow tie. I’m not usually one for geometric patterns, but this one is subtle, and looks more like a texture than a pattern. It’s kind of like light in that regard—you know: kind of like a wave, kind of like a particle. You following me? No? Maybe I should go put my ‘A’ Tie on.

Our fat patterns give plenty of dimples to the bow when they’re tied up–a nice feature, in my opinion. Really narrow bow ties are in style these days, just like really narrow neck ties. So why not go against the grain and wear a nice fat one once in a while?

The kids and friends came along, and we enjoyed being with the good folks at Tirzah church. Deacon enjoyed it when he wasn’t being hoisted up onto a very tall Andrew’s shoulders in an effort to get him to dunk a basketball. We all especially enjoyed it when we realized it was a pot luck. Great food.

Whenever I see beets or beet salad, I always get it and take a picture of it and send it to my colleague, Phud. Because it utterly disgusts him. Beets are great.

Run over to the store and grab this very Alisdair bow tie in fat butterfly at a discount, and grab yourself a couple more TCC bow ties while you’re at it.

Cordially,

Andy

 

FAQ 1: “Where’s Your Bow Tie???”

I got this all the time—as soon as people found out I was the husband of a bow tie haberdashress. Not so much in 2012. Was hoping to get it tonight when I realized I had the freedom to wear a new / old thifted neck tie (which, like almost all my neck ties, are now on bow tie death row), being as I’ve already worn, and sold, today’s bow tie. I did get the question, and was able to impress the inquirer with more of an answer than he bargained for.

Dear neckties: you are still awesome. I have not abandoned you. Love, ARS

366 Bow Ties: Day 24

Everyone I know deliberately waits to tie their shoes until they find a handsome brick wall and a lush patch of clover. Context is key.

Today’s bow tie is the much coveted, and–except for this one–sold out, Buchanan in narrow butterfly. All wool. Festive but classic. A conservative palate but with some punch nonetheless. We can’t seem to re-source this fabric, so this may be your last shot at it ever. Not meaning to get all apocalyptic on you. Just thought you should know.

I started the day out at the dentist. Speaking of apocalyptic, I found myself in a long, painful wait in the waiting room, and figured it would be appropriate to read from a disturbed minor prophet. My mouth is pretty numb right now. But I’m trying my very best not to drool on the Buchanan.

My dentist is really great. She talks pop culture while she drills and fills, and she always compliments me on my ability to sit still and bear the discomfort. (The tattoo artist said the same.)  She and the dental assistant spent half the time talking about how they just don’t get Twitter. It was kind of unfortunate. Sorry, Twitter, I couldn’t stick up for you because my mouth was otherwise occupied. I even tried to pull out my iPhone while being worked on to at least visually demonstrate what the devil Twitter was.

But it was futile. So instead I admired my Bill’s Khakis weathered canvas, and especially the textural interest when set against my J&HP flower lapel packaging-turned iPhone sleeve.

Run over and grab this Buchanan now before it’s gone forever.

Cordially,

Andy

366 Bow Ties: Day 23

Camouflage. It’s really not my thing. I like it and all, but I’m just not Tough Guy enough to feel legit wearing it. Originally, I felt the same way about our camo bow tie: good for others, not for me. Something about the rainy weather and another excuse to wear my Wellies gave me the mojo to rock the camo today.

This old oxford is getting beat to shreds on the collar. Maybe the only way to wear a worn collared oxford with a bow tie is if it’s a rough-and-tumble, uber-manly camo bow tie? I don’t know. Just speculation.

I finally got a chance to study today in my studio space, where I am the lone “thinker” among a bunch of doers–visual artists to be specific. Another reason I have no business wearing camo. I’m going to miss this studio space when the group moves out in a month or so.

Grab this very camouflage diamond-point bow tie today. Grab one in any cut any day (until we run out of fabric). Better yet, send us your Desert BDUs from your tour in Iraq or Afghanistan, and we’ll make you a bow tie out of them–one that you can proudly pass along to your sons and grandsons. (And yes, we’ve done this before, which did us a great honor.)

366 Bow Ties: Day 22

Today I went to hear my good friend Andrew teach Sunday School at Ebenezer Presbyterian Church. Dude knocked it way out of the park. So much so that I bought him pizza. (For those of you who’re keeping score at home, that’s pizza and beer for 3 consecutive days for me. There might be a problem that calls for an intervention. The pizza, that is.) Anyway, I was excited for a good excuse to bust out my new Bill’s Khaki’s Wool Donegal Limited Edition trousers. Ellie declared that they were “grown up without being ‘old man’.” Now, I’m no enemy of the old man look, but if what she said is true, sweet.

I reached for a bow tie Ellie made last winter: dark navy (or ‘light black’??) silk with embroidered horns from a necktie on one side …

… tartan plaid on the other side. With all reversible bow ties, of course, you want a little of the back side peeking out for visual interest. You can twist and turn them to do whatever crazy stuff you want (like yesterday’s tie), but when you’re going to a Presbyterian church, probably the ‘peeking out’ thing is about enough. Never forget the first rule of bow tie wearing: You’re Already Wearing A Bow Tie. This rule helps you know when it doesn’t matter if you go bonkers with multiple sides and twists and turns and peekings out. And it also helps you remember when to cool it.  (I just made that rule up. Pretty good, huh? Just remember, I’m a professional.)

Ebenezer needed a mug of me for a conference at which I’m speaking there in March. Now, I’m usually pretty modest about being photographed, but for a good cause, I’ll concede–but it won’t be easy. Figured I’d have Andrew snap a photo of me out in the churchyard. Remember churchyards? All churches used to have them. Especially ones that are 225 years old like this one. That building in the background is one of the oldest structures in the county. An old schoolhouse, I think.

I really like the center court “E.” You could play hoops in tweed and bow ties with an “E” like that on the court.

I’ve heard that there was a day when showing off one’s socks was thought of as risqué. I guess because technically they’re underwear. While I fully support the judgment that t-shirts are underwear and thus should not be worn (or seen ‘peeking through’) on the outside, I’m just going to go ahead and wear my foot-underwear for all to see, with the “go bold or go home” maxim being my guiding principle. It’s a great way to add a little punch to an otherwise understated ensemble. Or more punch to a what-the-heck-why-not ensemble.

And of course, the socks seem to draw (at least my) eyes to my Oak Street Bootmakers penny loafers. George, the founder, said that the supple leather on these would stretch wonderfully to conform to my feet. They don’t need “breaking in” like most leather shoes. They just kind of “make room.” Love these shoes. I’m looking forward to some photos of George in our bow ties now. This could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

Okay, there you have it. Run on over to the store and grab this one-of-a-kind bow tie before it’s gone. All of it goes to kids in Haiti. Happy Sunday.

Cordially,

Andy