The Cordial Churchman - Blog

Cordial Wedding Etiquette: Groom's Wardrobe

2013-07-08T11:17:56-04:00

So....hmmm....most of us are aware of bad fashion mistakes. Bless Dwight's heart.

When it comes to a wedding, the fashion mistakes may be more subtle. Fashion etiquette may or may not be important to you. If not, talk to your fiancee; it may be important to your bride and family. Remember, the pictures last a lifetime. Decisions on what you wear should be based on kindness and consideration. Future grooms, you will probably think more about this outfit than any other you will wear!

[caption id="attachment_3522" align="aligncenter" width="344"] Emily Post Weddings, 1963[/caption]

The time of day dictates what you wear, as well as the season and location of the wedding. Emily Post wrote an etiquette book in 1922 and it is considered to be the standard when considering what to wear to a wedding; however, we are in a constantly changing world so consider using her rules as a preliminary guideline. Also, consider what the bride is wearing when determing which outfit to wear. You want to compliment her fashion choices.

[caption id="attachment_3520" align="aligncenter" width="344"] Emily Post's Etiquette, 15th Edition[/caption]

Emily Post:

Formal: Cutaway or tailcoat.

Semiformal: Sack coat or tuxedo.

Informal: Dark business suit or jacket.

If you are going for a formal look in a tuxedo, consider one of our formal bow ties. We suggest our Black Satin bow tie to be worn with tuxedos with satin lapels and our Black Faille Bow Tie to be worn with tuxedos that have grosgrain lapels. The white pique bow tie would look smashing with either tuxedo. And remember, for winged collars we can make fitted bow ties so that you don't have to have the bow tie hardware visible.

Now if you are getting married in July outside in Orlando at 3 p.m. and the wedding is semiformal, you may suffocate in a tuxedo. Linen suits are a better option.

One final tip. Remember - for almost every blazer or coat that is single breasted, you need to unbutton the bottom button!

Cheers,

Audrey

**** Have any etiquette questions you would like us to answer? Please let us know! Audrey is not Emily Post, but she has been a bridesmaid in over 20 weddings, was married in 2004, and collects etiquette books. She will do her best to help

Letters To a Young Gentleman: Honor People With Your Shoes

2013-07-05T16:12:39-04:00

My Dear Sons,

I know I'm regularly telling you to get your shoes off the middle of the floor. Or out of the back yard. Or off of our bed. I hope you don't think we're "anti-shoes". I especially hope we're not badgering and discouraging you by our insistence about something that's obviously not the end of the world.

But of course being a young gentleman is not about simply avoiding world-ending mistakes. It's about learning how to be yourself without forcing others to be someone other than themselves. And, believe it or not, shoes, and what you do with them, are a daily opportunity to practice emerging gentlemanliness.

WHERE YOU TREAD WITH YOUR SHOES COUNTS FOR GENTLEMANLINESS

When you go into someone else's home, they have opened up to you their most personal space. They may have spent time picking up before your arrival to present their home to you as a place where you feel welcome and comfortable.

The first thing you can do to express your gratitude for their hospitality is to, undramatically, courteously, ask them

"Would it be best for me to remove my shoes?"

Say it in a way that makes them feel like it's absolutely no big deal whatsoever if they say "yes, that would be kind of you." You're not there to pass judgment on their 'house rules'. You're there to reciprocate their gesture of hospitality with your own gesture of submission to their customs.

Even if you just came from the shoe store with new sneakers or just had your penny loafers re-soled and shined by the cobbler, make this gentlemanly gesture.

WHICH SHOES YOU WEAR COUNTS FOR GENTLEMANLINESS

Someone once said "If you want to know if someone is well-dressed, look at their shoes."

Young men: we don't put our clothes and shoes on to "impress". We put them on to set others at ease through our situational appropriateness.

One time, I walked into a very traditional, downtown gothic revival church in the South with Birkenstock sandals on. This was a mistake, because I was thinking about my own comfort, and the expression of my own personality. I wasn't thinking of the congregation as my host, and myself as a guest.

I've also showed up to sporting events in wingtip shoes, which probably also gave the community assembled there the sense that I didn't care about the context. Instead, I probably made them feel like I was trying to assert my feigned superiority over them. I should have slipped on my Birkenstock sandals.

HONOR PEOPLE WITH YOUR SHOES

The key, young men, to a gentlemanly life, is to take every opportunity and occasion to honor others with your demeanor, attitude, speech and gestures. All the "PUT YOUR SHOES WHERE THEY BELONG!" grief that we're giving you now, if we admit it, is really just our present frustration with tripping over your tennis shoes for the 392,405,301st time.

Yet, we can all learn to look at these situations as exercises in others-centered gestures of gentlemanliness. Forgive us for when we've been merely exasperated. And we'll all work to gently remind one another of how we might honor those who are hosting us, not least with the things we do with our shoes.

Your Loving Father,

ARS

Fourth of July Sale!

2013-07-04T00:57:44-04:00

Happy Fourth of July from The Cordial Churchman! It is the perfect day to introduce our brand new Navy/Red reversible bow tie! Yours today only for $25*

*Regular Price $32. Sale ends at Midnight Eastern Time

In The Cordial Churchman Studio

2013-07-03T13:55:03-04:00

Hello! And welcome to The Cordial Churchman studio. Wish you all were here in person and could take a tour of where we make our bowties. Instead, we thought we would share a virtual tour today.

We create, sew, and ship all our bowties and accessories from a workspace in downtown Rock Hill, SC. We are about 20 minutes south of Charlotte, NC.

We are housed with other artists in a community art center that once was a federal courthouse. Being centrally located downtown, some of our employees walk or ride their bicycle to work on a regular basis.

Seven of us work out of the studio at different times. Over the next several weeks we are going to introduce them to you. If you were to come into the shop on an average day, you would see us reviewing orders, cutting fabric, sewing, packaging, and drinking coffee. Coffee is essential in the making of the bow ties.

On special days, we have magazines and newspapers coming in for interviews and photographs. We are also fortunate to have some of our clients come to our space to purchase bow ties. The local cable and internet company, Comporium, just instituted "Bow Tie Thursday" and we enjoyed helping some of the men select a tie. Last week one of our loyal clients traveled hours out of his way to come and pick out some new bow ties while traveling from Washington DC!

Thought I would include a photograph of a busy few days. Since I not only write blog posts but help trace, sew, and ship bowties, I better get back to work! Thank you for coming on our tour, and we look forward to sharing more behind the scenes over the next two months.

Cheers!

Audrey

Presbyterians Love Bow Ties

2013-07-02T10:00:32-04:00

If you're going to be in a huge box of a building bathed in florescent lights for a week, you might as well bring some bow ties, meet some awesome people, and renew friendships with Cordial Churchman enthusiasts.

That's exactly what I did at the TD Exposition Center in Greenville, SC for the 41st General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in America.

It's actually hard to believe how fast the days and the week flew by. It was soul food to be with such good folks. As usually happens when we show up at an event like this, I got to teach a bunch of folks how to tie bow ties, I got to sell a good 8-10 people their first bow tie ever, and I got to meet people who have been buying our bow ties exclusively since we first started back in 2009.

[caption id="attachment_3347" align="alignnone" width="492"] Matthew is a young man with some mature style. His father is a prominent pastor in Greenville, and his whole family is swell.[/caption]

Presbyterians love bow ties.

In fact, it was my very first Presbyterian pastor who introduced me to bow ties back in Ohio. When we moved to Columbia, SC, he sent us to First Presbyterian Church, where I probably saw 50 gents rocking bow ties upon our first visit. It was great to get to see him again at this event, and to put a new bow tie into his wardrobe.

Being as The Cordial Churchman does perhaps 90% of its business online, we work hard to add the personal touch to our customers with handwritten notes and handcrafted custom bow ties. And yet, there's nothing quite like meeting the people who appreciate the work we do.

[caption id="attachment_3349" align="alignnone" width="492"] Long-time customer David gets his wife's opinion on a new acquisition via FaceTime.[/caption]

I enjoyed the face-to-face cultivation of these friendships with our dapper Presbyterian customers so much that we've been kicking around a new idea. We're considering coming to see some of you. What if The Cordial Churchman came to the 3 cities where we have the most customers and we all had ourselves a get-together? We could get a jazz band, some champagne, and get all gussied up. We could have a Cordial Churchman pop-up shop and perhaps an official bow tie for the event.

It could be a blast.

Chew on it. Let us know what you think. We'll let the idea percolate for a bit, and then make a proposal or two.

[caption id="attachment_3351" align="alignnone" width="492"] The assembly hall[/caption]

On a sad note, I met a pastor at this event named John Appleton, from near Charleston, WV. We talked about his congregation. We talked about how he was involved in starting a farmers' market in his town to bring the community together. We talked about getting together when our family did our usual drive through his neck of the woods on our regular trips to Ohio. And after pondering it for a day, John selected his first ever bow tie.

I got a call from another pastor friend just a few days later telling me that a pastor-firefighter had been killed at a fire. My friend attended the funeral, and saw that the gentleman was being interred wearing a bow tie. He asked the widow about it, and she said that her husband had come home from the General Assembly with his first ever bow tie, and was really excited about it. So she decided to have him wear it one last time. Her husband was my new friend John Appleton.

[caption id="attachment_3352" align="alignnone" width="492"] John and Lisa. John introduced me to Presbyterianism and bow ties. So he's kind of responsible for both of our careers.[/caption]

You know, here's the thing: What made this event so special was not bow ties or Presbyterians. Bow ties and Presbyterians were just the occasion. What made this event so special was the people. The friends. Young high school gents who were trying to figure out how to make their lives count. Old men who've been wearing bow ties and preaching for twice as long as I've been alive. Ladies who wanted to treat their husbands to a piece of fine neckwear. Fellow church planters who know exactly what it's like to be me. People serving in the military all over the world. Pastors serving in France, Japan, Germany, and everywhere else.

People.

As C.S. Lewis once said, you and I have never met a mere mortal. The people we come into contact with may very soon be departing this life and on to the next. This was the case for my new friend John Appleton. I'm saying a prayer for his wife, his family, and his church tonight. And I'm going to remember that it's all about people.

Thank you for the privilege of serving you, and of getting to know you.

Cordially,

Andy

Cordial Weddings: Jason and Erika (The Fitted White Pique Bow Tie)

2013-07-01T10:00:43-04:00

We are starting a new series here on the blog: Cordial Weddings! The posts will include real weddings, wedding etiquette, and groomsmen gift ideas, just to name a few.

Today we are featuring Jason and Erica from Nashville, Tennessee. When this lovely couple married last August, Jason wore our white pique bow tie. They married at Covenant Presbyterian Church (where Andy and Ellie have had the privilege of attending several times over the years) and held their reception at The Hermitage Hotel.

Why he bought a white pique bow tie for his wedding:

"As soon as Erika and I decided that I, as the groom, would wear full dress white tie for our wedding, I knew I had to do something special with my bow tie. For me, the tie is incredibly important because it is the centerpiece of a man's appearance. It is the anchor that ties the rest of his tuxedo, suit, or whatever else he is wearing together. I immediately knew that a rental bow tie would not do. Even an adjustable self-tie bow tie was not preferable. But given the constraints of the tradition of white tie, I couldn't just go anywhere for one. That's when I found The Cordial Churchman."

Given the style shirt Jason wore, the bow tie was visible around his neck since it did not have a collar. We made sure to size the tie to his measurements, instead of sewing in sliders. In our humble opinion, it looks great on him!

Congratulations, Jason and Erika, and thank you for sharing pictures from your wedding! The pictures were taken by Rachel Moore.

Cheers, Audrey

**If you would like TCC to make custom bow ties for your wedding, visit our online shop at thecordialchurchman.com or contact us at info@thecordialchurchman.com

A Letter to a Young Gentleman

2013-06-28T23:26:36-04:00

I was hugely pregnant and chasing around my two young boys. A lady looked at me in all my exhaustion and asked if I was having a boy or a girl.

"Another boy" I said.

"That's good," she said. "Raise those boys up right. We need more good men in this world"

I never saw her again, but I think of her often and am encouraged by what she told me in passing. I even use these words to encourage other parents who have multiple boys. It is so true, the world really does need more gentlemen. So my other full-time-job is trying to raise these boys into gentlemen.

We hope you'll enjoy our new blog series, "Letters to a Young Gentleman". Each week, we'll share a new letter.

Dear Sons,

I tell you all the time that you need to be a gentleman. Do you even know what that means? A gentleman is someone who is a good friend, family member, kind-hearted and humble. It doesn't matter how much money you have, how great your clothes are or how smart you are. Being a gentleman is something different.

Being a gentleman doesn't mean fitting into a restrictive mold and forgetting about who you are. I want you to know that you can be yourself always. You are a fascinating young man with a unique perspective on life.

It takes time, patience and persistance. But I see you becoming more like a gentleman every day. You are learning how to share with your brothers and give up your seat for them and others. I'm proud of you. I want to teach you so much more.

Love,

Mommy

New Madras Bow Ties and What Else Should We Make?

2013-06-27T22:59:38-04:00

Today was new fabric day. I picked up a few bolts of fabric at the store, we received an order I'd placed online and we also filtered though swatches to choose new fall fabrics. We are inspired.

As soon as Carlee (our resident seamstress and illustrator in her spare time) was so excited, she started snuggling up with it. Then immediately cut it up to make ties saying, "It's time for me to be in my happy place".

So what now? Obviously we'll make bow ties but tell us what else you would like to see from us now and in the future. More pocket squares? Lapel flowers? More Emblematic Bow Ties? Neck ties? Scarves? Ascots? We love your feedback. Please write a comment or fill out THIS FORM to submit your feedback to us.

And if you tell us what you like, there's a good chance we may name it after you. The really good ideas might even get a freebie of some kind. So don't be bashful.

Cheers,

Ellie

Elliot White Bow Tie

2013-06-26T15:06:03-04:00

Recently we acquired this fun fabric while touring a textile mill in our town, Rock Hill, SC. We've had the fabric in the studio for a few months and enjoyed looking at it on the bolt next to our other bolts of seersucker, gingham and linens. But it was time to start using it. Fabric this fun should be used to make something.

So we have about enough of this fabric to make 10 bow ties.

When its gone, its gone. If you like it, get it. And wear it on Fourth of July and be the coolest looking guy at the cookout.

TCC in Martha Stewart Weddings

2013-06-26T10:59:57-04:00

We were so proud to have produced custom bow ties for a wedding that was featured in the current issue of Martha Stewart Weddings.

Before making ties for this wedding, I was only slightly familiar with liberty of London prints. The bride had chosen a beautiful floral print for us to make their bow ties and we knew this wasn't your typical printed fabric.

Truth is, I've gravitated away from prints in our bow ties, finding printed fabrics to be less interesting than the ones that have a natural pattern in the weave. I'm now learning to balance the two. Throwing in the occasional print that is really great on a bow tie can be a good thing.

So I have very high standards when it comes to selling prints, but Liberty of London's fabrics certainly fit the bill. Our current Liberty of London bow tie is the Cameron. These don't last long, so if you like it, I recommend you don't waste time. I will say though that we hope to continue to offer new Liberty prints as we sell through them.

Are you looking custom bow ties for a wedding? Take a cue from the bride in Martha Stewart Weddings and pick out your favorite Liberty of London fabric and have The Cordial Churchman produce your bow ties.

Interview with Keikari.com

2013-06-25T23:53:14-04:00

I thought I’d share with you this interview. It’s ironic that they removed the questions from the published interview format, because now it looks like I’m just providing answers to no questions at all! But I assure you, they supplied questions, and I answered them in their order. Ha.

They asked me about The Cordial Churchman, about what I wear, about how I got interested in clothing, about what it’s like to have a small business, about where I’ve been educationally and vocationally, and about what really gets me going.

I hope you enjoy. Read here.

-Andy

Fathers Day Sale!

2013-06-01T01:41:56-04:00

Fathers Day is June 16
Give your dad a Bow Tie!

Get a pocket square for free with the purchase of 2 bow ties* from The Cordial Churchman.

Offer good June 1-4

Use discount code FATHER2013

*Free pocket square offer good with purchase of either two adult bow ties or one adult bow tie and one child's bow tie.

Bowties, Violins, and Casey

2013-05-29T19:51:54-04:00

Albert Einstein said, "A table, a chair, a bowl of fruit and a violin; what else does a man need to be happy?" We hope he said that while wearing a bowtie. Today we wanted to introduce you to one of our models, Casey. He is such a sweetie!

Recently Casey needed to have his head shots updated. He is an amazing violinist who lives here in Rock Hill! He not only plays concerts, but also teaches lessons. We recommended Virginia McAllister {www.studioVLM.com} and the photographs turned out really nicely. Of course he was wearing his Cordial Churchman bowties!

Now we need to get him a table, a chair, and a bowl of fruit. Thanks, Casey for sharing your pictures.

Cheers,

Audrey

Bow Tie Of the Month May

2013-05-02T16:00:00-04:00

**These bow ties are one of a kind offering we made for our Bow Tie of the Month society Members for the month of may. Sorry, but for the most part, these cannot be duplicated.***

#1 - light Blue/light green seersucker THREE AVALABLE

#2 Light Blue/Light Green Seersucker Diamond

#3 TAKEN Floral Print Classic

#4 Floral Print Diamond

#5 TAKEN Blue/Green Patch Madras Diamond

#6 TAKEN Super Preppy Patch Madras

#7 Earthy Linen Club Diamond

#8 TAKEN 100% Silk Paisley

#9 Reversible Silk Navy and Gold TWO AVAILABLE

#10 100% Silk Navy/Silver star pattern

#11 Reversible Silk silver/navy star pattern and Navy Linen

#12 Reversible Cranberry Chambray and silk paisley

Pocket Squres: Compliment - Not match

2013-04-23T18:10:33-04:00

Incase you are wondering how to rock the pocket square with your bow tie, the word is coordinate, not match.

Here's some combos we love from our upcoming summer collection (Available May 1)

Yellow Madras (Coming Soon) with Navy Gingham

Navy Dot Linen (Frederick) with Salmon Madras

Pink Gingham with Light Blue pinstripe Linen

White Pique, Navy Blazer, Blue and yellow striped bow tie and a yellow seersucker pocket square. When wearing one of our lapel flowers, we think its best to go as subtle as possible with your pocket square. The White pique is one of the best pocket squares because it adds interest and texture but can go with everything.

Groomsmen Gift Ideas

2013-04-11T17:36:19-04:00

It's so easy to take your gift to the next level by pairing it with something.

Have you ever presented a bow tie as a gift in this fashion?

You could almost skip the wrapping paper.

How To Tie a Bow Tie

2013-03-22T20:22:10-04:00

I am loving everything about this commercial. Especially the look on the Jay Bilas' face as he's trying to tie his son's bow tie.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mchWkU5R_zc]

One of our customers is a teacher and when his students ask him how he ties his bow tie he says it is just like tying a neck tie while being strangled and 10 minutes late.

I think it is easiest to learn while in front of a youtube video and a mirror.

Here is one of my favorite videos that is actually teaches us how to tie one by our favorite science guy, Bill Nye

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlP_KniNQHw]

And my other favorite is this one produced by a wonderful gentleman's shop in Columbia, SC.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJv4Qh7zR3E]

Milk and Sugar

2013-03-20T00:26:42-04:00

Since this week has quickly become seersucker week after selling more seersucker bow ties than we thought possible, I thought I'd share a little about this special fabric. Maybe I'm a geek, but I think it is pretty cool. Here's what Wikipedia has to say:

Seersucker is a thin, puckered, all-cotton fabric, commonly striped or chequered, used to make clothing for spring and summer wear. The word came into English from Hindustani (Urdu and Hindi), which originates from the Persian words "shir o shekar", meaning "milk and sugar", probably from the resemblance of its smooth and rough stripes to the smooth texture of milk and the bumpy texture of sugar.

During the British colonial period, seersucker was a popular material in Britain's warm weather colonies like British India. When Seersucker was first introduced in the United States, it was used for a broad array of clothing items. For suits, the material was considered a mainstay of the summer wardrobe of gentlemen, especially in the South, who favored the light fabric in the high heat and humidity of the summer, especially prior to the arrival of air conditioning.

The fabric was originally worn by the poor in the U.S. until undergraduate students in the 1920s, in an air of reverse snobbery, began to wear the fabric. Damon Runyon wrote that his new habit for wearing seersucker was "causing much confusion among my friends. They cannot decide whether I am broke or just setting a new vogue."

Sale - Seersucker Bow Ties for $20

2013-03-15T17:32:05-04:00

This weekend only. Go pick out what you're going to wear on Easter Sunday - and the whole week after too.

Making Old Things New - Turning an old necktie into a bow tie.

2013-03-14T15:22:07-04:00

One of the things people love us for is how we can turn a neck tie into a bow tie. And to be honest, it is a little magical.

Nearly every day, we receive packages with neck ties from all over the country. We rip them open and check out what is inside.

We take out the seams and press them out.

We add our own interfacing and sew them up.

And just like that.

Its Magic.

Voila!

We get to make something new again - and we love it.

If you're interested in purchasing this, you can do it through this link.

*the really good photos - #2 through #5 in this post were taken by our customer and friend and fellow artist, Joe Jackson. Thank you, Joe for making it look so cool.

In the TCC Bow Tie Studio

2013-03-13T21:18:54-04:00

We are so fortunate to have our work room on Main Street in downtown Rock Hill. It is an old historic building with giant windows, tall ceilings and really good lighting. In this place, we laugh, eat lots of candy, listen to loud music and obviously make plenty of bow ties. Sometimes we are amazed at the beautiful things we get to see throughout the day. One of our seamstresses (and abstract artist in her spare time), Dominique took these shots.

We have really good light.

Our "model" is named Bancroft. Here he is wearing a lapel flower and a channing bow tie. We have good times dressing this guy up. It's always nice to be able to point to him when a visitor picks up a diamond point freestyle bow tie and says what does this one do?

If you've ever sewn, you know the glory that is the magnetic pin cushion - or pin collector I guess. It's not very cushy.

Yes its true, even our trash piles are a work of art.

And the floor after a series of Neck tie to Bow Tie conversions.

And finally, a pile of freshly pressed four toned gingham bow ties that so far have only been available to our Bow Tie of the Month Society.

Bow Tie Families

2013-03-12T23:50:05-04:00

Well, the only thing cuter than a little boy in a bow tie is quite possibly a little girl wearing a bow tie headband. So much adorable! These littles came in to our studio for a visit the other day and we played a little dress up. Aren't they great? These are the kiddos of our friend and fellow maker of great things in Rock Hill, Melody Joy Designs. Check out her stuff. Great options for mothers day gifts here.

We had a lot of fun putting this order together as well. It is for a family we know having easter pictures made. Little guy in a classic car emblematic and seersucker bow tie, Dad in a reversible seersucker and grandpa in a very dapper looking seersucker neck tie. I can't wait to see the final shots.

366 Bow Ties for Haiti: The 280s

2012-11-06T14:27:24-05:00

DAY 280: The Rubik in Narrow. From our top-shelf line. Get one here!

DAY 281: Navy Linen. Diamond Point. Very nice. Yours is here.

DAY 282: Our archived Morrison Classic: houndstooth and solid khacki reversible. Get it here.
DAY 283: Another archive, the Malcolm Classic. Get yours here.

DAY 284: Sharp & snazzy. Pink linen with pinstripe / green and navy striped silk reversible. Club Diamond. Here it is.

DAY 285: Brown wool with almost microscopic dots. Classic cut. Get it here.

DAY 286: Another special from our top-shelf line: The Orville. Club Diamond. Grab it here.

DAY 287: The sold-out Bates makes another appearance with a navy silk striped red and green in a straight batwing reversible. Here it is.

DAY 289: A trusty Diamond Point Neal. Get yours here.
Every last cent goes to support children in Haiti!

366 Bow Ties for Haiti: Days 277 & 279

2012-10-23T12:36:07-04:00

Day 277: A lovely thick navy and beige wool plaid sent to us by a customer. We made a bow tie for him and - per his request - one for Andy to wear for the 366 Haiti Project. Perfect for your winter wardrobe. Get yours here.

Day 279: Made from an old shirt, this beautiful pastel madras/pink chambray reversible diamond point is quite dashing. Yours is here.

366 Bow Ties for Haiti: Days 213 - 219

2012-10-23T12:32:45-04:00

Day 213: Raspberry red silk with x-patterned emblems. Classic Butterfly. Get it here.

Day 214: Navy silk with foulard/Brown linen reversible. Club Diamond. Find it here.

Day 215: Mint green silk with blue, white and green circles/Damien grey chambray reversible. Narrow cut. Get yours here.

Day 216: Purple silk with flower foulard/Brown linen reversible. Classic butterfly. Get it here.

Day 217: Our fabulous McAllister in a narrow butterfly. Yours is here.

Day 218: Striking gold silk with complex striped pattern. Diamond point. Get yours here.

Day 219: Yellow silk with foulard/Navy chambray reversible. Narrow butterfly. Get it here.

366 Bow Ties for Haiti: Catching Up

2012-10-17T14:17:23-04:00

We've got a mess of reversibles for you, everything from wool to silk to double chambrays! There are also a few special silks, madras and ginghams in the mix. Happy shopping!

- Erica

Day 276: Our handsome, archived James paired with an equally handsome beige wool with stripes. Get it here.

Day 275: Actually a maroon-burgundy silk Classic with purple foulard. Yours is here.

Day 274: Blue & Green Chambray Reversible Classic Butterfly. Get yours here.

Day 273: Snazzy red silk with blue and white stripes, light blue gingham on the reverse side. Yours for $29. Every penny goes to Haiti.

Day 272: A fun Kelly Green gingham in the Narrow Butterfly. Grab it here.

Day 258: Our Damien Grey Chambray Classic. Get it here.

Day 221: Dark lavender silk with flower foulard/Cranberry Chambray Reversible. Should be highly envied. Get yours here.

Day 203: Possibly one of the best TCC two-toned combinations: Sold-out Chadrick & Cranberry Chambray in Club Diamond Style. Yours is here.

Day 198: Striped navy with brown wool reversible. Classic cut. Get it here.

Day 153: Red silk with seahorses! Yours is here.

366 Bow Ties for Haiti: Lots of Silk

2012-10-04T14:44:42-04:00

Day 264 is a handsome silk reversible. My high school colors, in fact---blue and gold. Classic cut. Grab it here before it's gone.

_______________________________________________________

Day 263 is about as classic as it gets. I was offered an honorary doctorate at an Ivy League school just for wearing it.

Silk, of course. Navy and red.

And don't yo like the chambray detail on the band? Nice touch, Church Belles. Grab it here. All $29 (can you believe it's just 29 bones??) go to Haiti. _______________________________________________________

Day 265 would represent only 100 days left of this project ... if it weren't a leap year. Actually, it still might. I always get confused with these calculations. Do you count inclusively? Exclusively? I dunno.

The wools are coming out, and I'm happy about that. This one is particularly nice. Yours hear for $29, all of which goes to Haiti. Grab it here. _______________________________________________________

Day 262 is a sharp, classic batwing navy foulard of vintage necktie silk. Get it here.

You've got to love the smart, near-geeky shape of the batwing bow tie, no? Some think it doesn't go with their face, or their body shape, or whatever. Pssshhhh. _______________________________________________________

Day 261: more classic repp stripe-age. Diamond point cut this time around. Please don't buy this. I want it for myself. No. I'm being selfish. You can buy it. Besides, all the cash goes to Haiti. Yes, do buy it. (But then give it as a gift to me!) Here it is: go get it.

Enjoy,

Andy

366 Bow Ties for Haiti: Feeling the Fall

2012-09-25T00:30:07-04:00

Usually we can't get them to be happy and be in bow ties. Owen's favorite line is "Lame. I don't want to dress like Papa." He's a pre-teen at age 4. But this time around, they both decided they wanted to be magicians, so they needed a bow tie and a cape to go with their wands. Okey Dokey.

Today was the first day for tweed. Great to get my favorite Donegal out, with the elbow patches and all.

And Day 270 called for a straight batwing silk repp stripe X gray velvet reversible. It's really one of my favorites of the year. Yours for $29, all of which goes to Haiti. Grab here.

The other great thing about Autumn is that it's now sock season.

Yesterday's bow was actually also one of autumnal Donegal, but this time in the bow tie. Half of it, anyway. Check out this gorgeous tweed with a reversible cotton plaid in diamond point. Grab it here.

More autumnal awesomeness: boots. Wolverine 1000 Mile boots, to be more precise.

And scruff, too.

Saturday night I got to see and hear The Secret Sisters from Muscle Shoals, AL. Good tunes in the Old Town Amphitheater. And a good occasion to wear --- you guessed it!--- a bow tie.

This vintage necktie silk crossed with rust velvet in butterfly shape -- Day 267. Can't ever get this one again after this one's gone. Grab it here.

Was pretty wiped after the show, I guess.

Cordially,

Andy

366 Bow Ties for Haiti: The Fat and Skinny

2012-09-17T23:19:20-04:00

A weekend ago we at The Cordial Churchman enjoyed our second appearance at the esteemed Indie Craft Parade in Greenville, South Carolina. This was a delightful experience, as it was two years ago, and one that we look forward to sharing with artisans and crafters in the coming years.

Somehow in all the hustle and bustle of selling bow ties, showing guys and gents how to tie one of these suckers, and making very, very strategic trades with Sweeteeth Chocolate (!), I forgot to snap a photo of my bow tie of the day in action. But here it is in its boring, static form.

Sheesh, you can't even quite tell that this is dark navy blue. Ah well, you'll have to take my word for it. Half vintage necktie silk; half red linen. Sharp as nails. Get it here.

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We also had the pleasure of meeting a couple fine young television journalists with SCETV at The Cordial Churchman studios this past week. Ellie and I clumsily told the story of TCC's origins and prognosticated about its future. Let's hope these journalists are also stellar editors so that they can come up with something coherent that doesn't make us look like the goobers that we kind of are! Ultimately, it will be available for us to see here.

I chose a distinctly fall and winter bow tie: a gray tweed wool diamond point. Simple, but smart, you'll agree.

Grab it here.

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Ahhh, Sundays. Love them Sundays. That's a pretty table there, but pretty quickly after the photo was taken, it was covered with hot dogs, pickles and chips and crowded with kiddos and grown ups for a delightful Sunday supper.

And here was the setting for said meal: a beautiful home in Historic East Town Rock Hill, SC. Our friends recently moved here partly in order to be really close to where our church meets and ministers. I'm glad they did, because that means frequent hot dog suppers!

Picked a super duper skinny reversible silk bow tie---navy with polka dots and gray, made, I'm assuming, by Dominique, our most abstract visual artist and haberdasher---for my Sunday swag. Snappy smart, I think. Kind of hipster, too, whatever that means.

There may be more super duper narrow bow ties coming your way, but this is one of a kind. Grab it here.

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Friday I found myself attending the inauguration of Reformed Theological Seminary's new Chancellor, Mike Milton. I enjoy all the pomp and circumstance of these occasions. It's also stimulating to hear from and interact with folks who have been working in my field for longer than I've been in existence. It helped remind me that, D.V., I'll have another of my own lifetimes to do some neat, meaningful things.

I chose a great, subtle, versatile, classic shaped, season-stratling bow tie for the not-exactly-summer/not-exactly-fall occasion.

See these subtle hints of blue and red in with the neutral foundation? See the fantastic texture? Go and get it.

And don't forget that all these proceeds go to Haiti, to help children get a good education in a stimulating, life-changing environment.

Cordially,

Andy

366 Bow Ties: Luxury and Versatility

2012-09-12T10:42:07-04:00

Day 245.

At first it appears to be your average colorful diamond-point plaid bow tie from The Cordial Churchman. But don't be fooled.

Side one.

Side two.

The thing about having a couple seamstresses who are art school graduates is that, when faced with the need to come up with 366 unique bow ties over the course of AD 2012, they don't fret.

On side one, you can display the punchy, bold primaries of the plaid and the quirky yellow linen. On side two, you can tone it down and Autumn it up with the subdued reds and hunter greens of a a classic plaid paired with a green chambray with yellow undertones.

Twist and turn to create several other possible configurations. A remarkably versatile and personality-rich bow tie if there ever was one. Get it here.

You may have noticed that I'm pretty obsessed with my Wolverine 1000 Mile boots. Pretty much wearing them every other day lately. Boy do I love these boots.

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Day 254.

Liberty of London fabric. It's a big deal. And you can't deny that it's beautiful. It's also luxurious and very much top shelf. This is your chance to grab it before it goes public. You won't find anything comparable for so low as we're offering it: $49. Plus, all the cash goes to Haiti.

Grab it here.

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Day 256.

Speaking of luxurious bow ties, how about this throwback from The Cordial Churchman archives: The Johnny Cashmere. Simple gray with all the cashmere fluffy awesomeness you'd expect from that supreme fabric. Classic Cut, and sure to be a classic of your Fall/Winter 2012 wardrobe----if you jump on it now.

When I saw this in the studio, I couldn't wait for cooler weather to rock it. Thankfully we had one of the most pleasant pre-Autumn days yet, and the university stripe button down and Bill's Khakis fit the bill with this killing-me-softly bow tie.

And---surprise, surprise!---I threw on the Wolverine 1000 Mile boots again.

Cordially,

Andy