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366 Bow Ties: Day 144

We have this little ensemble. We call ourselves The Perfect Melancholies when we play at the Old Town Market and other things. We also happen to be the music ensemble for Hill City Church, which is the new church we're starting in Rock Hill.

Wednesday night was what my old prof used to call a 'tweener. We played lots of our market tunes (folktified versions of U2 and the Cranberries; a few Over the Rhine, Patty Griffin, and Randy Newman tunes, etc.), but since it was a church BBQ, and the reason we got the gig was because they liked our take on the old hymns one Wednesday night in the church fellowship hall, we played some of those, too.

The home was from the first half of the 19th Century, and was haunted by antebellumness of various sorts. We played on the front porch to a happily BBQ'd audience.

(Above 3 Photos by Bill Marion)

And I wore a snappy combo, perfect for the event---if I must say so myself. Brown chambray on one side; green candy-stripe cotton on the other side, cut in classic shape. Throw in the blue jeans, the suspenders, the new US ARMY eyeglasses, and the bucks, and I think that about did the trick.

Grab this bow tie and get yourself to an antebellum BBQ pronto. Or throw one yourself. Be sure to invite The Perfect Melancholies to play on the front porch.

Cordially,

Andy

366 Bow Ties: Day 87

It's a crying shame, but I'm afraid that the time for wearing boots in South Carolina is coming to a halt. Sadly, this comes just a month or so after receiving the best pair of boots I've ever owned, and one of the most well-made, American-made items I've ever owned in any category, period. Wolverine has been making boots for people who actually need them to do their jobs forever. They kind of know what they're doing.

It especially shows in their heritage line, the Wolverine 1000 Mile Boot. The things look, feel, smell, and most importantly, wear perfect.

Mine are this gorgeous "natural" shade shown above. I figured I'd be my usual just-a-little-off-centered self and deviate from the standard brown finish. Glad I did. Thanks to the kind folks at Wolverine for participating in the 366 Bow Ties shenanigan, and thus helping us help change children's lives in Haiti. Save up--do whatever you need to do--and get yourself a pair of 1000 Miles. They'll last you the rest of your life.

Madras again! Patch madras again! See what I mean about boot season coming to a close? Grab this snappy patch madras today! There might not be a tomorrow, you know. At least for this bow tie.

Along with patch madras and the end of boot season comes the beginning of Eating Outside Season. (I am an avid indoorsman, but here I make a glad exception. Or not an exception, really, for I reckon a meal out of doors to essentially be a temporary extension of the dining room.) With Eating Outside Season comes the need for places to eat. We're helping Mission to the World build places for school children to eat with revenues from January and February's incredible 366 Bow Ties project. They're probably even better tables than this cheapie, the sign of which proclaimed that assembly could be done in 5 minutes without tools. Yep. Maybe for a non-indoorsman.

But eventually my children saw me actually complete the assembly, and we had a lovely meal with our community group that evening.

Enjoy Eating Outside Season. Enjoy it with a Cordial Churchman bow tie. Enjoy it with a pair of Wolverine 1000 Mile boots on if the weather happens to dip below 58F. If above 58F, do it barefoot. Or if you're doing things more properly, with a pair of Oak Street Bootmakers penny loafers, without socks, of course.

Cordially,

The Cordial Churchman sponsors great things.

We here at The Cordial Churchman like things. Bringing these liked things to people who may also be numbered among their grateful appreciators is a recent delight of ours.  This week we'll tell you about two events that we sponsored mostly because we're proud to stick our name alongside these bits of well-crafted culture.

The first event was held at Friday Arts Project's Space 157 in Old Town Rock Hill. As most of you know, Ellie has written, recorded, and performed songs for a decade and a half now. Along the way, she's performed alongside some very talented, full-time touring musicians. Two of our favorites, whom we have had the pleasure of watching mature into bona fide troubadours, made new fans after performing with Ellie at this special intimate concert.

After Ellie opened the evening, backed up by our friend and banjo player Mr. Stephen Crotts, the lovely and talented Hannah Miller made eardrums very happy with her set from recently-released EPs Journey to the Moon and O Black River. You may or may not be aware that an exquisite music video from the former features a dozen or so of our own bow ties.

The main event was a man who figured that Dallas really was that bad and moved to Hartsville, SC.  Dylan Sneed explored the tension of home and the open road, the familiar and the adventurous in an hour of pure American straight-up, knock-down audible boo-yah.  If you haven't heard of this fella and have yet to hear Texodus, change that as fast as possible.

The audience gathered in the very spot where many of our fine bow ties are produced---fitting for the first concert sponsored by our humble haberdashery.  We hope that many more will follow.  We don't anticipate that many will top the first.

Muse Fest VIP Gala

Above, Mr Rinehart of Rinehart Realty picks out several bows to add to his massive collection. This could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

It's been a pretty phenomenal VIP Gala for Muse Fest at Gallery Up in Rock Hill. We're proud to be citizens and entrepreneurs in this town.

New in the Store: Cordies by Young Man / Old Man

We're proud to unveil a new collaboration.  Are you ready?

Why should your survival precautions render you unstylish?  We know this is the perennial question of mankind.  So we're offering an answer.

Behold: Cordies.

You've never seen a happier marriage of form and function.  You'll also be the only person you see in your town wearing such a killer pair of sunglass retainers--that is, until Conor of Young Man/Old Man becomes rich and famous for his one-of-a-kind sartorial innovation.

I'm not at all an outdoorsman, and I rarely feel the obligation to be the hero-in-waiting, prepared with whatever Macgyveresque supplies would be necessary to save a small village.  What I care about is looking cool--or at least looking like I know I'm cool, even if, in fact, I look like a goob.  This is why I wear bow ties in a world where Madonna has convinced everyone that it's ok to wear your underwear on the outside in public.  And this is why I'll be rocking Young Man/Old Man's collaboration with The Cordial Churchman on my Ray Ban Clubmasters whenever theres the slightest bit of photosynthesis happening in the plant kingdom around me.

I've always felt that the popular version of sunglass retainers (I hear they're called 'Croakies'?) just looks a little too--what shall we say?--collegiate for yours truly.  With undergraduate days almost a decade in my rear view mirror, I was looking for something a little like an upgrade from flip flops to bucks, from a Jansport to a leather satchel.  Cordies are just the ticket, I think you'll agree.  And, of course, one is not excluded from taking a more grown-up sartorial stance in one's undergraduate years.  It's just that I wasn't cool enough to have struck such a pose in my days at Kent State.

Before I undercut sales by sounding like a pretentious jerk-head (oh…it's too late? I already have?), let me just lay these out on the table for you to admire.  Handmade.  Available in royal blue, olive, black, orange, and camouflage.  Hand-knotted in Carolina.  Lasts you till you lose it.  Might just save your life.  $18.