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New Madras Bow Ties and What Else Should We Make?

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

Bowties, Violins, and Casey

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

Pocket Squres: Compliment - Not match

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.

Milk and Sugar

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."

366 Bow Ties for Haiti: Feeling the Fall

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: Luxury and Versatility

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

366 Bow Ties: Days 234-235. Silk and Linen

Day 235.

Taken in the beautiful marble (I think?) stairway of the Gettys Art Center, Old Town Rock Hill, SC,where The Cordial Churchman's global headquarters reside.

This is a really handsome bow tie, I think you'll agree. A butterfly cut. Plaid. Works for both the summer and winter in medium-weight cotton. A fatter cut yields a more buxom bow.

100% Linen. Available now, until the moment when someone else snatches it from your clutches. $29, a bargain at twice the price. Grab it here.

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Day 234.

Silk. Diamond point. Awesome.

Do I have your attention now?

This is a gorgeous silk bow tie converted from a vintage necktie. Note the purple and teal foulard pattern. The silk is either midnight blue or black. Who cares. The thing is gorgeous. If you don't buy it, I'll wear it until there's nothing but a few silk threads and a slider left of it. Your call.

Grab it here.

366 Bow Ties: Day 226. Whoa!

Whoa! We just blew your mind, didn't we? (The kids seem to be saying that about less-than-mind-blowing things these days, don't they?) Gray, mustard, red, and blue chambray. Whoa. Diamond point. Whoa whoa!

With Bills Khakis Nantucket Reds? Yes.

Folks, it's this kind of outfit that garners this kind of affection from one's local delicatessen.

Yours for $29, which is a steal. And the $29 isn't ours. We're giving it to a school and child sponsorship venture in Haiti. Whoa.

Cordially,

Andy

Pulpit Supply Featured in YM/OM

My friend Conor from Young Man/Old Man invited me to guest post on hos fine bloh. Check out my discussion of Pulpit Supply, the new collection of top-shelf bow ties, scarves, ascots, neckties, pocket squares, and lapel flowers from the team behind The Cordial Churchman.

Enjoy,

Andy

366 Bow Ties: The One-Eighties

189.

Bill's Khakis: M3s. Pretty much the perfect khaki. I've worn these more than any other pair of trousers in 2012, and they're holding up great. They wear like iron, and looks sharp without an iron. (See what I did there?) They're definitely showing the character that comes with age---my knees have made their presence felt in the shape and drape. But they look great. Here's to Bill's again for supporting our efforts to make a difference in Haiti through this project.

There's something appropriate about pairing American-made khakis with such an American bow tie. Needless to say, you'll want to jump on this one quick.

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183.

A simple narrow madras. Can't go wrong here at all. Especially with a wrinkly white Oxford button-down and some red chambray shorts.

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182.

What happens when you're a preacher at the end of a long Sunday? Well, you have a root beer float before you go to bed. You also look like you're going to fall over.

Diamond-point floral / gray chambray reversible. A handsome bow tie you'll be delighted to add to your wardrobe. 

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180.

The Screwtape Letters at the Knight Theater. Max Maclean. Great show. Threw on the Bill's Khakis Nantucket Reds, a pale blue / white stripe Brooks linen button down, a tan odd jacket, and a former necktie converted to a zany floral silk bow tie in classic cut. 

Lady Churchman looked especially stunning. I'm a lucky man to have such a pretty girl and a great entrepreneur as a partner in crime.

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That's all for today.

Cordially,

Anyd