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366 Bow Ties: Day 89

"Boy are you looking mustachey today." Indeed I am, honey. Thanks for noticing. And thanks for the gorgeous green and blue plaid cotton madras bow tie, too. Too bad I'm going to have to part with it.  I'm even going to have to offer it--the Irwin in diamond point, just this one--at a discount.

Sometimes you just want khakis, a blue blazer, and loafers. Doesn't get more classic. Bill's Khakis do the trick, as do Oak Street Bootmakers penny loafers. A blue blazer can be had at a thrift store or made-to-measure by an experienced tailor. Either way, you need one, and you need to wear it 3-4 times/week, in my humble opinion.

Classic attire is especially called for when you're going to be one of the youngest fellas at a gathering called "Entertaining Southern Style," an event at our beloved Museum of York County.  It's a good thing I restocked my wallet with TCC business cards, cause they were gone by the end of the evening.

Delicious food, delightful company. Glad to be a part of our community with such fine people and such a fine institution.

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,

366 Bow Ties: Day 86

Madras is kind of a theme, huh? It's mostly for this reason: it's not time for seersucker until Sunday (Easter). And it's warm and sunny. Hence, madras. Patch madras, in this case.

These are pretty much gone forever after this one goes. Grab it now. 

If you need to do music at the last minute for a good old Presbyterian revival service, this bow tie is the obvious pick.

Also perfect for picking your eldest son up with your youngest son in the bike trailer.

Cordially,

Andy

366 Bow Ties: Day 85

Another fine madras, happily worn at the beach. Formerly a Rooster neck tie, too too wide. Now perfect. Happily for you, now available.

We had a grand old time at Guys to Gents. Sunday brightened up quite a bit, which meant Ray Bans. Those are always good days.

Somebody told me to pee in the ocean for them. I forgot to even go in the ocean. Sorry about that, Atlantic, and buddy. Nothing personal. I still think you're pretty. Atlantic, that is.

366 Bow Ties: Day 84

Guys to Gentlemen. Went on a retreat to the beach with 6 friends from the church to explore this topic. I insisted that the leader include me in a breakout session on grooming and neckwear, but he must have thought I was only kidding, because it didn't make it into the agenda. Oh well.

Look closely: it's a double rainbow. Really cool, huh?

Stephen affectionately offered this impression of me. Not bad, not bad...

The bow tie is a little tough to see. But it's an old madras Lands' End necktie. A little too wide for my style---so it went into the "make into a bow tie" pile. Gorgeous blues and reds and yellows. Yours for $29. 

366 Bow Ties: Day 82

Well, I've gotten behind on these posts, and I'm afraid I have no good excuse. Except perhaps that Ellie is hogging the computer. Something about an e-commerce gig selling---I forget---bow ties, or something?

The big news that's not new anymore, but is represented in this post, is that I shaved my beard, leaving only the mustache that I'd been leaving be since Bow Tie Day 1. That is, since January 1. Just in time to go to Family Fun Night at Deacon's school.

It's kind of a big deal. Because I don't want to be a 'hipster', whatever that exactly is. I'm not going for 'ironic', exactly. But it is ironic that I think a mustache is kinda cool after thinking they were utterly ridiculous for so long. I'm justifying the move by doing the Rollie Fingers thing. Handlebar. Curly. Yup.

I figured I'd document some of the initial reaction as well.

Everyone was so astonished by the stache that they failed to notice the saddles. Bought these at the thrift a long time ago. But they're black, with brown. I don't know what to do with black. I'd make a lousy goth. But I figured out what to do with them: take off the laces, and the socks, roll up the denim, and boom.

Speaking of missing other important things: the bow tie! Used to be a Polo Ralph Lauren slender neck tie, which I liked quite a bit. But there it went: into the demolition and resurrection pile. The money is going to Haiti, I figure. It's a gorgeous bow tie: navy with these golden paisley do-dads. Narrow, if I remember correctly. Good stuff. Yours for a mere $29. 

366 Bow Ties: Day 81

For those really hot days, trade your navy blazer in for a matching headscarf. Ok, just kidding. Our friend and very cordial churchman saw this luxurious UK silk fabric for sale and thought it had TCC written all over it. (Not literally, silly.)

Run and grab this club diamond cut pink and blue silk bow tie now. There'll be a limited run of them available soon, but wouldn't you like to own the first? 

I spent a couple hours in the new TCC studio Wednesday, just horsing around. The boss even bought me Vietnamese!

Cliffe also made his presence known, though, like me, lent no real helping hand. We like to think of our value proposition as "lightening the mood" and "consuming surplus Vietnamese fare", which I'm sure you'll agree are both slam dunks.

Spring has really begun springing in Carolina the Southern this week--so much so that we got to eat dinner outside for the first time, on our friends' deck. It was the second consecutive Taco Night, but who's counting? I am, and I'd do it again tonight.

It was a gorgeous day to be a Carolinian, and to enjoy our fine town---which, while we're talking about food, is about to be graced by a Jimmy Johns sub shop. They offer free smells if you're ever in the neighborhood. Our historic downtown has several quality indie restaurants, but until Jimmy Johns, no chains. I'm one to always favor indie over chain, but the presence of JJs represents some economic viability that our splendid town needs in order to see a sustainable revitalization of our Old Town district. I'm honored to be friends with some of the fine people who are working hard and smart toward this goal. And who knows--perhaps TCC will one day open up a storefront to complement our Main St. studio.

366 Bow Ties: Days 77-80ish

Okay, we're going to play a little catch-up here.

The new studio is in full working order (except for an internet connection, which, for an internet-based business, tends to be important), and the ladies are enjoying the elbow room to work together and collaborate much more than they used to. I am enjoying having the craziness mostly confined to another address than my own, as well as the solitude I am afforded by my new study.

The 366 project is still going strong. But the problem is that I can't just wake up, exclaim that I need a bow tie--stat!--and have Ellie make one for me right on the spot, the next bedroom over. Which means we all have to do something that doesn't come very natural to us: plan ahead. So the above photograph represents something truly revolutionary in the 366 project thusfar: a 4-day plan for bow ties.

The first of the bunch (2nd from the top on the cutting board) was a great choice for St. Patrick's day. Orange oxford shirt (some Protestant identity for you), geeky clip-on suspenders, blue jeans, and a green plaid bow tie.

St. Patrick's Day is always fun in Rock Hill. This year's event was fun for most people. I, however, spilled my Killians (the only Irish-esque beer available on the street [FAIL!]) while waiting for 40 minutes in line for Deacon to get a balloon sword from a clown for he and his brother, who was asleep in the stroller. Both swords broke within the hour. Oh well.

On Sunday we had church. Daniel, my intern, wore a bow tie, but forgot to tie it. (Mr Stephen Crotts, illustrator.)

I wore, and tied, the Braden madras.

You can't really tell here, for various reasons. But it's true--I wore it. Buy just this one at a discount.

Monday was my day off, and I dressed up more than I did for church on Sunday. Oops. My buddy Ray dropped by and we were both looking so classic American that we had to have a photo together. Nothing like a blue blazer and khakis.

The bow tie is a rusty red-orange with paisley, formerly a necktie. A pretty rad bow tie.

My boys are growing up very fast. Wow. There they are hamming it up at Rock Hill's new Riverwalk.

The Riverwalk complex includes a fantastic velodrome. You've really got to see it for yourself. Wow. Them bikers get up on that there embankment real high like.

Tuesday I pulled wrinkly Bill's Khakis Weathered Canvas from the dryer and threw them right on. I'm actually losing some weight and they're going to have to be taken in soon--but they fit nicely for the first day after being laundered. Sturdy nonchalance. Mmm.

Wore a brown plaid with red and yellow accents, a pretty un-flashy bow tie, but with a little attitude since cut in diamond point.

Paired the Bill's with my new Wolverine 1000 Mile Boots, and stole Ellie for a photo with hers. What great boots. We're very thankful to 1K for partnering with us for the 366 Bow Ties project. You know you're wearing a great shoe when you wear it all day, take it off, and all you smell is leather, leather, leather.

Go grab these bow ties while they last. Some of them will never be seen again, unless you happen to know whoever buys them. And don't forget that all the proceeds go to Haiti, to help build a school there.

Cordially,

Andy

366 Bow Ties: Day 75

Cobbled together from leftovers from two custom orders, today's tie is a looker. Reddish orange chambray on one side, patch madras on the other. Rendered in straight batwing cut.

This may be the last day in which it's appropriate to wear spring-ish bow ties for the next week or so---the weather forecast calls for solid electrical storms booked through next week. It'll be time to break out the more subdued ties for a while, and to throw on the ridiculous and awesome Le Chameau wellies.

Get this bow tie today, or it's gone forever, never to be duplicated.

With the warmer weather, it feels great to wear Bill's Khakis M3 Original Twills instead of denim. They were wrinkly as heck from having a pile of sport coats on top of them on my valet. Threw them in the dryer for 10 minutes this morning, and they were perfect: not wrinkled, but not pressed and creased either. In ohter words, casual. Chill. Comfy. American.

And speaking of American: Oak Street Bootmakers pennies. Got to wear them sockless today. I love sockless. One of the pennies fell out of these pennies. Is that bad luck? I also read recently that it was ladies that first put pennies into penny loafers. Whoops. Oh well.

Happy bow tying.

Andy

366 Bow Ties: Day 62 - Black Tie Optional

I wish I could say that I had my snappy attire all planned out well in advance of this black tie optional event. Not so. Thanks to my good friend, Dr. Ray, however, I was able to secure a tuxedo at the 11th hour, and Ellie had one of her luxurious satin black bow ties all ready to tie up.

And it's a good thing, too, because about 50% of the gents at the event were in black tie. I don't think I've worn a tuxedo since our wedding in 2002, and I didn't wear a bow tie then. (Shameful!) So it was especially exciting to dress the part last Saturday for the Arts Council of York County's annual 'An Artsy Affair' gala.

[caption id="attachment_2115" align="aligncenter" width="350" caption=""Hmm...Gin and Tonic.""][/caption]

Since we--despite the fact that we run a bow tie company--are decidedly plebeian, most everyone in whose company we were delighted to spend the evening were folks we didn't yet know. And it was exciting to make the acquaintance of several of our community's long-time servants, arts patrons, businesspeople, and keepers of the culture. But the other advantage of this situation is that it truly felt like an Andy-and-Ellie date. We got to enjoy each other's company more exclusively than if we had shown up with our plebeian posse. And that's not at all a bad thing.

It so happened that my drink of choice for the evening was gin and tonic, and that my mustache wax emitted the same aroma. Hence, with each stolen kiss, Ellie would nod her head and declare: "Gin and Tonic." Indeed.

The other exciting thing about this semi-formal event was that I got to wear French cuffs--and with them, the cuff links my mother got me for Christmas in 2010. They're black and silver--so the elegance, I would like to believe, is retained. But they, of course, are repurposed old typewriter keys. "Shift" shown here.

Check out more photos of the 2012 'An Artsy Affair' here.

To get hold of this exclusive, elegant black satin tie-it-yourself-and-make-all-the-ladies-melt-and-beg-you-to-fetch-them-a-gin-and-tonic bow tie, go ye here, and get ye there in haste.

And take your special lady out for an elegant affair sometime. Borrow a friend's tux. Drink a gin and tonic or two. Spend a few extra minutes shaping the 'ole mustache. Fold the white silk pocket square meticulously. Open the door for her. Mingle with your betters. Slow dance. Enjoy good things with a thankful heart.

Cordially,

Andy

PS--Congrats to one of our favorite local customers, Mr. Jay Rinehart, who won the auction for a set of madras and seersucker bow ties and neck ties from TCC. Glad to support the Arts Council of York County!