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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!

366 Bow Ties: Day 67

This is the first bow tie Ellie made in the new studio. It's a silk navy bow tie with white stripes and a thin red pencil stripe surrounding each white stripe. A handsome, classic bow tie if I ever saw one--and cut in Classic Butterfly shape.

When wearing, try to look like less of a goober than this fella above--especially when making a key presentation in front of 40 people. The only redeeming quality here is new Wolverine 1000 Mile Boots in tan. A fantastic pair of boots, and the best I've ever owned, period. More about these to come soon. We're thrilled that they've contributed them in support of our 366 Bow Ties project for Haiti. Speaking of 'more to come'--we're excited about the details of our project that are coming together, and very hopeful that we might end up visiting Haiti ourselves toward years' end.

There she is--'she' being the bow tie, on the cutting table, in the new studio. We'll post more about the new studio soon. It's a really exciting transition for us.

One can restore one's self confidence after being snagged in a goobery photo by cleaning the kitchen. Hey--I just remembered there's one other mark in the 'plus' category here: Bill's Khakis pima cords. Thanks to Bill's also for their generous participation. (It looks, by the way, that they've got themselves a handsome new website. Check it out, and get a pair of the best khakis in the world, made in USA.)

Run and grab Day 67's bow tie before it's gone forever. And you can be a part of history: the owner of the first bow tie ever made in the new TCC studio. We should be framing it, but instead we're offering it to you and sending the money to Haiti.

Cordially,

Andy

366 Bow Ties: Day 65

I'm really a lot more happy about this bow tie than this picture would make you believe. In fact, this is a true favorite: a brown cashmere diamond-point with a VERY subtle orange-y pinkish (??) herringbone pattern. As you can see, it's so subtle that the non-up-close photos hardly even hint that it's there.

This favorite of mine is actually no longer available---AFTER this one is gone. (If one is attune to the TCC archives, one would be aware that this used to constitute half of The Clevelander--a reversible cashmere number with an equally brown with orange-y subtleness occupying the oposite side.)

It doesn't really make sense to wear this with red and navy socks, but that's what I had on when the bow tie was finally made...so back off! Besides, once you've got Oak Street Bootmakers pennies on, and are digging the look with the denim and the striped socks, there's no going back.

There---I'm happier looking. The oxford button down is an unthinkable cotton-poly 60/40 blend. But it's pale pink, it was cheap from the thrift store, and it fits: considerations that for now outweigh my hatred for polyester.

Okay, time to run over to the store and purchase this bow tie before you have no more opportunity EVER. Don't mean to be alarmist. Just stating the truth as plainly as possible. This is cashmere, which makes it worth much more than the very generous price point at which it shall be sold. And don't forget that all the proceeds go to our development project in Haiti.

366 Bow Ties: Day 54 - NYC

Apparently this gentleman has been working in Grand Central Station for as long as anyone can remember. When I approached him about his willingness to be photographed, he replied that his likeness has been carted off all over the world by tourist-photographers, so this was just par for the course. A true gentleman.

And fittingly attired considering the grandeur of his workplace. Truly a breathtaking building. Thank goodness they didn't tear it down to 'modernize' at some point. And thank goodness they never asked him to 'update' his uniform.

I had the privilege of hearing a lecture by Japanese-American abstract artist Makoto Fujimura about his childhood and adult experience with Leutze's Washington Crossing the Delaware. He blew to bits all the nonsensical political correctness surrounding attempts to exclude the painting from the history canon due to its excessive patriotism and nationalism, pointing out that there's a black man, a woman, and a Native American in the boat with Washington, and that the painting was done by a German national.

Then we went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art and got to experience the painting first hand. A 45 minute subway ride and walk in order to see just one painting. It looks big there. It's actually bigger. Very, very big. And stunning. It was actually a very emotional experience for me, being humbled under the mastery of the painter, his work, and his subject. And I couldn't help but think beyond the American experiment into the realm of the church and its hope for the nations. More to say here than is appropriate for a blog about bow ties, I'm afraid.

I contemplated all this in the company of another scholar-haberdasher hanging out at the Met. Notice all the fabric bolts in the background, the books in the foreground, and the chap's impeccable attire. Ralph Earl's rendering of the early republic's gentleman-entrepreneur is pretty fantastic. Apparently Elijah Boardman founded Boardman and Medina, OH--very close to my hometown.

I spent the rest of the day hitting up some of the men's stores I'd been wanting to see: the Brooks Brothers and J. Press flagships on Madison Ave. (That's me and Eddie Brooks hanging out above; and that's a tailor who used to work at Brooks and now works at J. Press below. He's been doing made-to-measure suiting on Madison Avenue for some 35 years.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xO1oto3niW4&w=560&h=315]

Our friend and collaborator Jesse Thorn from Put This On interviewed this fella recently. Give it a watch.

I also got to see the J. Crew Liquor Store, a men's capsule store that features great brands beyond J. Crew. A very, very cool place.

[caption id="attachment_2090" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Image from Refinery29.com"][/caption]

And of course we had to do some touristy things, see iconic movie scenes, etc.

The bow tie, you ask?

The bow tie is a glen plaid rendered in club diamond shape, and snazzy as can be. The micro-pattern of the glen plaid allowed me to experiment with an otherwise tough-to-pair-with-patterned-ties J. Crew gingham oxford. Different scales make pattern pairing work. And you can't get more classic than glen plaid--even though it's not typically a neckwear pattern. And that's just the thing: take something traditional, use it in a non-traditional way, and boom---you're automatically freaking awesome.

Be awesome and buy this bow tie. And then wear it to all the places I got to see in NYC.

[PS--I know I'm getting behind on my posts. Fear not--I've been wearing a new bow tie every day, and eventually they'll all get blogged. But the NYC trip has got me backed up--there's just so much to blog about. Once I get through that, the posts will be quicker, and boring-er. ("So, I wore a bow tie to Chick-Fil-A again...") Hang in there.]

PSS--I almost forgot! The Levi's Meatpacking store! What a great place. I enjoyed talking shop with Ashley their merchandiser, and we hope to carry some more of our bow ties and neck ties there soon--as we did when they opened just over a year ago. Read about all that awesomeness here.

366 Bow Ties: Day 53 - NYC

Day 2 of my recent NYC trip started out as it should: coffee at 2 local-as-can-be coffee joints. It was rainy, so I did the logical thing: I wore tweed and carried around a leather satchel, sans umbrella. Nice one, dork.

It was pretty amazing to get to see so many famous paintings at the MoMA, or Museum of Modern Art. Many thanks to Target for getting me and a throng of cheapskate art appreciators in for free. I didn't really plan it, but this Van Gogh piece and my outfit kind of go nicely together.

Aaaahhh...the NYC Subway. I didn't pay a lick of attention to where we were, where to get off, which way to exit to the street, etc. I just followed the crowd who knew where they were going. I spent a good chunk of the day swiping my card with poor touch at the turnstiles and smashing my leg into the metal bar. Oh well. By Sunday I took public transit, with several subway detours and an airport shuttle connection--all without an iPhone and without my friends I'd been blindly following all weekend. Pride.

After having a Chemex from Joe at AuBreve coffee near Cooper Union, we've been brewing like this at home ever since. Smooth, clean cup of coffee. They've just started selling bulk Intelligentsia coffee at the Earth Fare in our neighborhood. Yum.

Got to snag some sample swatches from Mood Fabrics and other stores in the fashion/garment district. Excited about some colorful Irish Linens that may end up in our new specialty line--more info TBA.

What was funny is that I was approached by a young lady panicking over which of two very plastic-y fabrics to buy. She was used to doing administration for a TV network, but got sent to the fabric store to buy fabric for a rain poncho for a TV show. She was concerned about which fabric had the most 'drape'. I faked it, and she felt helped. Confidence, right? It's NYC.

The bow tie was "The Hound" --- pulled from DEEEEEP in the Cordial Churchman archives, and made especially for this trip. It was one of our original wool-silk offerings, and it's still one of my favorites. Get this very one---and do it now  as it might be the last one ever. Classic cut.

366 Bow Ties: Day 52 - NYC Trip!

I didn't actually get to see this from the airplane window, because I was sitting next to the aisle and a couple ditzy rich girls' noses were blocking my view. (Thanks Stephen, for the photo, which I stole). This was my first trip to NYC. Wow. What a town. So much to reflect on.

We began in Chinatown with what for my friends has become a NYC tradition: the Nice Green Bo. Great dumpling place.

Apparently the Nice Green Bo used to be the New Green Bo, until it wasn't new. See there?

Afterward, we subway'd off to Brooklyn and hit up Hickoree's Hard Goods "Floor Two" store. Hickoree's is owned and operated by the folks who run The Hill-Side, makers of snazzy neckties, scarves, handkerchiefs, and--we now hear--bow ties. Make sure to take a peek.

It so happened that Emil, co-proprietor, was in the store. We enjoyed talking shop a bit.

They've got a beautiful array of Red Wing and Wolverine 1000 Mile boots. Yowza!

And I saw the chair, the picture of which has been floating around the internet for a while. Snazzy chair. Want.

The leather was beautiful, too, though I forget who the maker is.

And right on the first evening, I was able to get presents for my two eldest boys:

The greenish-gray plaid bow tie cut not on the bias and rendered in straight batwing shape served me well for my first day in the City. It's peach undertones clicked with the peach oxford button-down, which I wore even though I noticed it had some dead guy's monogram on the cuff.

Get this very bow tie before it's gone.

More on NYC tomorrow.

Cordially,

Andy

366 Bow Ties: Day 51

Sometimes you put the jean jacket and the desert boots away and you dress like a bona fide grown up. Maybe even like an old man. This was one of those times. For no particular reason, of course. Just 'cause.

I'm fond of the notion that one should never have to feel like one should apologize for, as people say, "dressing up". Dressing up by Downton Abbey standards, of course, meant putting on white tie, not a gray chambray like this one with a pale green button-down oxford and a herringbone tweed. And khakis--how casual! Loafers?? (Oak Street Bootmakers loafers, in this instance. Boy do I love these shoes.)

But in our day and age, this sort of rig is really pushing it. I went into the bank to get some cash and received the "sir" treatment from every teller with which I made eye contact. I like this, I'll admit. They probably all laughed at me upon my exit, but hey--I made off with cash and at least the lip service of respect. I'll take what I can get.

We've done a few gray chambrays already in 2012, but this is a new fabric, and hence a new bow. Get this very bow tie, in all its diamond-pointed glory, along with a heap of "yes, sirs", at a slight discount here.

Cordially,

Andy

366 Bow Ties: Day 50

Sometimes you have to go to the Farmers' Exchange. For me, it's just when we run out of dog food. The poor dog had nothing but dog biscuits and stale pretzel sticks for a whole weekend. Ah, well...

This is a bright, primary-colored madras in diamond point. Get this one for just $28. More pictures to come. But you really should just take my word for it--this is a superb madras.

Cordially,

Andy

366 Bow Ties: Mardi Gras Edition

Mardi Gras is kind of a big deal for our crowd. My friend Stephen lived in New Orleans for a year, and has infused a bit of the Big Easy into our communal rhythms here and there. His annual Mardi Gras party is the least subtle of these NOLA cultural infusions.

Ellie made me a green, purple and yellow gingham and seersucker bow tie for the festivities--and one for my good friend Andrew. Stephen, of course, supplied the Mardi Gras bling.

Ellie also made a colorful supply of Red Beans and Rice--a great, easy "Washing Day" New Orleans dish, so called because you can just throw it in the crock pot in the morning, spend the day catching up on laundry, and it's ready as soon as the last load is folded and put away. Yum.

The main event, however, was the gumbo. The Gumbotron (the big apparatus including the tripod that suspended the cauldron over the fire and the pavilion that kept the rain off the gumbo) was almost as awesome as the gumbo itself.

The gazebo was crowned in purple.

Various NOLAisms were emblazoned on lips as well as upon paraphernalia.

Much joy was exuded outside and inside.

It would be ridiculous to say something like "Most importantly, go HERE to get the official Mardi Gras bow tie!" Obviously the most important thing is the food. But that's all eaten. Actually, the most important thing is the people. But they're not for sale.

So, my advice is to get this bow tie and get cracking on planning your own Mardi Gras smash for next year. Here she is. Get it while it's available.

Cordially,

Andy

PS--as most of our gatherings do, the evening trailed off into an impromptu hymn sing. It's great to have a handful of guitarists, pianists, a violinist, a banjoist, and a lot of vocalists in the group. And great to solidify the connection between partying, joy, and hope.

The Cordial Churchman in Southern Living Magazine

We're honored to be featured as one of Southern Living's recommended bow tie sources. They're right: we do Madras pretty well. Have a look at our current Madras offerings, and put some spring into your wardrobe.