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366 Bow Ties: Not 100 Days Old

This is what a Presbyterian church looks like 3 minutes before a service starts. From the front. From the preacher. Who should probably not be snapping photos with his iPhone. From behind the cover of the church bulletin.

Moving right along ...

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Day 210. Sunday I wore this beauty. Gold with paisley on one side; red linen on the other. Straight batwing.

I hate it when I forget to have someone else take my photo, and have to take one myself. I look like so much of a goober when someone else takes the photo. And much more of a goober when I take it myself. Ah, well....you already knew that.

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Day 211. This is what a fella who wears a bow tie every day looks like at the pub on a Monday night after opting for a Woodchuck Apple Cider, wearing Wolverine 1000 Mile Boots and socks (he never wears socks in the summer!). [Photo credit: CL].

And here those boots are, in all their glory. [Well.... in most of their glory---no natural light, since the sun has already gone down.] Wolverine 1000 Mile Boots. These good folks sent along this gorgeous pair of boots (along with one for Mrs Churchman) in support of our 366 Bow Ties for Haiti project.

There. That's better. Gorgeous boots. Fall, come-on, baby.

Oh yeah---the bow tie. [Thanks a lot, Wolverine, for stealing our thunder.].

Club diamond shape. Fully awesome. Yours for $29. 

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Day 212. Got a couple new oxfords. By chance, the bow tie the Church Belles made for me today had blue and yellow, as did the oxford I picked out. Nice.

I'm loving my re-soled Bass Weejuns, by the way.

Used to be a Nautica necktie. Flags. Nautical, I imagine. (Who knows---it's an outdoor sport so, beats me.) Yours for $29. 

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Speaking of sports: congrats to all the athletes who "went out there and did [their] best", "gave it [their] all", "just went out there and had fun", and managed to memorize the only post-competition interview script ever used in any post-competition interview in any sport at any time since the advent of sports. 

I promise that when I hit my first home run in Saturday morning softball, if someone interviews me, I'll tell them that I can hit home runs in my sleep without even trying, and that I never practice, and basically sit on the couch all day eating potato chips.

Seriously, though, I'm loving the Olympics and all the #NBCfail tweets. 

Enjoy the bow ties.

Cordially,

Andy

366 Bow Ties: A hodgepodge for sure

Day 121. It's funny to see all these photos from the not-too-distant past of Yours Truly with a silly handlebar mustache. Not quite as silly is this bow tie, complete with four pretty unrelated fabrics, none of which can really be hidden no matter how you twist and turn the tie. Is there order in the chaos? Or is this bow tie all at sea? You make the call. But you'd better make it soon, because someone with an itchy mouse finger might get all impulsive and swipe it.

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Day 116. Looking at this bow tie makes me want it to be fall. Right now. Day 116 would have been late April---probably the last reasonable chance on an unseasonably cool day to wear a donegal tweed jacket and a wool reversible bow tie in narrow cut. But here we are in---my goodness!---almost August. It's high time to start gathering together your fall neckwear, and I reckon this would fit the bill quite nicely.

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 Day 124. This is a handsome floral-pattern bow cut in classic shape and sure to provide some top shelf bling to your spring-summer wardrobe for years to come.  I'm not sure why I was so frowny in these photos. I must have been late for something. Or maybe the sun was bright in my eyes? Or maybe I was juice-fasting? Or maybe I was thinking about that one girl who dumped me in 7th grade? Or...

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Day 152. This was Orlando. This weird Indian restaurant was one of the best things about Orlando. Orlando didn't have very many best things about it against which this weird Indian restaurant had to compete. That's my assessment of Orlando. I'm glad to be persuaded to come back and poke my nose around again--see if my impressions change---if, say, the Chamber of Commerce wants to fly me in, wine me and dine me, take me to a cool theme park if there is such a thing in town. I'll even publicly recant my Orlando pronouncements.

For now, though, I'll just try to sell you this bow tie. Shouldn't be hard.

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Well, that's enough for right now. Sooner or later, I'll actually get caught up. Stay tuned for the past week's bow ties, coming in the next couple days.

And don't forget that every cent of every one of these 366 bow ties goes to help children get education and a new hope through a sponsorship and schooling opportunity in Haiti.

Cordially,

Andy

366 Bow Ties: More Catching Up!

Day 190.

I'm pointing at the bow tie, but everyone assumed I was showing off my freshly shaven baby face. People! Let's not get distracted from the nicely coordinated ensemble here. Red chambray Levi's shorts, blue oxford button down. Red, white, and blue seersucker check bow tie in classic cut.

It's a sharp tie; there's no denying it. Yours unless you tarry.

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Day 191

It's an honest, and an important, question. But let's put the on hold for the moment. The real question is, do you own a hot air balloon bow tie? It's 492% more likely that you've hugged a Presbyterian.

This unique number was once a neck tie. You can kind of tell if you look close at the knot, which just so happened to show the seam where the emblematic fabric was brought together to form this bow tie. (Usually it is discretely hidden.)

This is really gone forever and ever and ever, amen, once it's gone. Buy now or regret later. (How's that for a pushy, decidedly non-Presbyterian altar call sort of approach to sales?)

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Day 193

It's my firm belief that pink is a very legitimate color for any men's garment, save briefs. Pink chambray in a punchy diamond-point cut. Can't go wrong. You get an extra credential on your Man Card. And buying it sends $29 to children in Haiti.

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Day 194

I'm sorry, but you've just got to love this. Yes, that's two shades of gingham patched together on one 'wing' of this classic butterfly cut bow tie. The scale variation in the navy gingham is also a subtly awesome touch.

You're probably going to want to grab this now while it's still summer. Then wear it every day until Labor Day.

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Well, that's four new ones for you to goo and gah over. Enjoy.

Cordially,

Andy

366 Bow Ties: The Reversibles

This post is all about reversibles. Actually, it's all about me finding something in common among the dozen or so bow ties that I've worn but not yet blogged or listed in our store.

Reversibles! The great thing here is that you really can wear these suckers in any number of ways:

See what I mean?

So, for the reversibles at hand...

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How about Day 165? A Clarkson on one side and Green Seersucker on the other. Snappy.

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Or consider Day 136: A striking navy silk foulard paired with yellow gingham. The whole is way greater than the sum of its parts.

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Day 126 will grab your colleagues by the collar and say "hey, I'm a snappy bow tie. Notice me." Not in a bad way, of course.

There's a distinction to be made here. This is not a 'reversible' but rather a 'two-toned' bow tie. Instead of one pattern on one side, one on the other, you get half one pattern and half the other. Confused? Eh, just buy it. This one's got a handsome madras paired with red gingham, cut in diamond point for just a little extra boo-yah.

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Don't forget that all of the proceeds for all of these 366 Bow Ties go to Haiti. Grab some reversibility and help us meet our goal or raising $10,000 for school children in Haiti through MTW's OneChild sponsorship program.

Cordially,

Andy

366 Bow Ties: Day 171 - With Our Haitian Partner

I had the great privilege of meeting Esaie Etienne at The Cordial Churchman booth at the PCA General Assembly last month in Louisville, KY. Esaie is a missionary with MTW (Mission to the World), who heads up several projects in Haiti.

The main one The Cordial Churchman is supporting is this school, where all of the children are sponsored through the OneChild sponsorship program. It's still staggering to think that 316,000 died in the 2010 earthquake, which also left 1.6 million Haitians homeless and displaced. The children OneChild has enrolled still have a lot of challenges ahead of them. But their lives have been radically altered by the work of Esaie and his colleagues.

The bow tie of the day was this handsome green seersucker / madras reversible in classic cut. Every penny of the mere $29 you slap down for this or any of our 366 daily bow ties goes to this project just off our shores in Haiti.

Consider jumping in with us and sponsoring a child in Haiti or in several other places through OneChild for about a dollar a day. That's very close to nothing for you and me, and very close to everything for one of these dear children.

Cordially,

Andy

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PS-- If you'd like to hear Esaie preach, listen here.

PSS--Here is an interview with Esaie 20 days after the 2010 earthquake, reflecting on his ministry of mercy in Haiti.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y28mn7SGKt8]

366 Bow Ties: Day 200!

Well, for Day 200, The Perfect Melancholies had a gig at The Old Town Market, but alas, the rain prevailed and we (probably wisely) opted for non-electrocution and threw on the towel. Too bad. But on the bright side, we got coverage by our local daily without actually having to perform.

Erica entertained us on the banjo while the rain did its rainy thing.

The great thing---a true providence, I would reckon---was that we got to dine at Erin's Restaurant on its opening night in its new Old Town Rock Hill location. It was a fantastic, and historic, experience.

The bow tie was a  straight batwing shape (an obvious choice for the eve of the debut of The Dark Night Rises) reversible with a complex plaid on one side and a simple, wonderfully textured pale teal linen on the other side. I twisted the bow to show off the teal linen in the knot---one of the many possibilities when you're rocking a TCC reversible. Grab it here.

Eat local. Listen to local music. Wear bow ties. Especially ones that put your money toward a local, homegrown business which employs local artisans, and which also puts a small dent into the hope-thirst of a few dozen Haitian children.

And smile.

And eat dessert.

Cordially,

Andy

366 Bow Ties: Day 199

366 Bow Ties: Catch-up Post

It's time to do some catching up.  This batch has some of the handsomest bow ties---I'm comfortable saying---that I've ever seen.  Enjoy!

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Day 188. A handsome green, blue and white seersucker. Maybe the awesomest seersucker ever.

Still liking the Levi's chambray shorts. Red this time.

Grab this seersucker for just $29, the whole of which goes, as you know, to children in Haiti through MTW.

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Day 187. Magenta chambray? Yes please!

It's pretty hard not to love this magenta chambray. Classic cut. Pops like nobody's business. Puts a punch of sophistication in a farmer outfit [pictured here]; or take it on the town or to the playhouse.

Grab this winner for a mere $29 and send all that cash to a school in Haiti where children are being given a rare fighting chance.

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Day 186 really struck a chord on the Instagram and Twitter feeds.

Chicken is not included, although, if you sponsor a child through MTW's OneChild sponsorship program, I'll make you an omelet fresh from our backyard hens.

Better grab this straight batwing bow before it's gone. That's going to happen quick, just FYI.

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Let's pause for a little silliness, shall we?

Deacon is on a roll with cupcakes. He always picks the toughest ones to do, but he [read, Ellie] always pulls it off. Not bad, here, not bad

And then, I find this, opening my Bible for my daily reading. I hadn't heard of this book before. Pretty saucy reading, though.

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Day 184: An archival TCC madras, and still one of our favorites.

So awesome that you don't even have to feel like you need to button your top button, especially if it's 108 degrees out.

Grab this classic-cut madras for just $29 and make a difference in Haiti.

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Enjoy, and wear your bow ties in good cheer.

Cordially,

Andy

366 Bow Ties: Day 170

Q: What's more quirky than a guy who wears a bow tie every day?

A: A guy who wears a bow tie every day, on a wild goose chase in a new city for raw fruit juice.

We had a really great time in Louisville, as I've indicated already. I'll be posting the bow ties worn during the PCA General Assembly over the next few days. You can grab this killer reversible combo -- linen and chambray -- right now. But not for long. It's a favorite and it'll be gone quick.

Cordially,

Andy

366 Bow Ties: Day 172

Louisville really impressed me. Neighborhood after historic neighborhood flanked by main drags of all kinds of quirky shops and eateries. A historic downtown with lots of new energy. I could easily live in Louisville.

I've never seen so many shotgun houses outside of New Orleans. I'd love to sell off 1/2 of our belongings and move into a teensy house like this.

Dr. Harry Reeder of Briarwood Presbyterian Church in Birmingham came by to buy an official "Stated Clerk" bow tie. I had to tie it on him. He's a jolly guy. Very kind, very funny. I ran to grab my blazer in order to be 'equally yoked' sartorially with him, but he insisted that his good looks can't be competed with, blazer or no blazer. Sounds like something I would say if I were he. Awesome.

My Day 172 bow tie is handsome. White with green and blue plaid. This photo is taken under fluorescent light, and so it's kind of lame. But it's a smashing bow tie. Cut like a diamond.  (ID Badge rope not included.)

This fella made me a delicious beet-carrot-ginger-celery-cucumber-who-knows-what-else juice.

Scottish person.

Run and grab your Day 172 Bow Tie now, before it's gone forever!

Cordially,

Andy