Photographed in Charlotte, NC 

If you don’t follow The Cordial Churchman on Twitter, then you’ve been missing out on an adventure of the bow tie sorts. 366 bow ties to be exact. Andy has been wearing one of their bow ties every day, sharing photos, and then selling them. “At first I thought it would be a simple marketing stunt, with a photo a day on the blog. Then just as suddenly as the idea came, I blurted out ‘and we can sell each day’s tie and give the money away!’ We naturally thought of our friend Kay, who was our first additional seamstress, but who went on to direct a large church denomination’s international mercy ministries. So we partnered with her and now we’re aiming to give $10,000 or more to help build a school in Haiti. It’s still a marketing stunt, which people seem to really enjoy, but it’s also gotten way out of hand with this Haiti project. That’s how we like things – way out of hand!”

On a recent trip to Charlotte, my first time to visit the city, I met up with “The Cordial Family” at Amelies. I told Andy prior to meeting that I’d love to snap a photo of him so I could share about his bow tie project, but when all of his boys walked in donned in their own ties, I knew everyone needed a photo.

Favorite southern vacation:
My favorite trip was with two good friends to New Orleans, where we ate really, really well. Couchon, Herbsaint, Cafe du Monde, etc. I also enjoyed some good dining in Mobile, Alabama, a surprisingly charming town.

Favorite thing about running a family business:
We enjoy collaborating, bouncing ideas off one another, and celebrating together. We’ve just moved our studio out of the spare bedroom and into a historic downtown building, which is exciting, but there’s something bittersweet about moving the operation out of the house.

Southern tradition you hope your boys partake in:
Does honoring their mother count? I admire the respect that I have seen many young boys give to their mothers.

About this particular 366 look:
I’m a sucker for a cardigan, and for this one specifically. Navy blue is a man’s friend. It goes with everything and mellows things out. The bow tie is a red linen cut in diamond-point, and it’s one of my favorites. Too bad it sold as soon as we posted it…now I have to wait in line like everyone else! Finally, Oak Street Bootmakers penny loafers. The stitching on these is incredible. Made of USA Horween leather and manufactured in Chicago. The folks at Oak Street are, I trust, enjoying a few of our bow ties, but probably not as much as I’m enjoying their shoes! 

I came across J.Hilburn before launching this blog back in September. I was on the hunt for great southern based companies, and this gem in Dallas was one of those. To be honest, I didn’t know much about it, other than the products seemed to be unique and of high quality and their headquarters made me proud. Texas forever, right? I threw the link up on the side and moved on.

In November, I shot a wedding outside of Austin and was pleasantly surprised to find out the groom’s good looking suit was from J.Hilburn. The bride, a friend of mine, told me that  she was a style advisor for the brand. Picture Mary Kay, but without the silly parties and pink cars. I quickly became interested. The idea of being trained to take measurements and be part of something that would help men’s clothes fit properly was right up my alley. After more research, I found a handful of posts on mens experiences with the style advisors, notably from Unabashedly Prep and Put This On. I signed on, got trained, and custom fit Mark for a shirt.

Mark’s shirt: lavender check, spread collar, double button round, no pocket, navy script monogram on cuff.

The company recently received the Best Custom Shirt award from Esquire for their high quality and low(er) prices. Custom shirts range from $89-159 and suits start at $700, an unbeatable price considering they are made at the same factory as Zegna, whose suits start at $1,700. Everything from fit (classic to european), collar style, plackets, pleats, pockets, cuffs, and personalization is in the clients control (and I’m only talking about the shirt…)

Men: if you’re interested in getting measured for a shirt or suit, please shoot me an email for more information. And make sure to check out their site for much more than custom clothing – from denim to cuff links, there is plenty to shop.

Photographed in Charlotte, NC

Raised in:
Charlotte, North Carolina

Lives in:
Charlotte, North Carolina

Favorite southern designer:
My favorite designer of all time is our U.S. Armed Forces. Huge impact on menswear. But if I had to select I would choose Tom Ford for suiting (Texas is Southern, right?) The man is all class, all the time. He goes the extra mile in everything he does. And for casual wear, North Carolina’s own Mark McNairy. His collaborations are quirky and I appreciate the chances he takes. It has been awesome seeing his progression.

Now would ya look at that:
David is the founder and gentleman behind Abbeydale, a made to measure brand offering custom suits, sport coats, pants, shirts and accessories, both business and casual. He has a focus on modern classic designs where fit is first. Not to go unnoticed, southern hospitality is at the core of his service.

• Suit, shirt, tie, tie pin all from Abbeydale.
• Suede John Varvatos chukka boots, made in Italy.
• Shuron glasses, made in USA.
• Old faded bandad as pocket square.
• J.Crew socks.

I snapped this photo of David on our way to Taylor Richards & Conger, notably one of the best menswear stores in the country. “I bring a lot of clients here to shop. We have a great relationship and work together well. If I don’t offer it, they will, so it’s a win-win. These guys are my mentors.”

See a few more images that I took while exploring through the store on the tumblr.

I had the pleasure a few weeks ago of shooting the Spring/Summer 2012 neck ties for Southern Ties. Folks, these are impressive. I actually said “wow” out loud when I picked one up for the first time. The quality is immediately noticed between your fingers, and their attention to detail is top notch. “Spring couldn’t come soon enough. We’ve been waiting a long time to launch our new collection and were particularly excited about two things: the addition of our neckties and the fact that we’re able to keep the manufacturing right here in the great Commonwealth of Virginia.”

With Spring just around the corner, I’ve got seersucker on my mind, and we think you should, too. Enter for your chance to win one of these beauties. The winner will be picked via random.org on Friday, March 9th. To enter…

• Leave a comment with your name, email, and what color neck tie you’d like to win.
• Receive a second entry by letting us know what you’re most looking forward to come Spring.
• Receive a third entry for tweeting about the giveaway.
• Receive a fourth entry for sharing about the giveaway on Facebook.

See more images from the shoot.
Make sure to visit the Southern Ties Shop and check out the new bow ties releases.