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!