The Cordial Churchman: Bowtie Studio in Old Town
Posted August 8th, 2012 by Old Town
Photo: Andy and Ellie Stager with their three sons.
The Cordial Churchman—a known online, handcrafted freestyle bowtie company—has developed such an international following that owner Ellie Stager has hired four staff members and opened a new studio. She states, “I’ve been drawn to the Old Town area of town as the right place for my online business because artistic work is appreciated and cultivated here.”
Ellie began making bowties in 2009. Her husband, Andy, would post photos of himself online, wearing her bowties. People started asking about buying them, which eventually led to the creation of the business. Andy still posts photos of himself online, wearing bowties. In fact, this year, he will wear “366 Bowties” — one for each day of the year. All proceeds from the sale of these featured bowties are given to a school in Haiti through Mission to the World’s One Child project.
In the fall of 2010, Levi Strauss commissioned The Cordial Churchman to make bowties for all of their store displays in the United States and Canada. They were also sold in Levi stores in San Francisco, Boston, and New York City. Currently, bowties and other products by The Cordial Churchman are only available online or in the studio.
The Cordial Churchman offers bowties, neckties, pocket squares, and men’s scarves for sale. Bowties can be custom-made for weddings or for any occasion. Neckties can even be transformed into bowties!
The studio is located inside the Gettys Art Center, 201 E. Main St., on the 2nd floor. It is open to the public Monday through Friday from 10am to 3pm or by appointment. Customers can pick out or drop off favorite fabrics, browse through a selection of ready-made bowties, or learn how to properly tie a bowtie. To learn more, call 803-727-8201 or visit the website: thecordialchurchman.com
