There's just something, classy about a bow tie. In all the old photos of Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sachmo I've ever seen, they either look dapper with a perfectly tied bow tie, or slick, kicked back with an untied one hanging around their neck. That, to me, is the allure of the bow tie. It just looks cool at the end of the night, after the party is over. The essential cool!

I've been a fan of the twenties for quite a long while, and last Christmas Jessa surprised me with one of my favorite presents... a handmade, adjustable bow tie. Not that pre-tied faux kind, but the real deal. It was a blue and red plaid. She knows me too well. I love bow ties, bicycles and plaid. Two out of three ain't bad! I've worn it so many times on different occasions that it's hard for me to remember a special time when I haven't had it around my neck. I loved it so much I inquired as to where she got it. She told me a woman in Hawaii (I spent some time in Hawaii and I instantly fell in love with its culture, its food and beyond anything else, it's happy little instrument, the ukulele. I now own three of them. In honor of Laura and her creations I had Jessa help me take some photos for the post, the last photo is for you Laura) made it and that she sells them on Etsy. Her store name is xoelle, and she makes the best bow ties I've ever found. All of her bow ties are made from vintage men's shirts and they're stylish to say the least.

I contacted Laura,  the woman behind these little masterpieces, I informed her of how much I love these little spectacular pieces of attire and that I really wanted to do a feature on her store and her creations for the blog. Laura was really into it and sent some pieces from her new fall line. The new line features the old staples and some updated versions with rounded edges. I was racked with anticipation as I waited for the package she had shipped from Hawaii to come. Once it arrived, I opened it like a child on Christmas morning. The new design was marvelous. She had actually taken something classic that's usually reserved for formal affairs and made it hip, modern and even a little casual. That's the kind of innovation that makes "Pearl" and me take notice. 

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After the first tie arrived, I contacted Laura again and told her how impressive her new line is and I asked if perhaps she wanted to do something a little bigger than just a feature. I really wanted to give her a GQ-esque spread and to do that I would need more of her ties. She agreed and Jessa and I went to work. We decided to give her a three part story. The first would be a teaser of the treats to come, the second would be this, the story, and finally the third part would be a giveaway. That's right, I said a giveaway. Laura was gracious enough to send two extra bow ties; one for me and one for the giveaway. Who said writing a non-profit blog doesn't have its perks! 

I know bow ties aren't commonplace for women to wear, but I also know that a good amount of you wonderful women out there have a significant other who you would love to see in a bow tie. According to Jessa, most women would love to see their man in a bow tie. In fact, xoelle even offers a year long bow tie gift set, that way you can look stylish every day.

Cheers,

earl 

Katie:  twinstripe.com/  http://twinstripe.com/blog/

Michelle:  http://creaturetype.com/  http://www.etsy.com/shop/sockie?ref=seller_info

David:  http://www.etsy.com/shop/DoveRanchLetterpress

Julia: http://jeezejulia.com/  http://www.etsy.com/shop/jeezejulia

Nicole:  http://www.nicolescoffeeshop.blogspot.com/  http://www.etsy.com/shop/nicoleveerman?ref=si_shop