Image: Lands End Canvas

As bowtie wearers, we tend to stick out from the crowd not only on bowtie Friday’s, but pretty much every day that we tie on a bow.  That being said, we’re always looking for that one tie that will not only stand out to others, but also stand out to us when compared to the rest of our ties.  Well, this week we have managed to find another bow that is unlike anything else have hanging in the closet, the Silk Knit Striped Bowtie ($50) by Lands End Canvas.

Everyone has a striped silk bowtie or two, and many have knit ties in their necktie collection, but we don’t know anyone who has a combination of the two.  Of course, now that Lands End Canvas has released their Silk Knit Striped Bowtie, it won’t be that way for long.  With a timeless navy and lime green color combination, this diamond point bow features a classic knit rarely makes its way to the world of bowties, but we sure are happy it did.  Definitely a casual tie, we’re really looking forward to seeing how we can work this one into our rotation.

Logo: Small Batch Apparel

This weekend, the Triple Crown will make it’s annual stop in Baltimore for the Preakness Stakes.  Though we don’t know anything about anything when it comes to horse racing, you better believe we’ll be yelling and screaming as the horses round the bend.  Whether you are a huge fan, or a bit more casual like we are, we think you’ll like the latest offerings from our friends at Small Batch Apparel.  Formerly known as Cash Robinson Clothing, Small Batch has expanded their line, and in celebration of the Preakness, they want to give one lucky Bows & Boats reader a prize pack.

Images: Small Batch Apparel

Our winner is going to receive a yellow Paddock Polo, a navy Bourbon Barrel Hat, and a red “Bourbon Neat” Clubhouse Tie.  Follow the steps below, and get your entries in now.  Also, make sure to include your pick to win the Preakness in your comment below.  If you win, and pick the right horse, we’ll pick up the tab on a Small Batch Apparel tee of your choice.

You will receive an entry for each of the following:

Image: Sir Jack's

It’s no secret that warm weather leads to bolder patterns and colors in most wardrobes, but that doesn’t mean you have to go crazy with your look just for the sake of doing it.  In fact, one of our favorite summer looks involves a pattern that can be worn year round, gingham.  If your gingham collection is in need of some new life, we’d recommend taking a look at the Clarendon Shirts ($135) from Sir Jack’s.

Not only does Sir Jack’s have a great selection of wares from a number of solid brands, their house branded options can go toe to toe with just about anything out there, and their Clarendon Gingham shirts are no exception.  Available in navy, orange, black, and blue (shown), these long sleeve shirts have a trim silhouette, but definitely not so slim that you need to size up.  Made in the USA from Italian cotton, the Clarendon shirts have a medium spread collar that causes them to lean a bit towards the dressy side of the spectrum, but with a cut that is a touch shorter than a traditional dress shirt you could easily pull it off untucked with the sleeves rolled.  No matter how you choose to wear it, the Clarendon Shirt from Sir Jack’s will make a solid addition to your wardrobe all year long.

Image: Hudson Sutler

It may only be Tuesday, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t too early to start thinking about the weekend.  In fact, if we weren’t planning on watching the horses run at The Preakness, there is a good chance we’d be spending today planning a quick weekend getaway before summer travel season is in full swing.  If you have been known to get out of town on short notice, a basic duffel bag is something you should always have at the ready.  If you need a new one, we’d highly recommend taking a look at the Weekend Duffels ($120*) from Hudson Sutler.

Made in the USA out of high quality 18 oz. canvas, each Hudson Sutler duffel features contrast stitching and a gingham lining for just a bit of extra pop.  With silver nickel hardware, and rust proof resin zippers, this bag is made to stand up to just about whatever you can throw at it (or throw it in for that matter).  Currently available in three iterations dubbed the Mackinac (shown), the Hatteras, and the Sequoia, the Hudson Sutler Weekend Duffel is the perfect choice for that impromptu road trip that we all know is going to make some memories that will last a lifetime.

*For the next 48 hours, use the discount BowsnBoats25 to save 25% off Winter 2011 duffels (Sequoia and Passaic) and the code BowsnBoats15 will save you 15% off the recently released Mackinac and Hatteras models.

Image: Kiel James Patrick

Recently, we’ve been on the hunt for a belt versatile enough to go with everything from jeans, to khakis, to an assortment of go to hell pants and shorts that are slated to be in rotation in the next few months.  It should come as no surprise that our friend Kiel James Patrick has created a belt that fits this bill almost to a T.  His Huntsman Vineyard Wilde belt ($112) may just end up being the belt of the summer.

Part of the KJP Peyton Heritage belt collection, the Huntsman Vineyard Wilde features a patchwork madras that will match just about everything.  With a solid brass buckle, and full grain tumbled leather, this made in the USA belt has a look that just screams “classic summer” to us.  Whether you throw it on with go to hell pants and a pressed white shirt, or wrinkled khaki shorts and your favorite polo, the Huntsman Vineyard Wilde belt will fit in seamlessly and tie everything together with ease.  Wherever your travels will be taking you this summer, we’d recommend bringing this belt along for the ride.

As much as we hate to admit it, we spend far too much time in front of a computer.  From desktops at the office, to laptops at home, to iPhones and iPads just about everywhere else, we don’t even want to know how much of our day is spent staring at a glowing screen.  Of course, all of that time on the web has led us to some fantastic websites over the years.  For this edition of Saturday Reading, we’ve chosen a handful* of sites that we make sure to visit on a regular basis.

Red Clay Soul: A look into the life of a true Southern gent.  We had the pleasure of meeting JRS at The Masters this year, and are glad to consider him a friend.  His site features some fantastic style selections, and we are really enjoying the current Top Of The Heap series that features the favorite pieces of some other bloggers and friends of RCS.

Dappered: You’d be hard pressed to find someone better than Joe at Dappered at finding a deal on a piece of clothing or a pair of shoes.  He has created the go to website for anyone who wants to dress well without breaking the bank, and if you’re up for a lively discussion, make sure to visit the forums.

Back Down South: Caroline is one heck of a photographer, and we absolutely love the shots of her friends across the country showcasing their impeccable fashion sense.  On top of that, we’ve learned about a number of musical acts thanks to her Music Monday posts.

Uncrate: If you are a guy who likes gadgets, or just interesting things in general, you’ll love Uncrate.  For example, in the past few days they’ve featured everything from the Corter Leather Bottle Hooks (which are blowing up on Kickstarter by the way), to jalapeno flavored vodka, to an Aston Martin DBS.  What’s not to love?

Old Try Blog: A peek into the inner sanctum of the couple behind Old Try, Micah and Marianna Whitson.  From product shots, to contests, to poetry, you never know what you might find on the Old Try Blog.


*We may end up having to do a few of these posts, there are just so many great sites out there these days.

Image: The Tie Bar

With lightweight sportcoats and seersucker suits becoming more commonplace as the weather warms up, it is only fitting that our bowtie selections follow suit.  Sure, silk bows will always manage to sneak into the rotation, but we’re making a conscious effort to work in more cotton bows than ever before.  In an effort to not completely break the bank, our first stop when looking for a few new cotton bows was The Tie Bar, and we weren’t disappointed.  One tie from their collection that will absolutely be making it’s way to Bows & Boats HQ is the Open Plaid Bow ($15).

Ever since we picked up that Albermarle Tie from Lumina, we’ve been on quite the plaid kick, and the Open Plaid Bow from The Tie Bar is going to make for a great addition to that part of our collection.  Though we like the Azalea/Sage version of this bow, it’s the Blues/Green version shown above that will be finding it’s way to Annapolis.  With two great shades of blue and a little green for contrast, the plan for now is to pair this one with a light blue OCBD, but we have a feeling it’ll end up paired with a lot more as days go by.

Image: Jack Donnelly

If you follow us on Twitter or Facebook, you know that we love to spread the word about giveaways from some of our favorite brands.  Yesterday, just like every Wednesday for the past few months, we were happy to pass along the news that our friends over at Jack Donnelly were once again celebrating “free khaki Wednesday.”  Well, whoever won this week’s free pair will have an option that none of the other winners have had.  At long last, Jack Donnelly has released their Dalton Pants in British Khaki ($92).

If you ever find yourself on the hunt for a work horse pair of khakis, the Daltons are it.  Made of 8.5 oz. cotton twill, these pants can stand up to just about anything, and they look great doing it.  We’ve been fans of the khaki and stone versions of the Dalton for quite some time, and were pleased to see that the gang down in Atlanta has decided to add a deep British Khaki to their lineup.  Just like the other Dalton pants, the British Khaki colorway is available in both flat front or pleated, and comes unfinished so you can get the break just how you like it.  Shoot, we may end up having a pair hemmed a touch shorter than normal just to show some extra ankle this summer.

Image: Southern Tide

It isn’t a secret that we are huge fans of the Skipjack Polos from Southern Tide. In fact, another one was just added to the collection last weekend thanks to a stop at Redix down in Wrightsville Beach.  If you have been trying to figure out which Skipjack Polo needs to find a place in your rotation, today is the day to make that decision.  Why?  Because our friends over at Southern Tide want to give you one.*

This contest is pretty simple.  To enter for a chance to win, all you need to do** is leave a comment below with your email address as well as the color, cut (classic or tailored) and size Skipjack polo that you hope to win.  As always, if you don’t want to leave your email address in the comments section you can send us a note to Contest@BowtiesandBoatshoes.com with Skipjack in the subject line.

For an extra entry, ‘Like’ Southern Tide on Facebook AND today’s post on the Bows & Boats Facebook page.

Entries will be accepted until 11:59PM EST on Tuesday, May 15, 2012.

*Full disclosure, not only are they sending a Skipjack Polo to one lucky reader, they’re sending us one too.

** Giveaway is only open to US residents ages 18 and older.

Image: Rancourt & Co.

Though many think our love of boatshoes is bordering on obsession, we just like to call it market research for Bows & Boats.  On a recent market research expedition, we got our hands on a pair of shoes that come from some extremely talented shoecrafters up in Maine.  Rancourt & Co. has been making shoes for three generations, and we are head over heels for their 2-Eye Boatshoe in Color 8 Chromexcel ($215).

One of the coolest things about Rancourt & Co. shoes is that they are made to order (expect about two weeks from order to delivery).  Literally, when you place your order is when the shoes go into production, and if you want something a little different than their current offerings, Rancourt is happy to oblige.  That being said, you’ll have a tough time coming up with a better looking boatshoe than their 2-Eye in Color 8.  The gorgeous Color 8 Chromexcel leather is some of the best out there, and the chestnut rawhide laces are a great contrast.  Pair those with nickel plated brass eyelets and a siped white sole and you are ready to tackle anything from a day on the water to a day around town.