The Corduroy Appreciation Club Cordulog
Among Other Wonderful Attributes of Paul Newman
I don’t have the proper words or abilities to adequately articulate the loss of Paul Newman and I’m not so sure I should try. But since his passing, I’ve received many photographs of him wearing Corduroy. I wanted to share one. It’s him and Joanne Woodward reading a script and they’re both in Corduroy pants. Paul Newman always seemed like such a kind, curious, appreciative and civil person. I think he was one we could all take inspiration from. It’s always seemed very right to me that Paul Newman was Corduroy appreciator.
Corduroy Wearing Bolivian Ambassador Expelled from U.S.
Friend of the Corduroy Appreciation Club and Bolivian Ambassador to the U.S., Gustavo Guzmán, was asked to depart our fair shores last week. His Excellency was told to leave just days after Bolivia expelled U.S. Ambassador Philip S. Goldberg. Bolivian President Evo Morales accused Goldberg of encouraging violence in the country amid fierce debate over natural gas revenues and land redistribution plans. Read, in much greater eloquence and depth about the terrible turmoil in Bolivia here.
In 2006, I invited Ambassador Guzman to attended the 1111 meeting after high-level beltway sources reported he was wearing Corduroy to important meetings in Washington D.C. Not surprisingly he had other matters to attend to that 1111. But he did send us this kind and inspiring note below. I wish him the very best.
Liberty and its exercise take various forms, and they can occur in
every space imaginable. For example, true art is only explained by
the determined passion of liberation. Many are the instances in which
exercising liberty also brings the equally vital exercise of
provocation. To all this must be added a good dose of aesthetics, and
it is here we refer to the magnificent fabric of liberty and of
provocation, corduroy.Enjoy your celebration, and may we meet someday soon.
Warm Regards,
His Excellency Gustavo Guzmán
Ambassador of Bolivia
Washington, D.C.
As some may know, Bolivia has a special place in my heart and was the site of my “Corduroy vision,” which lead to the founding of the CAC.
-Miles Rohan
The Corduroy Carpenters
I’ve just been alerted that there is a band of Corduroy clad carpenters calling themselves the ‘League of German Guildsmen’ roaming the Earth. Whilst wearing incredibly stylish black Corduroy set-ups, they’ll build you something in exchange for room, board, or beer. This tradition dates back hundreds of years. My gosh. We must get these chaps working on our new clubhouse post-haste. Imagine what they’d build for a couple of our stunning black Corduroy ties. Read more about them here in Matangi Online. An online newspaper from the small Pacific nation of Tonga. Matangi Online is my first choice for Corduroy news!
Hardy-Har-Har….Cordurory Shortage Closes Harvard
Today a site that bills itself as “America’s most twisted news source,” wundurfulwurld.com is mining the ceaseless comedy of Corduroy. And boy it’s a real zinger….
Worldwide supplies of corduroy plummeted today as 54-year old male college professors across the nation embarked on their annual shopping expedition to buy new pants during the run-up to the beginning of the school year.
“This is insane,” remarked Old Navy sales clerk Stephanie Gum, as she chewed furiously on a big wad of her namesake confection.
“I’ve got old guys jamming up my change rooms. They’re freakin’ nuts for corduroy.”
Clothing stores in major cities reported serious corduroy outages and empty display shelves as demand immediately out-stripped supply, and stripped college professors emerged from retail changing rooms wearing only their underpants to make boring, sparsely-attended 45-minute slide show presentations on the crisis while standing behind hastily-erected lecterns in the front of the store.
Corduroy manufacturers, never known for their forward thinking, accustomed as they are to the timelessly un-hip retro appeal of their product, were also caught with their pants down.
Read the story in it’s entirety here, if you dare.
Some Notable Vintage Corduroy on Ebay.com
As a service to the Corduroy wearing population of the world, we shall on occasion make note of some particularly stunning Corduroy items that are for sale. In this case, these four vintage items show us that contemporary Corduroy really is less wonderful than yester yore Corduroy. Of course, all Corduroy is still wonderful…. There are two women’s items and two men’s items. Collectively the theme here is “color.” Corduroy really can grab hold of color, can’t it! Without further prattle:
NOTE: The Corduroy Appreciation Club has no connection, no business and no incentive to post these auctions other than to showcase some fine Corduroy and educate our dear members.
Corduroy Stretch CAT Suit Jumpsuit
This will surely send the blogosphere into hysterics, but this orange CAT Suit jumpsuit offered by seller vampofvintage is the type clothing that makes me want to become a woman. If I had this thing I would wear it everyday and I would be unstoppable. Act fast, there’s already one bid! It’s up to $24.99. Link.
Bright Sky Blue 3 piece HAGGAR Corduroy Suit
I’m tempted to not even post this beaut, as I may want it. It’s currently for sale at $59.95. A real steal! Only problem is, the incredible success and wealth which The Corduroy Appreciation Club has brought has made me a bit too corpulent for this blue baby! But, heck, maybe this is the motivation I need to get myself to the gym and to quit eating bags of Ruffles (the Official Potato Chip of The Corduroy Appreciation Club) . Back to the matter, at hand, this suit is beautiful. This is clearly an off-the-rack suit, why can we not return to such days? Link.
Funky Orange Corduroy Suit 1970′S
This orange piece is a bit less catty and a bit more disco than the first. Although it seems even I might be tempted not to wear Corduroy to a disco during the days of disco. It just seems you’d want something with a little more give, you know? Something with less friction to enable splits and spins. Anyway. You get the point. This piece is not an auction item, but a “Buy it Now” listed for $125.00. You have until 8:40 PDT on Sept. 24 to get it. Not sure what the shipping charge will be as it is coming from A Purrfect World, USA. I’m not familiar. Link
70s MOD corduroy 3pc hand-crafted suit 42 R
Here is another gem I’m tempted to keep to myself. (This one would fit. This is my size, by the way, in case anyone wants to send me a sample….) Except I already have one just like it. I call it “Rusty.” This one looks like it’s in tiptop shape! I love the collar. In my mind, this is a classic Corduroy suit. There are 5 bids on this suit. It is currently at $18.88. Link.
See anything else wonderful out there. Let us know!
Not So Blind Corduroy Items, or the Celebrity Corduroy Beat
Item 1: Our sources tell us that this A list actor has been wearing Corduroy pants on his day off, which appears to be the entire summer. Matthew Broderick appears to be our brethren. Stars, they’re just like us! Here’s how he responds to a question regarding his current wardrobe:
This is summer and I’m on vacation on Long Island, so it’s whatever is closest to my hand — a T-shirt, shorts and sandals. No one expects you to dress up at all. It’s too hot. I have some old off-white corduroy pants I wear almost every day. I’ve had them a long time, but they’re also fake old. Someone must have rubbed them with a rock and splattered them with paint.
While I don’t agree with the Corduroy abuse he refers to, I always knew there was something I liked about Matthew Broderick. He not only wears Corduroy, but he wears it in the summer too. What a guy.Item 2: This rock and roller, ex-boyfriend of Kate Moss, said this when asked about how drugs affect his music:
They’ve been around me since day one, but so has corduroy. Know what I mean? Drugs don’t create the sound – they might just change the pitch slightly. Or make you spell a word wrong.
What do you know about Corduroy, Pete Doherty? What can you tell us?
Official Club Bird?
It has seemed, to me, from time to time, that The Corduroy Appreciation Club should have more officials. Things like an official club amphibian, an official tree and flower, just the way states do. We already have our official symbol, which also serves as our official marine mammal, and we have an official slogan and official motto and we have our official ties too. And seems we should have an official hat, blazer and pant too, but that’s another story. Well, it seems that The Nantucket Independent Online may have tipped us off on a good choice for official bird. The Pectoral Sandpiper. In this column, which appears to be written by, perhaps, the official birder of Nantucket, it is mentioned that the great ornithologist and bird illustrator, Roger Tory Peterson described the area around the birds throat as a “Corduroy bib.” It certainly does resemble Corduroy and gives the stilty looking creature a certain stately air with that Corduroy bib. Good show, indeed!
But what do you think? Does the Pectoral Sandpiper have what it takes to be the official CAC bird? Will the mighty Pectoral Sandpiper lift us up on its wings and soar with us? Carry us? Inspire us? Or should we consider other avian beasts? Is there a bird that wears more than just a Corduroy bib? Something with a bit more coverage, maybe? Benjamin Franklin, a Corduroy wearer himself, lobbied for the Wild Turkey over the Bald Eagle to be the official bird of the United States of America, so in his spirit, let us discuss.
GQ Endorses Pinwale Corduroy Jeans
Well, well, well…isn’t that something?
Where oh where to begin? Ok, first of all, must the term “jeans” be used? Jeans are just jeans and they’re made of…denim and we needn’t even go there. Corduroy in the context of leg covering garments, are referred to as Corduroy pants or trousers, or even the casual, Cords. But JEANS? Should not Gentleman’s Quarterly know better? I urge all members to pen letters to the Editor post haste and alert the gentleman of their grievous misnomer.
And so, yes, GQ has finally endorsed Pin Wale Corduroy, so just as soon as you finish up your letters to the Editor you must run out and procure pin wale Corduroy pants from your favorite Corduroy purveyor! Hurry up!
The selections made by the author, Jim Moore, of the article are fine, although I must admit I haven’t seen or worn all of the brands such as AG Adriano Goldschmied. I wonder what they are like? They’re perhaps a bit to cool for me, but they look well-constructed and they’re called the Sahara Cord which perhaps is a subtle nod to the ancient Corduroy-like fabric made in the Egyptian village of Fustat? They’re actually made of something called Vintage Pima Corduroy. May I ask, what is that? Does anyone know?
I also would have included and perhaps replaced the Gap choice with Bonobos. They make fine Corduroy pants often from Pins. I hope, perchance, they read me writing that. I’ve been meaning to acknowledge them in some fashion and must devote some of this blog space to them as they seem to be an ally.
At any rate, thank you GQ and Jim Moore for “endorsing” and honoring our refined friend, the Pin Wale. Click Seth Rogen above to read the peice and see some Cord photos.
Hail the Wale!
-Miles Rohan
Behold, the Sleeping Giant Stirs
Esteemed Members,
1111, the date that most closely resembles Corduroy and The Most Important Date on Our Calendar, is just 105 days away.
Please stay tuned for more information and updates to this space.
Nascent planing for 1111 meetings are underway. Please feel free to pass suggestions and ideas our way.
111 08 Meeting: What is Occuring
Feeling the need to do something a bit different. Here is what is occurring:
On West 41st, in Manhattan, between and beneath the Port Authority Bus Terminal Buildings, in a dark place known as Area X lies a great treasure called “The Whaling Wall.” The Whaling Wall is a 400’ whale mural painted by the artist Wyland. This large, left-facing whale is an important landmark to The Corduroy Appreciation Club. Please read the detailed instructions below. Please RSVP to this email address: corduroy@corduroyclub.com
1. Between 6:30 and 7:00 we will muster, Corduroy clad, at the following bikini wearing bartender location: Port 41 Bar, 41st and 9th Avenue. No meeting particulars will occur here and our plans should be kept secret. Speak only to those in Corduroy! Port 41 is simply a gathering and libation point. At approximately 7:11, when we receive the signal from our lookout we shall, en masse, leave Port 41 and parade East [left] 100 yards on 41st to the Whaling Wall. You are encouraged to bring signs, flags, placards and banners.
2. Once at the “Whaling Wall,” holding banners and placards, we shall “Hail the Wale/Whale” and pose, beneath the whale, for the first ever group photograph of The Corduroy Appreciation Club. This must all happen rapidly. We don’t want to attract attention of authorities who swarm in these parts and simply won’t understand our mission.
3. After the photo is taken we will quickly disperse to the south, down 8th Avenue, 4 blocks to 37th street and the bar, Stitch. Here we shall socialize and celebrate our deep club fellowship. We will partake in secret rituals, hear club news and perhaps candidates for our official club anthem. This is meant to be a more casual meeting, nonetheless two items of Corduroy must be donned.
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