Bird Dog Bay Leather Goods- Our Partnership with Korchmar

Bird Dog Bay is excited to introduce our new line of leather goods into our collection. Korchmar is a 4th generation family business; a unique accomplishment in itself these days. What really sets them apart is that Korchmar actually manufactures what it sells. They own and operate our manufacturing facilities in the United States & The Dominican Republic. We have partnered with them because the bring you the highest quality goods. The luxurious leather goods will become a staple to our collection and create more fun gifts for the fans of Bird Dog Bay. Korchmar has a commitment to 100% customer satisfaction by designing and manufacturing the highest quality business cases and travel goods. Bird Dog Bay shares this commitment. We have selected the finest Texas Steer hides and most durable fabrics and craft them into exceptional styles of luggage and briefcases of our own designs to bring to you. We are excited about this partnership and what is to come.

Today, we would like to highlight one of our new Korchmar pieces… It jus the Fitzgerald, available at birddogbay.com.  The Fitzgerald features tan oiled leather bag features Korchmar’s exclusive patented “Magnetite” closure system allows for one hand opening and closing, as well as a cross body shoulder strap. It is fully lined with washable nylon lining, with multiple interior pockets expand for varied sizes of PDA’s, cell phones and computer power systems. This incredible bad also includes free monogramming is available upon request!

Steve has been designing neckties for decades now… He has created quite the portfolio of creative neckties. Some of the designs from our first couple of years in business have earned the right to be called “Bird Dog Bay classics”… These are ties that have endured the test of time, and either come back each season or live on in eternal glory… Three classics, we would like to highlight today are Open Season, 800 lb. Gorilla, and Deer Season… Each tie has it own unique character and came in several whimsical and unique colors patters.

Open Season is a Bird Dog Bay staple. It comes back every season in a new color for our fans. My personal favorite is Open Season in orange. Something about that bright hunting orange makes this the perfect autumn day tie, and great hunting themed necktie.

Another winner in the hunting genre is Deer Season. Another great hunting themed tie, completed with guns, a taxidermy deer head and a soft coral color, give this tie a unique and compelling design. Once again, a great necktie to tie on for a fall event or a spring formal.

A final Bird Dog Bay classic, we wanted to mention today is 800 lb Gorilla. You simply can’t avoid any 800-LB gorilla with this tie. Face the issues with humor in this monkey tie that seems to be perfect for just about any man. It is quirky, impressive, and conversation. Just a perfect tie, and a Bird Dog Bay classic.

Tee dum tee dee… Kids are always finding their way into the center of peoples lives. Folks want there kids to dress up for certain occasions, and what is cuter than a young man in a bow tie or whimsical necktie? That is why Bird Dog Bay makes buying kids ties easier than ever! Our boys ties are available in the same variety as our regular ties. Better yet, we can tailor boys ties to specific heights for assured satisfaction. Our boys neckties come in a variety of designs and colors sure to make little Johnny smile at the family outing. We also have pre tied bows for all the young dapper dans looking to be the best dressed! An exciting thing that some folks like to partake in, is matching father and son ties… This is just another way to make Grandma smile.

Bird Dog Bay might have the most extensive collection of fishing themed neckties on the markets. Fishing bow ties, fishing neckties, fishing cummerbunds… You name the fish, we most likely have a tie with one on it. This season Steve drew a saltwater fishing tie that has fans going bonkers! Check out Grand Slam Traffic Jam. For those of you not in the know, A grand slam is when you catch a permit, a snook, a tarpon, and a bonefish all in the same day. Quite a feat… some say it cannot be done. If you can’t catch all the fish, then grab one of our ties, then you can say you have a grand slam! My personal favorite is the Grand Slam in violet. The subtleness of the white and blue contrast well with a white or blue dress shirt and it make for a lovely combination. Sometimes, it is difficult finding a crazy purple whimsical tie, that can also be seen as subtle and conservative… This one can play both sides… It also may be one of our best selling fish ties we have!

Pair it with our Clarkson Dress Shirt for the ultimate Bird Dog Bay look, but be careful… you might end up with some “lady fish” tugging at the end of your line!

One does not always have to be donned up in a bow tie and dress shirt. Sometimes, it is nice to relax, and throw on something, a little more casual and comfortable. Knowing this, we introduced our newest line of shirts and caps.  The Gus Cap has a breathable mesh lining and leather adjustable band to complement its cotton structure. It is a great summer hat to wear to the park, the beach, or really just about anywear!

Along with our new colors of Gus Caps, Steve has designed a new line of Logo T-shirts available in short and long sleeve. Made from comfort colors dyed cotton shirts, these puppies are incredibly soft, and look great too! Match them with some classic khaki shorts, a bathing suit, or a pair of jeans. Adorned with our Bird Dog Bay Gus logo, these shirts will turn heads and get folks guessing, Where is Bird Dog Bay?… You’ll just have to tell them about us!

It is Spring and that means putting some bright pep and step into your wardrobe. You might as well start with your feet, for your “first step” Grab a pair of our pima cotton dress socks. They are silky soft and will brighten up your wardrobe in a fun and subtle… or not so subtle manner. Try a pair today!

The Kentucky Derby is less than a fortnight away! If you have never been to the Derby, then please do yourself a favor and cancel whatever plans you have for Saturday, May 2nd and Go! here at Bird Dog Bay, the Derby acts in a way as holiday for us. People from all over the country flock to birddog bay.com to check out our equestrian themed ties, derby themed socks, and bright and festive dress shirts. Our line seems to go hand in hand with the Kentucky Derby and all of the festivities surrounding it! This Spring our collection has a myriad of options for getting that perfect derby look!

Derby Dreams is clearly the frontrunner of our Derby themed neckwear this season. Complete with a jockey, bits, and a beautiful steed racing for the finish, this tie will receive accolades from every big hatted gal in town.

Another more conservative and classic option is “Just A Bit” in mint. Imagine this tie, in a bow, with a seersucker suit… They might just declare you the winner and give you a coat of roses.

Now you need a new shirt to pair with your tie, luckily our shirts were designed to match that whimsical derby tie. Try out our classic MacFarlane Gingham with any tie we sell… (Yes, that mint julep you may spill on it will come out at the dry cleaners)

Finally, the finishing touch is needed. Socks… Really, any pair will add the fantastic finishing touch to your ensemble. Yet, the granddaddy of them all has to be the Trifectas…

Grab one of these whimsical Bird Dog Bay items, and you will be the talk of that charming Louisville town this Spring!

Pheasant Flight
Design #288, Portfolio Entry #5

I’ve been on a sales trip in Florida for the last couple weeks and from what I can gather fans and customers have been enjoying my weekly Bird Call Blog. I’ll continue to make time to churn these out whether from bohemian coffee shops drinking overpriced coffee so I can take advantage of their Wi-Fi, or wedged between two strangers on a flight as I write feverishly in my trusty sketchbook between pencil scrawls of race horses juggling mint juleps and monkeys reenacting hear no evil/see no evil for future silk drawings, to as of right now, sitting at a picnic table at Longboat Key’s Coquina Beach, choking back a terrible cup of coffee waiting for the sun to peek over the mangroves. Far from the world of the sporting birds featured in today’s design, unless you consider these two fat seagulls perched on the recycling bin throwing me suspicious looks. Their only sport is endless cawing as I try to finish my equally questionable breakfast sandwich so I can focus on typing this blog on my laptop.

I’ve been drawing sporting birds my whole life, I almost went into the profession of medical illustration in college, never considering myself a great “artist” but more of a technical “illustrator”. I stumbled into my current trade as a necktie illustrator, which happened to be very suiting of my drawing capabilities, while studying art and graphic design at the University of Illinois. While growing up in my small town of Sleepy Hollow, IL I just happened to have one of America’s most renowned bird sculptors, Bob Guge, living down the street. I was always inspired by his work and enamored by his three-dimensional wildlife art. Plus, my father, although mainly a potter, was also a wood sculptor. Surely I was the only kid in town with several potters’ wheels in the basement and an endless supply of fire clays. As a child, I could watch him endlessly as I barked out different birds and animals for him to sculpt while he peddled the wheel and created the entire Lincoln Park Zoo in muddy sepia colors right before my eyes. Unfortunately though, I didn’t pick up the knack for the three-dimensional arts like my father and naturally leaned toward soft leaded drawing pencils as well as pen and ink work. I also grew up with stacks of encyclopedic books on wildlife animals and bird species field guilds for inspiration, books I still have and use today as reference to work out what exactly the visual difference is between a flying grouse versus upland quail.

In today’s featured design you’ll see the flying pheasants that I grew up admiring as my endless line of crazy Irish Setter’s flushed them from the brush in the horse and cow farm in my back yard. Never in all my years do I remember one of our goofy dogs ever catching one mid-flight, just a collection of near misses. I drew this tie to match our new collection of gingham dress shirt patterns. Print ties are traditionally designed as tight step and repeat patterns, but pheasants in flight are so visually impacting I thought this beauty needed a little space to breathe which, in-turn will make it easy to sister with complicated shirting patterns more like a classic English woven club tie. My mill was beating their head against the wall trying to register all the colored screens to hand print this design seeing I drew it without a filetto, the typical black outline that is the original width of my drawing pencil that traps the bleeds of the inks. This affect gives the design a softer appearance, which I try to use whenever possible with animal designs like birds, fox and setters that naturally have a lot of feathering. Either way, I hope you like this one; it even has matching socks for you advanced dressers. Win. Win.

All right, the sun is officially up, I’m down to my last sip of caffeinated swill and my now disinterested feathery companions are pecking at the cool morning sand. Time to head back up to the frozen tundra to start drawing Spring 2016, maybe I’ll draw some new sporting birds for next spring or maybe some fat morning seagulls attacking a hapless typist at the beach in classic hitchcockian fashion. Stay tuned; I’ll keep you posted.

Go Green!

 Happy St. Patrick’s Day from all of us at Bird Dog Bay! Whether you’re in the office or out on the town, there’s no reason not to have some fun today. With brand new Green Gus Caps, Four Leaf Luck Socks, or our Lucky Horseshoe ties and , you’re sure to make your coworkers green with envy! This day of the year is always a celebration for us in Chicago. Our river is dyed green, our streets are flooded with loyal patron of our famous Irish pubs, and everyone seems to be in a jovial spirit.

Tie one on today and for spring break, which is just around the corner, with Hoppy Hour. May the luck of the Irish be with you today, tomorrow and every day.

From all of here at Bird Dog Bay, have a Happy and Safe St. Patricks Day, wherever you may be. Slainte!

Next wednesday is Saint Patricks Day. Growing up, this was never a big event for myself, other than the awareness to wear green so Joey Fleener would not pinch me on the bus. Yet, a couple of years back, I moved to Chicago… Lets just say, it is a big deal in this town. So big, in fact they die the river green. Thats right, the river that cuts through the city like a knife through a loaf of bread is dyed the greenest green you can imagine. It is quite a site to see. every pub in town is jam packed, the streets are overflowing with people of every walk of life singing. dancing, and drinking pints of guinness. If the sun is out, most people just chalk up a vacation day to celebrate. Here at Bird Dog By a we like to get ready for the big day by showcasing our fun collection of St. patrick themed ties, shirts, and accessories.

I will definitely be wearing green next week, not only for the slight chance that Joey Fleener flies up to Chicago to pinch me. but just to be in the spirit. Bird Dog Bay has quite the outfit if you really want to show off the luck of the Irish. Start off with our newest dress shirt the “Barrington” in green and blue check… pair it with our “lucky horseshoe” bow and “lucky clover” four leaf luck socks…Not to mention of selection of green goods and accessories to complement your outfit for the office or the bars… Wherever you are, tie one on! You will be the talk of town, when folks see you jig dancing down Division street in this snazzy outfit. We at Bird Dog Bay would like to wish a safe and happy St. Patricks Day to everyone, and Cheers!

Good Morning, This is Steve Mayer, the guy behind the Bird Dog Bay brand. Frequently, the question I’m asked to field most when chatting with fans is “What’s your inspiration for your designs?” After years of our marketing manager hammering me to write a weekly blog describing my illustrations and the stories behind them, I’m now waving my white flag. Every week, I’ll provide fans with a bit of a glimpse into the hundred or so designs I create each year. I’m known among friends to be a bit of an embellished story teller, so bear with me: short and sweet is not the Mayer way! Anyway, I hope you find it interesting as the rest of my team thinks you will enjoy it…

Elephant Club Med

 Design #287 – Portfolio Entry #5

What is it with fans of Bird Dog Bay and these Elephant patterns? Who’s buying these? After hunting and fishing themes, the other animal theme I’m encouraged to cover when illustrating my collections are goofy little elephants. Year in and year out. Why? I haven’’t have the slightest idea…

What started with a Christmas tie with elephants balancing wrapped gifts on their noses called “White Elephant” tumbled into “Elephant Bath” then “Out of Africa” then “Poll Position” then “Wet Trunks” then “Big Five” then “Lucky Trunks” then “Pink Elephants” getting us to my current design of “Elephant Club Med”.

We have elephant everything: socks; cufflinks; linen pocket squares; belts; bow ties; key chains and cummerbunds. I was just  commissioned to designed a custom elephant themed shirt for one of our accounts. If I’ve learned anything in this crazy business it’s that Elephant patterns sell. I saw more of that Lilly Pulitzer shift dress pattern last year than any other clothing pattern in public, although that may say something about the circles I run with while on the road peddling my wares. We have a nice footprint in the state of Alabama for all those Roll Tide fans, and of course, all you staunch Republicans. But, even then, it doesn’t seem to add up to the strange volume of elephant themed products we move from my Chicago studio. One thought may be that PT Barnum has an enormous extended family of men’s clothing accessory horders. That seems like a plausible answer.

It’s not as if anyone has any personal kinship with them, they aren’t walking on retractable leashes down Michigan Avenue, you don’t see them swimming north up the Mississippi delta, people generally don’t like seeing them in captivity at zoos or at the circus. Their jokes are famously known as terrible and for some reason an upward elephant trunk is considered good luck, though nobody knows exactly why.

I start designing the Spring 2016 collection this week and I have a few ideas for next year’s new elephant tie. One is of our hapless little guys drifting down from the sky with umbrellas clutched in their trunks, some with their umbrella folded outward as they plummet South. Not sure where I thought of that one, my childhood orthodontists wallpaper? Was that a jacket cover for an old Shel Silverstein book? Or maybe I’ll have our little gray scuba swimmers with trunks above the surface while one confused little bird perched on a single trunk peers down into their hypothetical blow hole. With 2016 being an election year, I recently sketched a cartoonish elephant mid swing at the tee box driving golf bal ls at a hapless donkey hauling down the fairway with his tail between his legs. Though that would require I’d have to do the complimenting design of that same frustrated donkey bucking our little African swinger into a water hazard full of chomping alligators. I’ve had worse ideas… At this point, it seems I could swap “Dogs Playing Poker” with our wrinkly gray friends and our fans would think that’s perfectly acceptable and send in their accolades. It seems the odder the better for our fans as our elephant portfolio continues to grow.

Either way, you’ve got our whimsical Serengeti heroes on a well deserved holiday at “Elephant Club Med” to hold you over until I put pencil to paper for next spring’s collection. I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoy thinking about and drawing them. I especially like the turquoise and fuchsia colorways when paired with small bright colored Bird Dog Bay gingham shirts.