This Sunday, May 19th, Downtown residents and visitors have an opportunity to design their own bowtie, for themselves or for a loved one. The custom bowtie bar, hosted by Knotzland Bowtie Co., will be held at Make + Matter studio and storefront, located on 3711 Butler Street.

Knotzland is a local bowtie company founded in 2014 by self-taught seamstress Nisha Blackwell. Blackwell was called to action by an awareness of the negative environmental impact of textile waste and fast fashion. That's why her company uses textile discards and reuses them to make bow ties, resulting in looks that are not only creative, but very unique. Partnering with several Pittsburgh companies such as T's Upholstery and the Pittsburgh Opera, Knotzland has been able to divert 1,700 pounds of textile waste.

Attendants of the Bowtie bar will get to work alongside Blackwell in designing a custom bowtie. Once the bowtie has been designed, the team at Knotzland will sew each individual design. The custom ties will be delivered to Make + Matter by June 11th, just in time for Father's Day. The attendance to the event is free, and each custom bowtie will cost between $65 and $75.

Interested participants can register here for free: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/custom-bowtie-bar-with-knotzland-tickets-61406278833?aff=ebdssbdestsearch

Q: I'm tempted to discard all my old ties as it seems no one is wearing them anymore. What's the story?

A: Granted, they're no longer mandatory business attire, but ties are far from extinct. In fact, nothing
makes as clear a proclamation about your confidence and competence as wearing a great tie. Whether with
a suit, sportcoat or a button-front shirt and jeans, the tie remains a symbol of respect for tradition and of

individual style.

But don't confuse 2019 neckwear with what's on your tie rack. While yesterday's ties were mostly shiny silk,
today's are often crafted in non-silk or luxury blends, sometimes textured or with a subtle matte finish. For
spring, try the new cotton/linen or silk/linen fabrics in modern widths from 23/4 inches to 31/4 inches. Colorful
silk prints are still important for creating an upbeat vibe, but knits keep the look fresh.

So yes, you can dump the old ties as long as you buy a few new ones. You won't be sorry!

STAY COOL, Man

Q: Most of my pants and jeans are too heavy (and tight to wear in hot weather. Are there any options that are
lightweight, comfortable and office-appropriate?

A: Yes. Larrimor's has numerous styles to carry you through spring into summer, including 5-pocket chinos that  fit like jeans but are much lighter in weight. With the addition of stretch to traditional fabrics, even slim

styles no longer feel tight. In addition to jogger-in-spired styles, we carry dressier models in  performance fabrics to keep you cool in even the hottest weather. Brax, one of our favorite luxury brands, uses  fibers from the kapok tree, Supima cotton and silk. Brax's dense weaving techniques create an elegant  drape in some of the brand's styles.

Bottom line: In this era of advanced fabric technology, pants have never been as cool, comfortable or

flattering. It's a good time to stock up!

GREAT Gifts

Q: I hate buying clothes as gifts because I'm never certain of size or taste. What do you suggest?

A: You can't go wrong with accessories. Consider hand-some leather wallets or card cases, soft luxury socks,

colorful pocket squares in cotton, silk or linen (printed or trimmed at the edge), artisanal wrist jewelry (a hot

trend for all ages and styles), fashion belts and light-weight carry-ons and other assorted travel accessories.

If accessories is not your answer there's always the gift card option,  perhaps the most perfect gift.

Calvin McDonald, Lululemon's CEO since last August, views the yoga-themed retailer more as an experiential brand than a lifestyle one. But the experiences he plans to deliver will increasingly be as much spiritual as physical.

As part of the effort, the retailer is designing more larger stores that carve out spaces for experiential events, Lululemon said at its Analyst Day last month.

A 25,000-square-foot store set to open in Chicago in July will feature yoga studios, meditation space, healthy juice and food, and areas for community gatherings.  By 2023, about 10 percent of Lululemon's total fleet will be considered "experiential."

Lululemon also plans to build on the more than 4,000 events it created and hosted in 2018. Some are large-scale, such as the SeaWheeze half-marathon in Vancouver, 10K runs in Edmonton and Toronto, Sweatlife weekend yoga/fitness retreats and 5Ks. Smaller activations include free meditation or yoga classes insides stores, run clubs and other local social events.

The chain plans to further leverage its more than 17,000 active and legacy ambassadors - typically local yoga and fitness instructors - around such events. "We know that consumers want to participate in communities with people who share their passion," said Mr. McDonald.

The  broader vision encourages the embrace of Lululemon's Sweatlife philosophy of leading a healthy, mindful lifestyle that includes three elements:

• Sweat: Basically, reaching fitness goals;
• Grow: Personal development and "becoming one's best self" through meditation, restoration and recovery;
• Connect: Creating bonds with others "to build something bigger than we can alone" for a wider community focus.

The Sweatlife vision provides Lululemon with opportunities to expand into personal care, travel, work and other adjacent categories and services that the CEO said are much larger than the sports apparel market.

Mr. McDonald said, "The greater opportunity to Sweatlife is that it is a $3 trillion global marketplace in which Lululemon has an authentic point of view, an authentic voice and an opportunity to continue to lead, continue to innovate into and represent the brand, and provide guests with solutions and experiences in which they're looking to live their life."