Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Arts & Entertainment
Fail Wale: The Corduroy Appreciation Club Unravels
By
John Del Signore
Published Oct 8, 2012
Modified Oct 8, 2012
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
John Del Signore
Published Oct 8, 2012
Modified Oct 8, 2012
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
[UPDATE BELOW] For the past six years, one of the highlights of the fall season has been the Corduroy Appreciation Club's celebration of all things corduroy, wherein corduroy aficionados from around the world gather for an event that's one part parody of secret society rituals, two parts fashion fetishism, and three parts drunken circus. But it appears that last year's Grand Meeting, held on 11/11/11—the date most closely resembling corduroy in our lifetimes—was the LAST.
It was clear at last year's gathering that the club's creator, Miles Rohan, was running out of steam: All those in attendance were asked to vote on whether to continue the club or disband once the historic 11/11/11 was behind them. The results of that vote were never publicly announced, but judging by the passion on display during the meeting, we find it hard to believe that any motion to disband would have passed. And yet, the website for the Corduroy Appreciation Club is kaput, and Rohan appears to have gone into hiding.
Rohan has not responded to repeated requests for comment, and has not made a tweet from the official Corduroy Club Twitter account since November 15th, when he ominously observed:
Odd mix of feelings about 111111. Relieved in ways, sad in others. Mad I forgot to reveal Cord whale and get fully dressed. Thanks to all!
— Miles Rohan (@Corduroyclub) November 15, 2011
Reading between the lines, it's safe to say Rohan has turned his back on the fabric he once hailed for its power to "unify." We can only assume that after all these years, Rohan finally succumbed to what radio host Jesse Thorn described as "louche, lude, lascivious velvet." Somewhere, no doubt, Rohan is seated on a velvet throne dressed head-to-toe in silk, reading this story on an iPhone ensconced in a slick, soulless crochet case.
Update 2:02 p.m.: Rohan at last breaks his silence with this statement:
The Corduroy Appreciation Club Project is retired. The time had come to stop. As an expression, I felt it had said as much as it could. Ending on the date which most closely resembles Corduroy, ever, seemed like a good place to finish. I do hope and encourage people to continue to appreciate Corduroy. I know I always will. I am happy that the club made people laugh and smile.
I don't know what to really say. I am a bit sad about it ending. I still don't quite know what it even was—an experiment, a real club that brought people together and made them laugh, a meddling with culture, a very serious joke, but not a joke?
Tagged
corduroy
corduroy club
original
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE arts-entertainment
The hottest way to show you're an authentic New Yorker is… riding a Citi Bike?
Thanks to Dua Lipa, Kim Kardashian, Timothée Chalamet and more, the rideshare program is having a moment.
By
Lindsay Lee Wallace
Published Oct 8, 2026
Is NYC’s hottest attraction the free observation deck at 1 Centre Street?
If you're playing tourist in your own town, this is an in-demand option.
By
James Ramsay
Arts & Entertainment
Is NYC’s hottest attraction the free observation deck at 1 Centre Street?
If you're playing tourist in your own town, this is an in-demand option.
By
James Ramsay
What happens when NYC kids take lessons in rock music? Really good bands.
By
Jayson Greene
Inside a photographer's journey to visit every neighborhood in New York City
By
Sonia Rao
Banned books and Winnie the Pooh: October in NYC libraries
By
Alec Hamilton
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .