Back Down South

Baldwin

Photographed in Austin, TX

Raised in:
East Hartford, Connecticut

Lives in:
Austin, Texas

Favorite thing about living in Austin:
Where do I start? Austin is such a young and energized city, everyone you meet has something different and unique going on. The weather is amazing, last Christmas I was outside in shorts and a t-shirt and coming from Connecticut, that is unheard of. There are so many awesome local food venues, there’s always something fun to do, and don’t let me forget the music scene. With big festivals like SXSW, ACL and Fun Fun Fun Fest, there’s no place better to be.

Now would ya look at that:
Vintage tweed he got from his “pops,” shirt and tie from Vineyard Vines, and Baldwin Cunningham may just be one of the greatest names I’ve ever heard. If he looks familiar, this is why.

Kimber

Photographed in Nashville, TN

Raised in:
Houston, Texas

Lives in:
Nashville, Tennessee

Favorite southern sweet treat:
Chess pie.

Now would ya look at that:
Meet Kimber, the lovely Marketing Operations Manager at Volunteer Traditions.

Handmade

Photographed in Chattanooga, TN

Raised in:
Louisville, Kentucky

Lives in:
Chattanooga, TN

Favorite thing about growing up in Louisville:
I love the lay of the land, the rolling hills, the green grass and that by the time each season changed, I was ready for it. I loved the coming of summer for pool time, and then fall brought the beautiful change of leaves and pumpkins, then I was ready for snow and Christmas, and then spring brought on new and fresh life, Easter and Derby time!

Now would ya look at that:
The sweater is a piece her sister put together, starting with a plain cardigan and inspired by one she saw at Anthropoligie. The great boots? Frye, of course.

Gridiron Belle

Photographed in Roswell, GA

Raised in:
Louisville, Kentucky

Lives in:
Prior to August, I lived in Austin for two years and Washington D.C. for two and a half years after graduating from Rhodes College in Memphis. While I feel welcomed across the South in every town, it still feels best to call Kentucky home.

Favorite city from the tour:
It’s impossible to choose just one favorite city, they have all been more wonderful than I ever imagined. Each city, town and community was hospitable in their own way. I’ve never been met with more generosity, kindness and support than when I was on the road.

Now would ya look at that:
Meet Christie, the author of Gridiron Belles: A Guide to Saturday’s in Dixie. Her genius book covers the basics of football in a way that women can relate to and men can appreciate. I vouch that both those things are true, as I got in bed the other night and found Mark reading it and telling me how great of an idea it was. “Consider this a romance novel, a fashion guide, an etiquette handbook, an advice column, and a rulebook all rolled into one pretty package.”

In her own words: “I wrote this book to help women of all backgrounds understand the traditions and obsessions that Southerners have about football. And there just so happens to be a little bit about the game in there, too! A sorority sister of mine in college wanted to be dating this Tennessee fan but didn’t have the slightest clue about the game, nevertheless what to say to him about or during the game. Surprised to learn that not every Southern Belle understood football like I did, I crafted her a book in the form of a little preppy scrapbook and explained the X’s and O’s. Turns out, it worked!  They’ve been married for two and a half years now all because she knew what to say (or not to say) during UT football games!”

And of course, regarding her good look: “For one of the first times all season, I decided to forgo wearing a dress and put on some cigarette pants. The idea was to have a feminine Audrey Hepburn look with the pants, but keep it colorful and cozy up top. Of course, I haven’t worn anything put pearls since I got on the road. I’m starting to think I was born with them in my ears!”

To win a signed copy of Gridiron Belles, please leave a comment on this post (make sure to include your email) with why you, or someone you want to gift this to, should read this book. Christie and I will pick our favorite answer, so make ’em creative.

Paige

Photographed in Austin, TX

Raised in:
Sugar Land, Texas

Lives in:
Austin, Texas

Favorite Austin tradition:
SXSW. It typically causes me to break all of my good habits. I eat too much, drink too much, sleep very little, and stop going to yoga. But it’s an incredible week filled with insanely talented folks from all over. It’s literally overflowing with inspiration and excitement and spirit. Love it.

Now would ya look at that:
Horse shirt that I wanted to steal, glasses originally purchased as a pseudo joke but have become her staple. Paige is also an awesome Austin based photographer.

Cordial

We’ve loved The Cordial Churchman since Mark ordered his first one last year (and by first one, I do mean first bow tie ever. Shocking, I know!) We were hooked. Not only were the prices unbeatable, but the fact that they’re handmade in South Carolina made us love this small business all the more. Since that first purchase, we now own six Cordial Churchman bows, two of those being custom fit and designed for my girl neck. In addition, we also have two bows that they converted from neckties to bow ties for us. We love this company, we support this company, and we think you need a Cordial Churchman bow tie. Read a bit more about Andy and Ellie below and then enter for your chance to win one!

Our collection of TCC bows

Raised in:
Andy: A suburb of Akron, Ohio, home of rubber, the Soap Box Derby, LeBron James, and arguably the birthplace of the hamburger.
Ellie: We moved around quite a bit. Born in Arizona, lived in South Carolina, Illinois, Wisconsin and Ohio during my formative years. As soon as I graduated college, we packed up and traveled down I-77 to South Carolina and have been here ever since.

Favorite thing about South Carolina:
Andy: We first visited Columbia in early April of 2004 when we needed to decide if I should enter the MA program in History at USC. There was still snow on the ground in Akron, so having my morning coffee outside under a Palmetto tree with azaleas in bloom initially did the trick. Had they recruited me in August, we might still be Ohioans. Believe it or not, there’s a similar underdog, hard-nosed, defiant, delightfully backward mentality in South Carolina as there is in Ohio. It’s just that Northeast Ohio lost its prosperous economic way of life a century after South Carolina did. I’m oddly at home here despite the cultural differences. The real difference is that it’s not quite as odd to wear a bow tie in South Carolina as in Ohio.
Ellie: Front Porches.

The Cordial Churchman family
Image via Project:Life Photography

What sets you apart from the other bow tie companies in the south:
Andy: We don’t do much traditional silk. It’s hard to imagine a bow tie collection without classic silk repp stripes, but there’s also a growing interest in using fabrics traditionally used for shirting and suiting (worsted wool, tweed, seersucker, madras) in accessories like bow ties. We didn’t know this when we started offering them, we just thought it might be interesting, and these fabrics were less difficult for us to source than necktie silks. We also make all our bow ties customized to the specifications of our customers, instead of having them pre-made and stocked. We find that people are happy to wait a week or two to get a handmade, custom bow tie with a personal note from us. And, of course, our price point is much lower than the average. We’ve sold scores of people their very first bow tie. People love that they can get a custom handmade bow tie even if they’re not sure they are really “a bow tie person.” This is important to us, and it’s proved to be a key part of our success.
Ellie: I like to give a very personal touch to every transaction as much as is possible. We know that we could be charging more but choose not to because we feel like we charge what is fair.

In one word, describe your bows:
Andy: Clever
Ellie: Charming

Win one of these festive, 100% wool bow ties for Christmas!

To enter:

Football Friday | Merry Uga

UGA Alum

Raised in:
Athens, Georgia

Lives in:
Charlottesville, Virginia

Favorite thing about Athens:
I’ve loved the music scene since high school. I grew up loving Widespread Panic and R.E.M and can’t wait to go back and see my first show in the new Georgia Theatre.

Now would ya look at that:
Vineyard Vines Uga Christmas tie, Wallabees by Clarks.

Like Mother, Like Daughter

Photographed in Marble Falls, TX

Raised in:
Mom: Corpus Christi, Texas
Daughter: Spring, Texas

Lives in:
Mom: Spring, Texas
Daughter: Nashville, Tennessee

Favorite southern novel:
Mom: Gone With the Wind.
Daughter: To Kill a Mockingbird. It was one of my first true convictions of injustice as a teenager and I try and re-read it every summer to remind myself of how I felt the first time…and who doesn’t love Atticus Finch?

Now would ya look at that:
As we were all getting ready for a rehearsal dinner in Marble Falls, I noticed that my best friend and her mom had essentially put on the same outfit and both looked adorable. Both pairs of boots are Lucchese from Allens Boots in Austin.

Free Cash (Robinson)!

Photographed in Jasper, GA

Raised in:
Tomball, Texas

Lives in:
Jasper, Georgia

Favorite southern beer:
Abita beer from Abita Springs, Louisiana. I haven’t had a beer from there that I haven’t liked, except for Purple Haze.

Now would ya look at that:
When Mark put on his Cash Robinson polo for the first time, I heard him from the other room say “Oh man, this shirt fits like a dream!” He favors his Cash Robinson Silk Reserves over his other polos because of the comfortable lightweight material. “I’ve never been a polo shirt guy because of how constricting they always seem to be. I feel like I’m always pulling down the sleeves because they ride up, but I never do that with these.”

The fairly new Kentucky clothing company is inspired by the southern lifestyle seen in Kentucky’s bourbon and horse racing. When they approached me about doing a giveaway, I quickly jumped on board since it’s a product Mark wears and promotes. Their purpose is to “celebrate the time-honored traditions of the track and others throughout the world, through our apparel.” They accomplish this by producing Small Batch Apparel Collections in limited quantities and will be introducing new products in the Spring in addition to their “Silks Reserves” Polos.

How about a chance to win an Ultimate Cash Pack this week, including a polo, hat, croakie and koozie? To enter, do the following:

“Everyone Deserves a Pocket”

Photographed in Austin, TX

Raised in:
East Hartford, Connecticut

Lives in:
Austin, Texas

What brought you down south:
Being down south, or Texas for that matter, is completely random for me. I was working as the marketing director for an experience based company on Martha’s Vineyard. Firefly Vodka was one of our clients so at the end of the season they offered me the opportunity to move down to Austin to help revamp their market share against a local competitor.

Now would ya look at that:
Since moving to Austin, he has also become the Marketing Director for Chuck & Jake, an Austin-based company founded by Chuck Freeman and Jake Hiller who have rethought the pocket. Founded in 2009, they set out to transform the traditional pocket tee to encompass the varied and youthful vibe of Austin, stating that “everyone deserves a pocket.” He is wearing their mossy green polo with a cream plaid pocket, part of the upcoming Winter 2011 collection. For any Texas fans who may be reading, check out their Game-Day Polo, it’s my personal favorite.

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