Back Down South

Atlantic Drift Yellowfin Blue Water Polo (c/o)
Photographed in Jasper, Georgia 

The Propst brothers, founders of Atlantic Drift, don’t want to be “just a polo brand.” Nathan and Thomas, based outside of Charlotte, are going after the outdoors/sportsman like themselves. “We grew up on the water fishing, in the woods hunting, or just spending our summers relaxing on the beaches of North & South Carolina. That is the lifestyle we know and love, which we want to develop into this brand.” In doing so, their main goal is to be an all-in-one brand that produces the high end casual clothing you can wear to the office, but also offer the same quality products built to perform on the water or in the woods.

Despite them not being just a polo brand, they do offer a heck of a polo, and you’ve got a chance to win one!
The winner will be picked via random.org on Friday, March 30th.

To enter, leave a comment with your name, email, and what color polo you’d like to win (pick here).
To receive additional entries…

• +1 Like Atlantic Drift on Facebook
• +1 Like Back Down South on Facebook
• +1 Tweet this: “I just entered the @Atlantic_Drift giveaway on @backdownsouth! I’m awesome!” 

Photographed in Charlotte, NC 

If you don’t follow The Cordial Churchman on Twitter, then you’ve been missing out on an adventure of the bow tie sorts. 366 bow ties to be exact. Andy has been wearing one of their bow ties every day, sharing photos, and then selling them. “At first I thought it would be a simple marketing stunt, with a photo a day on the blog. Then just as suddenly as the idea came, I blurted out ‘and we can sell each day’s tie and give the money away!’ We naturally thought of our friend Kay, who was our first additional seamstress, but who went on to direct a large church denomination’s international mercy ministries. So we partnered with her and now we’re aiming to give $10,000 or more to help build a school in Haiti. It’s still a marketing stunt, which people seem to really enjoy, but it’s also gotten way out of hand with this Haiti project. That’s how we like things – way out of hand!”

On a recent trip to Charlotte, my first time to visit the city, I met up with “The Cordial Family” at Amelies. I told Andy prior to meeting that I’d love to snap a photo of him so I could share about his bow tie project, but when all of his boys walked in donned in their own ties, I knew everyone needed a photo.

Favorite southern vacation:
My favorite trip was with two good friends to New Orleans, where we ate really, really well. Couchon, Herbsaint, Cafe du Monde, etc. I also enjoyed some good dining in Mobile, Alabama, a surprisingly charming town.

Favorite thing about running a family business:
We enjoy collaborating, bouncing ideas off one another, and celebrating together. We’ve just moved our studio out of the spare bedroom and into a historic downtown building, which is exciting, but there’s something bittersweet about moving the operation out of the house.

Southern tradition you hope your boys partake in:
Does honoring their mother count? I admire the respect that I have seen many young boys give to their mothers.

About this particular 366 look:
I’m a sucker for a cardigan, and for this one specifically. Navy blue is a man’s friend. It goes with everything and mellows things out. The bow tie is a red linen cut in diamond-point, and it’s one of my favorites. Too bad it sold as soon as we posted it…now I have to wait in line like everyone else! Finally, Oak Street Bootmakers penny loafers. The stitching on these is incredible. Made of USA Horween leather and manufactured in Chicago. The folks at Oak Street are, I trust, enjoying a few of our bow ties, but probably not as much as I’m enjoying their shoes! 

I came across J.Hilburn before launching this blog back in September. I was on the hunt for great southern based companies, and this gem in Dallas was one of those. To be honest, I didn’t know much about it, other than the products seemed to be unique and of high quality and their headquarters made me proud. Texas forever, right? I threw the link up on the side and moved on.

In November, I shot a wedding outside of Austin and was pleasantly surprised to find out the groom’s good looking suit was from J.Hilburn. The bride, a friend of mine, told me that  she was a style advisor for the brand. Picture Mary Kay, but without the silly parties and pink cars. I quickly became interested. The idea of being trained to take measurements and be part of something that would help men’s clothes fit properly was right up my alley. After more research, I found a handful of posts on mens experiences with the style advisors, notably from Unabashedly Prep and Put This On. I signed on, got trained, and custom fit Mark for a shirt.

Mark’s shirt: lavender check, spread collar, double button round, no pocket, navy script monogram on cuff.

The company recently received the Best Custom Shirt award from Esquire for their high quality and low(er) prices. Custom shirts range from $89-159 and suits start at $700, an unbeatable price considering they are made at the same factory as Zegna, whose suits start at $1,700. Everything from fit (classic to european), collar style, plackets, pleats, pockets, cuffs, and personalization is in the clients control (and I’m only talking about the shirt…)

Men: if you’re interested in getting measured for a shirt or suit, please shoot me an email for more information. And make sure to check out their site for much more than custom clothing – from denim to cuff links, there is plenty to shop.