Southern Proper

I hope that everyone is enjoying the holidays.  Yesterday I received several lovely, thoughtful and stylish gifts that will be fodder for a number of posts in the days to come.  I received three pocket handkerchiefs as gifts.  Two were white linen hanks that are always appropriate and infinitely useful.  Both pocket squares were purchased in South Carolina; one came from Ben Silver in Charleston and the other from Rush Wilson in Greenville.  The third is the pictured pheasant-themed plum and olive pocket square from Southern Proper, headquartered in Atlanta, GA.  Southern Proper, run by two proper young Southern belles, markets clothing that could best be described as Southern preppy.  Here is some background on Southern Proper from their website:

Men of the south have always been noted for their distinguishable décor and dress. Their honey-soaked accents and captivating manners charm women from all parts of the world. However, it's the tradition of sophisticated and influential attire that completes their status as gentlemen; for field or fancy, men of the South are always well-dressed. Furthermore, southern men with their modest but strong sense of style have admittedly been dressed by the daintiest of hands.

With this in mind, and after several years of dressing their own southern beaus, Emilie Claire Henderson (fondly known as Emmie) and Reagan Elizabeth Hardy, decided it was time to take their respect for men and their love for fashion to a new level; combining elements of southern heritage and classic haberdashery, they developed Southern Proper, a southern-inspired line of clothing, neckties, bowties and accessories for men who have a deep appreciation for style and heritage. Complimenting the southern gentlemen's courteous manners and sweet humility, this line of clothing is pleated and tied, crisp and certain.

If women can be described without insult by a recipe, then Emmie has all the ingredients for a cool, glass of lemonade. Her style is classic and refreshing, with a touch of prim sweetness. Born and raised on a farm in Ripley, Tennessee, Emmie's demeanor is as soft and simple as the cotton she helped harvest during her childhood. Whether she's planting or politicking, Emmie casually flips her collars and delicately drapes her sweaters.

With a twist of pearls and a twang of spirit, Reagan is all sass and shag. Her eclectic wardrobe is silky and strawberry, with a little bit of posh tucked in the corners of her closet. Raised in Kinston, North Carolina, Reagan spent most of her time on the front porches of the Carolina Coast. Her graceful and extravagant style is best for walking after midnight, and if you meet her on the path, you realize she might still have a little sand in her too-high heels.

Using elements of their own distinct styles, Reagan and Emmie, women who believe in old-fashioned love and new-fashioned trends, have created a company for the southern men they adore. As the old saying goes, "Look your best, but more importantly, hang your arm on someone who looks his best too." These belles of the barn and beach tie together timeless with down home southern heritage like a well-knotted bow tie. Reagan and Emmie are all things southern, and certainly all things proper.