Categories
brandy gaspard internship men's menswear preppy south carolina southern fashion designer

Menswear Made in the South: Southern Tide

Love to see your southern gentlemen in fine quality apparel? Are you a man that loves the classic southern look? Southern Tide has just what you want. A rapidly growing lifestyle brand, Southern Tide’s line of apparel and accessories boasts exceptional craftsmanship, clean lines, fine quality, and classic design.

Channel Marker Plaid Sport Shirt in Red paired with Southern Tide Jeans

 The company was founded in 2006 by Allen Stephenson and is manufactured in South Carolina. Southern Tide is expanding their brand to include the Southern Tide Vintage Collection.  The collection will include men’s jeans, chinos, and a variety of shirt styles. In addition, Nautical polo shirts and canvas belts have been added to company’s apparel line, as well as new designs and colors to existing items including the quarter zip pullover sweater, RT-7 Pants, boxers and lounge wear.

 Classic Skipjack Polo in Grenadine paired with Channel Marker Flat Front Shorts in Stone, accented with the Skipjack Needlepoint Belt in Navy (Made exclusively for Southern Tide by Smathers and Branson)

Southern Tide’s Vintage Collection is made for a comfortable, worn-in, but durable look and feel. The jeans are hand-crafted to give the customers a true vintage denim look and feel making no two pair alike. These vintage-washed jeans are constructed of 100% cotton, or 99% cotton with one percent stretch. The Vintage Collection also includes chino and oxford vintage shirts that are 100% cotton and are vintage washed.

(L to R) Saltwater Fly Tee (Super Gotcha) in White, Classic Lures Tee in Black, Original Skipjack Tee in Lava  Saltwater Fly Tee (Multi-Fly) in Aqua,  Saltwater Fly Tee (Slinky Deceiver) in Yellow

So if you are a southern gentleman or looking to purchase something special for the southern gentleman in your life you can purchase Southern Tide products in more than 500 fine retailers in more than 42 states across the country, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands, as well as on Southern Tide’s online store at southerntide.com


-Brandy Gaspard
Twitter: slowsouthstyle Facebook: Slow Southern Style
Categories
internship magazine street meghan wright new orleans shopping

Ragdoll- An Adorable Time Warp

This post was written by Meghan Wright, one of Slow Southern Style’s interns. You’ll get a chance to meet her in the upcoming weeks but for now check out her fashion blog, Fashionably Meg, and be on the look out for her bio soon.

When I entered Ragdoll I felt as though I had stepped through a fabulously adorable time warp. The clothing selection is vintage inspired, the jewelry is handmade, the skin-care is organic, and there’s even a great little section of actual vintage in the back. There is also a small selection of home decor, so there’s definitely something for everyone. The best part, in my opinion is the selection of glamorous dresses. They have brands like Heartbreaker, Rock Steady, the Spanish label Pepa Loves and even a selection of American Apparel basics which can help you complete your retro ensemble. 

Ragdoll
5235 Magazine St.
New Orleans, LA 70115
(504)304-5073
Hours: 
 Mon – Tue:12:00 pm-7:00 pm
Wed – Sat:11:00 am-7:00 pm
Sun:12:00 pm-5:00 pm

I just love this fun intro from their Facebook page:


“Hi. I’m RagDoll!

I am cute. I am quirky. I am adventurous. 
I am inviting. I am playful. I am one-of-a-kind.

I welcome all near and far to come join me and my fashionable frocks. I’ll take you on a journey back to the good-ole-days where crocheting was the cool thing to do and black-and-whites were all you could watch on the tube.

We can dance around to some Frankie Valli tunes blaring on the jukebox while getting you all fancied up for your big date with Billy down the street.

I’ll fix you up in a one-of-a-kind ensemble, created just for your liking. Come on in and experience a truly unique boutique!” 

Like what you see here? Keep up with Ragdoll on Facebook and Twitter
or see what inspires them on Tumblr. 

All photos and text (except for intro) by Meghan Wright


Twitter: slowsouthstyle Facebook: Slow Southern Style
Categories
costumes mardi gras

Making Mardi Gras: A Quasi DIY Part One

Mardi Gras isn’t some random Tuesday where everyone day drinks and goes to parades, although that is certainly part of it. It’s an entire Carnival season, steeped in revelry and traditions, some going back hundreds of years. 



I’m on the hunt for costume pieces year ’round. If I see something with potential I buy it, even if I don’t have anything specific in mind. This year I bought a flamingo hat during the summer, and while I was shopping for our Halloween costumes I found the sequined tux blazer for him. It’s all very serendipitous, which makes for the best costumes I think.

Flamingo hat, beaded jacket, oversize hoop earrings, men’s sequined tuxedo jacket

 Everything in the above image looks finished and ready to go right? Nope, not by a long shot. I never buy something off the rack and just wear it out- that’s a big no no in our house. While most sane folks wouldn’t even wear a sequined jacket on a dare, I see a plain tux just begging to be embellished.

Pants from Red White & Blue. Feathers, fringe, and flamingos from Jefferson Variety




Follow my adventures in craftiness this Carnival season with needle, thread, feathers, and more sequins than legally allowed each Thursday as I share the process of  transforming raw materials to Fat Tuesday worthy garments. Trust me, there is a method behind this madness.

Twitter: slowsouthstyle Facebook: Slow Southern Style
Categories
brandy gaspard internship new orleans southern fashion designer

Molly Stackhouse- 100% Made in NOLA

This post was written by Brandy Gaspard, one of Slow Southern Style’s interns. You’ll get a chance to meet her in the upcoming weeks but for now check out her blog, Rambling Brandy, and be on the look out for her bio soon.




“Having a tag in your garment that says Made in New Orleans is a big deal.”- Molly Stackhouse

Photo by Jason Kruppa

I had the pleasure of meeting and interviewing Molly Stackhouse, the designer and mastermind behind MESDRESS.  Stackhouse started MESDRESS as an Etsy shop that made custom clothes for her clients, and has since expanded and is available in boutiques in the New Orleans and Baton Rouge areas.


 Molly has a love for New Orleans and is proud to say that her line is 100% made in the city that inspires her, in fact everything is produced locally and the fabrics are also from Louisiana. While this drives up the cost of each garment Stackhouse believes that it is important to keep things local. She loves contrast and geometric shapes, a strong theme in her spring collection. For the fall expect metallics and spaced aged looking garments, which Stackhouse hopes to have in even more stores soon.

MESDRESS can be found in Angelique (New Orleans), The Mix (Mandeville), Fleurt (Covington) and NK Boutique (Baton Rouge). You can also see her collection at Fashion Week NOLA this spring.

Photo by Jason Kruppa

Photo by Jason Kruppa

Photo by Jason Kruppa

Photo by Jason Kruppa

Photo by Jason Kruppa

Photo by Jason Kruppa

Brandy Gaspard




Twitter: slowsouthstyle Facebook: Slow Southern Style
Categories
jellyn morvant lafayette louisiana what i wore

What I Wore: A Trip to the Zoo

This post was written by JeLlyn Morvant, one of Slow Southern Style’s interns. You’ll get a chance to meet her in the upcoming weeks but for now check out her blog, Bayou Bohemian, and be on the look out for her bio soon.

Hello from Lafayette! A New Orleans neighbor. A short drive across Lake Pontchartrain, across the Mississippi River, on the other side of the Atchafalaya Basin and a small town rich with culture welcomes you. Rather you are in The Big Easy or Cajun Country one things the same our southern locale temperature fluctuates regularly, even drastically. As all of us southern belles know well it can approach freezing one day and reach comfortable ideal temperatures before that week ends.  This past weekend was one of those ideal weather days. We spent a beautiful Saturday morning at the zoo and this is what we wore.


< papa >
cream linen pants from Banana Republic
thrifted embroidered ethnic cotton tunic
< mama >
thrifted vintage denim shirt 
black dress and black leggings from Target
grey suede fringed ankle moccasins by Minnetonka
Essie russian roulette red nail polish from Target
< baby >
thrifted overalls
pearl snap plaid long sleeve from Goodwill
thrifted brown suede shoes
denim news boy cap from Target
I seriously enjoy and sincerely recommend a good thrift store, previously owned, or vintage find. There is something so rewarding about scoring a great find at an incredible, sometimes unrealistic price. Even better when you unveil a find that is vintage and clearly from another era.  Having a variety of new and old in your closet and adding vintage pieces to an outfit can allow for an individual statement that sets your look apart from ordinary with a splash of unconventional.
from one southern gal to another,
JeLlyn @bayoubohemian.com
Twitter: slowsouthstyle Facebook: Slow Southern Style
Categories
guest south carolina southern fashion designer

Guest Post: Cavortress

I’m out at sea this week, so while I’m cruisin’ around Mexico I’ve got several lovely ladies taking the blogging reins for me. Let them know how much you like their posts by leaving words of wisdom in the comments. See y’all when I get back and sadly no, my pasty white self won’t be bringing back a tan.







My name is Julie Wheat and I am the owner, founder, and designer at Cavortress that was recently featured in Slow Southern Style’s last guest post, by Katie Kozar Thompson featuring a wedding dress I that designed and created for her.  When Christy offered to have me do a guest post for January, I was totally excited  to share more about Cavortress with SSSreaders.  In fact, Mrs. Kozar Thompson’s dress was our first ( and pssst….we want another bride but we can only handle one a year!).



Cavortress is a Charleston, SC based company known for designing swim and resort wear known for offering ‘conspicuous classics perfect for fun the in the sun’.  This is our first year manufacturing our products that will be available at Hampden Clothing, which has been named by both Town & Country and Coastal Living as one of the top shopping destinations in the South.  Cavortress can also be found at the well known Southern chain Monkee’s , and on our website www.shop.cavortress.com and at Austin’s SXSW event in March.  Our swim and resort wear features prints that I designed and fabric and hardware imported from Italy.  Not to mention, and all of our products are made in the United States.  Cavortress swim and resort designs are inspired by the number of requests we received from or vintage clothing clients over the years for vintage swimwear.




Excerpt from Cavortress vintage campaign ‘Sugar and Spice’ featured at 2011 SXSW’s STYLE X event. Photoraphy: Cyle Suesz.



More than a decade later, Cavortress vintage has expanded to sell clothing to a number of private clients including Charleston Magazine’s Style Director and brains behind Charleston Fashion Week, Ayoka Lucas; runway coach and former model (for Armani, Vivienne Westwood, and Clairol) Michelle Wood who was

recently seen on MTV’s True Life, as well as a number of radio and television personalities and musicians including second time Grammy nominee Spencer Chamberlain of Tampa’s Underoath and his girlfriend for their attendance at the 2010 Grammy Awards.


Our vintage fashions are also available at a number of independent boutiques in the South (including House of Sage and Rogue Wave Surfshop) throughout the South where we carefully curate monthly ‘mini-collections’ based on the boutique’s clientele. The Cavortress ‘Great American Vintage Collection’ will be
shown at SXSW’s second STYLE X event in Austin, TX March 15 and 16 along side of our swim and resort collection. Shoppers can expect to find hand knits, silks, woven wools, cottons, plaids, leathers, as well as strong American brands like DKNY, Pendleton, and Levi’s, including some that don’t exist anymore like Campus Casuals, I. Magnin, and Bleeker Street. Fashions featured in the Cavortress ‘Great American Vintage Collection’ have been plucked from thrift shops, auctions, and private collections across the country from Sioux City to Palm Beach, Honolulu to Salt Lake, Huntsville to Galveston, and San Francisco to Buffalo. This year vintage jewelry will be included. The 2012 advertising campaign for the ‘Great American Vintage Collection’ is being photographed this month with Tout Talent’s Madeline Cimone. 

In addition to designing swim/resort wear and placing vintage fashions, I most recently worked with TBA Productions and Seamless Pictures on the full length feature horror film, III, as a producer, wardrobe designer/supervisor , and as the effects assistant. Principal filming wrapped in December and the movie is currently in post production. The III team is excited about entertaining purchase offers from a number of studios and distributors. Being new to the film industry, it was thrilling to read a script, meet the actors, and make decisions about how to curate the character looks, not to mention figuring out how to
manufacture practical effects for an impalement, human gutting, and amputation. III unearthed totally new applications of my talents that I look forward to using again soon!



Cavortress working on special effects for Robert Dough, lead actor in III who will also appear in HBO’s East Bound and Down this February.


It has been fabulous to grow as a part of the Southern fashion community in a number of capacities and Cavortress is excited about the future. We hope to meet y’all soon!



Cavortress and quality control manager/husband at Bonnaroo 2011.

-Julie










Twitter: slowsouthstyle Facebook: Slow Southern Style
Categories
freret street guest sales secondhand

Guest Post: Timing is Everything

I’m out at sea this week, so while I’m cruisin’ around Mexico I’ve got several lovely ladies taking the blogging reins for me. Let them know how much you like their posts by leaving words of wisdom in the comments. See y’all when I get back and sadly no, my pasty white self won’t be bringing back a tan.



 Anyone can find out where to shop, but a smart southern fashionista knows that when to shop is just as important as whereto shop.
For decades the Junior League’s Bloomin’DEALS Thrift Shop has been a New Orleans shopping destination for those in search of everything from designer handbags to Halloween costumes.  But you already knew that.
Ann Taylor Tweed Blazer
Gently Used Cole Haan Handbag
 What you might not know is that at the end of every season, Bloomin’DEALS Thrift Shop holds a bag day. Patrons fill a 33 gallon bag with “all you can push, pull, or drag” for only $9!  The next Bag Day is Saturday, March 3rd. The doors open at 10:00 am, but to get first dibs you’ll want to grab a latte and be in line before then!. It’s a perfect time to literally grab those staple clothing items that will fill the gaps in your wardrobe.

Return the week after a bag day, to have the first pick at all of the merchandise for the new season. Speaking of new, Bloomin’DEALS Thrift Shop also has Boutique Days featuring brand new merchandise at significantly reduced prices. 
A true southerner can never have enough of her team colors
4645 Freret St.
New Orleans, LA 70115
(504)897-9128
Thanks to Junior League of New Orleans Member Veronica Del Bianco for writing this post.


Twitter: slowsouthstyle Facebook: Slow Southern Style
Categories
guest spring

Guest Post: Orange You Glad It’s Almost Spring?

I’m out at sea this week, so while I’m cruisin’ around Mexico I’ve got several lovely ladies taking the blogging reins for me. Let them know how much you like their posts by leaving words of wisdom in the comments. See y’all when I get back and sadly no, my pasty white self won’t be bringing back a tan.

Image Credits – (Clockwise from top)
nastygal.com – freepeople.com- urbanoutfitters.com 
asos.com– couture.zappos.comjcrew.com
Hello all you Slow Southern Style readers! I am Jasmine, from Sequin Crush, a fashion blog about my personal style and my fashion crushes of the moment. I am excited to be sharing this post about my inspiration from the runway to real life looks. One particular recurring trend from the Spring 2012 runways really caught my eye (or made my mouth water) and that is the juicy hues of ORANGE. From lighter, sherbet shades to deep blood orange, and from head to handbag, to toe, orange was everywhere. There are a few ways to recreate these runway looks. Go for a monochromatic look by layering different shades of orange or pair one statement orange piece with neutral shades. If you want to be really bold and make the orange pop even more, mix with the contrasting color of blue. I am not only looking forward to brightening up my wardrobe for spring but also enjoying a nice cold Orange Crush (pun intended) on a warm sunny Spring afternoon in NOLA! But until then, cheers to the short-lived southern winters.


Image Credits – (Clockwise from top) Jenny Packham via nymag.com // Peter Som via thebeautydepartment.com // Rebecca Minkoff via style.com // Proenza Schouler via realbeauty.com // Charlotte Ronson via Style.com // Marc By Marc Jacobs via vogue.com // BCBG Max Azria via style.com
Twitter: slowsouthstyle Facebook: Slow Southern Style
Categories
costumes events mardi gras new orleans secondhand

Mardi Gras Event- Costumes, Comedy, and Coffee

Need a costume? Of course you do, and don’t argue with me. Buffalo Exchange is hosting a Mardi Gras costume event on Friday, January 27th from 4:00-8:00pm that’s sure to give you plenty of inspiration for your own carnival ensemble. 
Burlesque performers Ariette Toulouse, Cherry Brown, and Cherry Bombshell will be on hand to serve king cake and coffee courtesy of Community Coffee while you browse the racks. At 7:00pm the ladies will be modeling the stores’ best costumes, with The New Movement providing hilarious commentary as part of their Raising Comedy Awareness extravaganza. Pretty girls, glitzy get-ups, caffeine, and comedians. What’s not to love? See y’all there!
Twitter: slowsouthstyle Facebook: Slow Southern Style
Categories
guest shoes

Guest Post: More Mixing, Less Matching

I’m out at sea this week, so while I’m cruisin’ around Mexico I’ve got several lovely ladies taking the blogging reins for me. Let them know how much you like their posts by leaving words of wisdom in the comments. See y’all when I get back and sadly no, my pasty white self won’t be bringing back a tan.



Hi, Fashionistas!
It’s Samantha here…you may remember me from my guest post last year. Yes, I’m the Feet First girl! I’m excited to bring you this “tandem post”, which you can also check out on our Feet First fashion blog, and I’m even more excited to be writing about how much fun it can be to mix and match colors in your wardrobe.

The inspiration behind this post comes from my every day experience in the store. So often women come into the store agonizing over finding the perfectly colored  brown/silver/green/pink/whatever shoe/handbag/jewelry/whatever to match a specific outfit. A head-to-toe one-color look is usually not nearly as fun or interesting as a dynamic look that has variety, but is still cohesive. Plus, it is almost impossible to find the exact same color in every accessory you want to wear. You will end up looking like you tried to match, but failed (like Judy in the photo below, bless her heart).
Judy in head-to-toe yellow, photo courtesy of tomosaito.com
For easy mixing and matching of colors, remember these tips:

  • Metallics complement anything. They are the easiest way to avoid feeling like your accessories need to match exactly.
  • Silver looks especially great with blues and greens.
  • Mix rich jewel toned fabrics with gray accessories, or vice versa.
  •  Pair solid colored pieces with solid colored pieces in complementary colors. (Mrs. Obama is a fan of this…more on her soon!)
  • Look closely at your patterned pieces. You can accessorize with any color in the pattern, and usually any color that complements any color in the pattern.

Our very own First Lady, Mrs. Michelle Obama is a mix-and-match expert. Let’s take a look at some of my favorite Mrs. O looks:

Courtesy of mymodernmet.com

On the cover of O Magazine, looking darling in her red dress and yellow cardigan. How cute would this outfit be with some royal blue shoes? A primary color love affair!

Courtesy of putmoneyinyouridaho.blogspot.com
 On the Today Show, Mrs. O sported and black and white polka dot dress with a coral belt and yellow shoes. Most people would have let the belt or shoes be the only pop  of color, and I love that she wore them BOTH. It takes the outfit from good to great.
Courtesy of huffingtonpost.com

And how could we forget Mrs. O’s inauguration outfit? She looks stunning in her yellow dress and the teal shoes are the icing on the cake.

Another combination that women fear is wearing black and brown together. Black and brown complement one another, and wearing them together is easier than you think. To ease yourself into this, find pieces that contain both colors, whether it is a patterned top with black and brown, or an accessory with both colors, like the black and brown boots below. The best part about them is you don’t have to buy a black pair and a brown pair! Who doesn’t love saving a little money?
Nicole Dreamer-Women’s Cowboy Boots
Lane Cowboy Boots Margaret
You don’t have to have a piece that contains both colors to wear black and brown together, though. Just last week I wore a pair of brown boots with jeans, a black and white sweater, and a tan cardigan. I know I looked chic and sleek…don’t be afraid, ladies! You’ll look so good!
One last thing I want to point out is the versatility of a good dress shoe in a pewter-y color, like the Nina Faviola here on the right. Now, Nina calls the color “Malinda”, which I’m pretty sure is code for “life saver”. The shoe has an almost iridescent quality, and when you hold it up to ANY other color, it reflects bits of it and just kind of melts into the perfect complement. Seriously, you will be able to wear this with your cocktail and evening dresses of every color from black and brown to pink and blue and anything in between. Every woman should have a shoe in this color in her closet. It’s the perfect go-to.
(By the way, I know the monochromatic look has made its way to the runways as of late. I support this chic trend, but this post is simply letting you know that it is not a necessity! If you want to pursue the monochromatic look, keep the fabrics rich and mix and match different materials. Have fun with it, but avoid the Nicki-Minaj-head-to-toe-leopard look!)
Courtesy of stylebistro.com
So, ladies, how about we give it a try? There’s no need to get yourself all worked up when you can’t find something to perfectly match your dress/bag/shoes when you can look so much more fierce without matching!
Happy Shopping! xo

Samantha Capone
Feet First, Inc.

Uptown
4119 Magazine St
New Orleans, LA 70118
(504)899-6800

French Quarter
526 Royal St
New Orleans, LA 70130
(504)569-0005

Twitter: slowsouthstyle Facebook: Slow Southern Style