SGEndorses: Tucker Blair

In May of 2007, Taylor M. Llewellyn dreamt about being on Cape Cod with a beer instead of behind the desk with a coffee, so he started lifestyle brand Tucker Blair, Classically Casual in Washington, D.C.

Hailing from Orinda, California - just outside San Francisco - Taylor went to Colgate University and, after putting time in for corporate America, began to vet a number of alternative business plans before deciding on Tucker Blair. While on a month long trip to Asia he figured out the way to turn his vision into reality - manufacture belts and headbands abroad and sell them on them online at an affordable price.

“This [business model] allows us to sell our products at essentially wholesale prices to our customers,” says Taylor. “We felt like an $80 needlepoint belt was a lot more fun than the alternative and we’re sticking to this model across all of our products.”

Made of 100% wool yarn, full-grain leather buckles and belt linings, the Tucker Blair team designs all of its products in-house. “The designs are inspired collectively by my memories and things that I love, as well as the memories and activities enjoyed by friends and family,” says Taylor. ”The patterns reflect a lot of my favorite activities, but I’d be lying if I said I did all of them!”

Today, Tucker Blair is more than belts and bands. The line has expanded to include key fobs, the increasling popular flip flops, and branded accessories like croakies and tees - most of which can be monogramed to boot! As for what the future holds, Taylor will soon add collars for your lab, belt’s for your children and “other really exciting stuff that we’re not disclosing yet,” he told me.

You can find the goods at www.tuckerblair.com and follow his blog at tuckerblair.wordpress.com.

Image Credits: Tucker Blair

Sunday Drive

Besides a dinner-time arrival home after a weekend away, there isn't anything better on the Sunday Drive back then stopping to refuel (both the 4Runner and ourselves) at an Exxon Mobile/Dairy Queen/Stuckey's, and in this case, /New Dixie Mart.

On this particular pit stop I stocked up on a host of Stuckey's pecan products, including: Pecan Meal, Pecan Logs, roasted pecans - both "toasted n' lightly salted" and "honey roasted" - and Pecan Divinity.

Grabbing a Power Ball ticket, DQGrill and Chill chicken finger basket and a sweet tea in a huge cup, we were back on our way up 95 likity split.

And to top off an AMAZING vacation in Kiawah, we didn't hit any of the traffic others have encountered.

SGTravels: Kiawah Island

By the time you read this, I will hopefully be settled into my beach chair, feet buried up to the ankles in the grainy, sometimes rough, Atlantic sand, and basking in the glow of the late July sun.

For the next few days, we'll be enjoying Summer Vacation at the Carolina coast; lazy days at the beach playing washers & bocce with burgers for lunch, drinks at The Sanctuary this evening, an evening in Charleston planned for tomorrow, and brunch at the famed Hominy Grill on the way out of town on Sunday, this is sure to be an annual tradition worth reprising...

Image Credits: "South Carolina" Google Image Search

Smiling Faces, Beautiful Places

For the second year in a row, we are headed down to South Carolina for summer vacation. Last year, was a week long bachelor party on Isle of Palms that was nothing short of spectacular (Operation Celebration!), but those stories are better left for another time and place.

This year, with respectable, fine ladies joining us we are headed to Kiawah Island. Stay tuned for details...

Image Credit: South Carolina State Flag

Best. Shirt. Ever.

OCBD...4 Pastel Colors, Count 'em: Yellow, Mint Green, Oxford Blue, Violet... From RL... all in1 shirt

Mr. Bradley Charlesworth of Montgomery, AL is the proud owner of this preppy perfection and kindly shared the image above for this post (I added the well deserved frame). He told me years ago, if his memory served correctly, the coveted garment was bought down in Alabama at Belk's Department store.

I have scoured eBay, thrift stores, online sales and POLO.com and have come up with 'nuttin. The hunt for one in size 'M' or '15 1/2 - 33' continues...
UPDATE: Shortly after starting a draft of this post, AEV found the shirt on eBay for me - I watched, I bid & I won! Best. Shirt. Ever. Is on its way.

Image Credit: Bradley Charlesworth

King Gator

Image Credit: KingGator design by Alexis Pulitzer for Dirty Coast

Cup! Cup! Cup!

I don't know what it is about Southerners but they love their cups.

As a young gent, I fondly remember my father screaming "Cup! Cup! Cup!" instead of "Throw Me Something Mister!" at Mardi Gras parades and could never figure out why he wanted a plastic cup so badly when we had perfectly nice glass and acrylic ones at home (not to mention stacks of Mardi Gras cups).

It wasn't until years later that I realized the necessity of having a good quality, LARGE, plastic cup you could fill with ice and your choice of beverage - be it tea, lemonade, aqua purifina, or most importantly, the roadie.

As such, cups seem to be a big part of our lives - whether from a favorite restaurant, sporting event (hell, they aren't called 'Stadium Cups' for no reason), to mark a special occasion, emblazoned with your alma mater or interest, or simply utilitarian - unassuming by day and night, these plastic cups are perfect to start with at home and then head out the door with no one being the wiser on what's inside.

Join me in raising one to the Cup - for they not only connect us to a memory, but provide refreshments along the way. Cheers!

Seersucker Thursdays

Seersucker Thursday's, like most traditions, started out of necessity here in The District. As the spring changed to summer and the humid, sticky weather set in, Southern senators would retire their black wool frock coats for seersucker, linen and cottons.

"Seersucker" from the Persian words milk and sugar, was created by a New Orleans clothier of blue and white striped cotton and become wildly popular because of its ease of washing after frequent wears.

However, with the addition of air-conditioning in the 1950's the regular rotation of seersucker became less prominent until the late 1990s when Mississippi Senator Trent Lott decided to revive the tradition by selecting a "nice and warm" day in the beginning of June he named "Seersucker Thursday."

Between Sonia Sotomayor's vetting process, the withdrawal of troops from Iraq, a tight time-line for health care legislation, it seems that there has been no official start of Seersucker Thursdays' this year, so I've gone ahead with it on my own by wearing my seersuckers in the office today.

Trent Lott said the reason for the day was to show “the Senate isn’t just a bunch of dour folks wearing dark suits and—in the case of men—red or blue ties.” With the growth of business casual attire, we may not be wearing as much dark suits, but you can show your colleagues a bit of charm and personality by "the wearing of the seersuckers" in your own office.

Start with a suit from one of these fine establishments:

Or if a seersucker suit is too much for you, how about just a piece to add a bit of the tradition to your wardrobe like this:
So whether you are Above Or Below the Line, I'd love to hear from y'all on this tradition - do you participate? If so how? What about white linen down in New Orleans? Or Nantucket Reds up in New England?

Image Credit: senate.gov

Sweet Southern Comfort

After several weekends away in corners across the country (Miami to Santa Barbara to North Sutton, New Hampshire), Buddy Jewell's "Sweet Southern Comfort" crossed my mind as our plane landed into BWI on Sunday.

While we certainly didn't land in the Deep South, we did land pretty close to home and that's what Jewell's song so wonderfully captures...

Courtesy of Sony BMG Music Entertainment

Images Credits: Sony BMG

And the Rocket's Red Glare

This Independence Day, I'll be watching the "bombs bursting in air" (fireworks), at my buddy JJM's lake cabin above the line in New Hampshire.

I've been warned its considerably cooler up North than the previous July 4th's I spent at the beach, so the chance of wearing an American classic, the Polo shirt, Tucker Blair belt (started by an American entrepreneur) and Murray's Reds (eh hem, made in Georgia and authentically American) with Rainbows while dragging the Jolly Trolly (more on that in a future post) to the beach, only to sit on a super soft towel and read a great American novel based on a certain past First Lady, itsn't likely.

What is still likely to occur? A few sparklers, great all-American food - hot dogs, Miller Lites and maybe a root beer float - all while showing my pride wearing a tri-corner hat.

God Bless AMERICA!

Click on image for a clear view.