Back Down South

Clay

Photographed in Atlanta, GA

Raised in:
McDonough, Georgia

Lives in:
Atlanta, Georgia

Tell us about Clay + Bros:
We make really simple sandals using a Vibram sole and parachute cord. We’re incredibly excited to announce the upcoming launch of our full website on march 21st and our current Kickstarter campaign.

Now would ya look at that:
Meet Clay, founder of Clay + Bros.

Clay, along with Jess Graves and Brian Frances, is part of the brain trust behind the 39 x 43 Pop Up Shop, an edited collection of Independent Southern style. Catch it on March 22 and 23 in Atlanta – for a full list of vendors and more info, click here.

Clay + Bros Atlanta hat.
Swedish army surplus shirt.
Wrangler jeans.
Russell Moccasin Co. shoes for “when its too cold for sandals.”

Music Monday | Will Joseph Cook

This freakin’ song…

It’s got it all.

Will Joseph Cook, please release more music soon, and let us download it America, iTunes!

Oh, and be extra amazed: this kid is 16.

Brian | Red’s Outfitters

Brian001 Photographed in Atlanta, GA

Raised in:
East Cobb, Georgia

Lives in:
Atlanta, Georgia

Tell us about Red’s Outfitters:
Red’s has a pretty compelling back story. You can read the story of how our brand got started here and it’s included in every package of sunglasses we sell. There is a lot of passion behind Red’s.

Red’s is a lifestyle brand specializing in handmade, luxury sunglasses. We’ve based our brand on quality. Red’s embraces Italian artisanal craftsmanship and we’ve infused that with our American heritage and style. Whether it be a design or color, our shades can complete a look, serve a functional purpose, or compliment an outfit, sneaker, hat, watch, bracelet, etc. Sunglasses aren’t just a functional accessory anymore. They are essentials.

Our product is handmade in Italy with Carl Zeiss lenses, meaning that you are not only getting the nicest lenses in the world, but they also feature the finest plant based Italian acetates. Each frame you literally mold to fit your face shape. I believe that we’ve achieved a product that is functionally and stylistically the new standard in quality eyewear.

Now would ya look at that:
Meet Brian Francis, founder of Red’s Outfitters.

Brian, along with Jess Graves and Clay Reeves, is part of the brain trust behind the 39 x 43 Pop Up Shop, an edited collection of Independent Southern style. Catch it on March 22 and 23 in Atlanta – for a full list of vendors and more info, click here.

Rosé on a tractor because…why not?
‘Game’ hat and ‘Whitner’ sunglasses by Red’s.
J.Crew denim shirt.
Del Toro bracelet.
Rolex watch.
Ike Behar scarf.
Vince plum denim jeans.
Del Toro Electric Koolaid acid washed chukkas.

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Caleb, Part II

Photographed in Woodstock, GA

Raised in:
Marietta, Georgia

Lives in:
Woodstock, Georgia

Favorite southern beach:
I’d give the edge to St. Augustine – lots of character and a perfect beach for bocce. Also, the food is unreal. I love O’Steens for fried shrimp or Columbia Restaurant.

Now would ya look at that:
See also: Caleb, Part I

Brooks Brothers tweed blazer, found at Goodwill.
J.Crew denim shirt.
H&M jeans.
Giorgia Brutini ‘Vance’ double monks.

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Music Monday | Bootstraps

I sent Bootstraps‘ debut album to a handful of friends on Spotify and simply said “gosh this guys voice.”

But for real…Jordan Beckett’s voice…

In a great interview Hydrogen, Beckett says that he wanted to make this a “road trip” album. “A lot of the songs came from that sort of picture in my mind, of driving up the 101 to Santa Barbara. I wanted the music to capture that feeling, so that if there was one album you would take up the coast, this would be it. There is a vast contrast in the state, from extreme noise to extreme quiet and beauty. The coastline holds some mystique and gives a storybook feeling to California that I wanted to capture other than say, what Katy Perry or The Beach Boys have done.”

He has without a doubt acheived his goal. This album transports you somewhere beautiful.

I beg of you to listen to their album in it’s entirety because picking just one to share was near impossible. Below is the first track on the album with words, since it opens with an Explosions-in-the-Sky-esque instrumental track.

Stream: “Sleeping Giant”

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iTunes | Spotify

Meredith

Photographed by Cody Bennett

Raised in:
Nashville, Tennessee

Lives in:
Knoxville, Tennessee

Best concert you’ve attended:
Hands down, Garth Brooks’ Flood Relief Concert in Nashville. I was born and raised in Nashville, and the flood that came in 2010 was horrific. Garth Brooks left his Las Vegas acoustic show to come back to Music City and perform 9 sold-out arena concerts, 2 shows a night, donating all the profits to the Flood Relief Projects. Garth hadn’t performed in an arena with a full band in years…and his excitement was tangible and contagious. Every single person in that arena knew every lyric, and made sure he heard them singing along. We sat so far away, and yet it was STILL the best concert I have ever been to. He is an incredible performer, and nothing feels better than singing “Friends in Low Places” with thousands of people who all know the infamous third verse. It was flawless.

Now would ya look at that:
Meredith’s outfit is “essentially one big Christmas present from Cody (scarf, jacket, jeans, and boots).”
Photographed with a Nikon F100 and Fuji 400H film.

Oliver Peoples glasses.
Laundromat scarf.
J.Crew field jacket.
Levi’s denim pearl snap and jeans.
Polar Edge boots.
Smartwool socks.

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Florida

Two weeks ago, Mark and I drove to Santa Rosa Beach to spend a week with my parents. They’ve fled Montana and rented a house there for the month, so we had to take advantage of a week away from the Georgia weather shenanigans. To our surprise, we discovered that our great buddy Jamie would be in town shooting a wedding in Seaside, so we got to have some fun with him, too.

Here’s a bit of the exploring, relaxing, and beach beauty – shot on both digital and film (Canon Mark III, Nikon One Touch on Kodak Gold 400 and Tri-X).