Submitted by Melissa Howsam — Correspondent
The addition of the downtown Raleigh fine men's clothier flagship store, High Cotton, beyond bringing, well, high cotton products to city center, just begs us to fulfill the life-dream country band Alabama planted with its popular vision of walkin’ in high cotton…
The first exclusively cotton bow-tie line in the nation, High Cotton is a family affair that has set its roots firmly in the North Carolina dirt (using in-state cotton since its inception online and via fine men’s clothiers in late 2009) and, now, with a strong foothold (er, neckhold?) on the market, has broken ground with its first brick-and-mortar store in the state’s capital (March 1, 2013). Across history, the bow has no doubt dressed many o’ necks and cast a role from high-fashion diva (Manolo Blahnik) to tech titan (Steve Jobs) to bespeckled dork (Urkel). But, for local bow tie boutique High Cotton, the bow is classic — and classy. Not just an embellishment, but a staple for the Southern gentleman.
“We are firm believers that bow ties should be part of a gentleman’s everyday wardrobe,” says concept creator and co-owner Judy Hill, “and not just saved for special events. That is why we have avoided novelties and embraced traditional Southern patterns for our ties.”
Conceptualized by Judy, mother of three such Southern gentlemen (who co-own the shop with her), High Cotton is a labor of love — quite literally. Borne of Judy’s love of her sons and her desire to dress her sons in ‘healthy’ duds — she sewed her first bow for eldest son, Cameron, a med student who had come upon a study discouraging doctors from wearing bacteria-harboring silk neckties. And an idea was born.
We got some face time with Judy and (middle son) James for a behind-the-scenes look at the bow — from its storied Southern tradition to High Cotton’s vision of it as an everyday wardrobe staple.
And as for whether old times there are not forgotten — well, guess you’ll have to suit up in a lil High Cotton to find out.
Q&A
So your older doctor bro, Cameron, inspired your entrepreneurial life-changing vision (with your mom, Judy, of course). He must brag endlessly about his role? Ya know … stock share? Ties for life?
James: Cameron is not much of a bragger; he is actually as humble as they come and extremely talented. He is a co-owner of the business and codes our website in his free time — when he isn’t busy finishing up his urology residency at Georgetown. My younger brother, Patrick, is a co-owner, as well; so hopefully he will consider jumping on board full time after he graduates from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Bow ties span a range of fashion and culture — from the Nutty Professor and The Science Guy to Winston Churchill, Manolo Blahnik and, of course, Pee Wee Herman? It begs the question: What exactly does the bow tie stand for?
Judy: The bow has always meant different things to different people. It seems most often to be worn in order to stand out from the crowd or to look one’s best for a special occasion. But, we are firm believers that bow ties should be part of a gentleman’s everyday wardrobe and not just saved for special events. That is why we have avoided novelties and embraced traditional Southern patterns for our ties. Because our bow ties are made of 100% cotton and are made by Southern hands, they have a deep connection to the South. We want to encourage men to wear our bow ties to continue the long tradition of the South — that of the classy, mannerly, warm and approachable bow-tie wearing gentleman.
Speaking of Southern staples, the bow tie was actually born in France — as 'cravats' worn by aristocrats — but it is most associated with the American South, an association High Cotton plays on. What ties the South so deeply to the bow tie, and how does High Cotton play on that, and arguably, advance that vision?
James: Bow ties have been a part of Southern culture for as long as anyone can remember. Everyone loves bow ties for their own reasons, but we believe that bow ties are popular in the South because they are a nice way to indicate to someone that you are an upstanding gentleman, even if you are just walking by them on the sidewalk. It is important to remember that, in order to pull this off properly, you not only have to dress like a gentleman, but you should behave like one, as well. The South’s commitment to good values and good looks will keep the bow tie as a mainstay for a long time.
High Cotton began in Charlotte in December 2009 simultaneously selling online and via fine men’s clothiers and has now opened its first brick and mortar in the capital. Why the shift to downtown Raleigh?
Judy: In 2012, we moved our headquarters to my hometown of Raleigh and moved into our new offices and flagship store with the goal of becoming a part of the reenergized downtown Raleigh. We also sought to hire talent from nearby North Carolina State University (College of Textiles and Design) and UNC (Business and Entrepreneurship). Having grown up in Raleigh, I have wanted to return here for quite some time. My father, Dr. Richard J. Volk, was a 42-year professor in the Agronomy Department (Soil Science) at NCSU. He encouraged me to work in the NCSU extension program in the summer, which took me to farms all across Eastern North Carolina, where I grew to love and understand the people of this state.
What vision do you have for your bows on the Triangle streets?
James: We have customers of all ages coming in interested in adding some High Cotton to their wardrobe. We are in a great location because we have a lot of lawyers, bankers and government officials coming in every day, and they are excited to see a fine men's clothier downtown. High Cotton is committed to Raleigh, and so we hope that when our customers wear our apparel out and about on the Triangle streets they are proud to represent of their hometown brand.
Steve Jobs presented his first Mac in a statement making "I may be a college dropout but I'm legit" bow tie. … Bow ties, no doubt, make a statement. What do you think the message is? And, more importantly, what message do you want your bow ties to convey?
James: I don't believe there is one message in particular that a bow tie can give. I’ve heard some people say that, “you should never trust a man in a bow tie” and others say that “men who wear bow ties are the most honest people they’ve ever met,” so it depends on the person. We understand that when you choose a bow tie to wear, it will end up saying a lot about your character; so it is our hope that High Cotton Ties will help our customers properly reflect their individuality, in good conscience and in good style.
Your MO is the revival of a Southern tradition and the NC textile history via your hand-cut and hand-sewn local products, all made of 100% cotton. What's the inspiration for that goal? And why cotton?
Judy: Because of my experience working in my father’s lab at NCSU and in the fields of North Carolina during the summer, I met many people in agriculture and textiles across the state. So, when NAFTA came into effect in 1994 and North Carolina lost 100,000 jobs in the textile industry over the next decade, I shared that sense of loss. As a result, James and I have had an unwavering mission from the start to manufacture all of our products within the state. High Cotton now supports over 500 jobs in the state of North Carolina, most of them in textile-related industries. We have gone so far as to use cotton grown in the state for our polos and our entire supply chain is within the boundaries of the state.
James: We were the very first exclusively cotton bow tie line in the nation. With a bow tie, everyone is looking for something a little bit different, and since most all bow ties are made of silk material, we felt that cotton was a great fit, not only because it was different, but also because it had a natural, relaxed, humble feel to it that directly connected to our state's textile history.
We are known primarily for our bow ties and cummerbund sets, but we also offer 100% North Carolina cotton polo shirts and pocket T-shirts, as well as pocket squares, belts and even headbands for the ladies. Since all of our products, including our bow ties, are made in North Carolina, it has always been our mission from the start to be a part of the textile revival here in the state, and we know everyone can appreciate that. We make our polo shirts from 100% North Carolina grown cotton and take the product from "dirt to shirt" here in the state with the help of our neighbors. It is a product we are very proud of, and we like to tell that story in our downtown showroom.
OK, we’ll cheat, one more: Dracula (aka Bela Lugosi) once wore a bow tie onstage (for the eponymous production) that later sold for $7,050. Any bank-breaking ties at High Cotton?
Judy: (laughs) High Cotton’s bow ties sell for $50; $60 for the linens and specialty ties, such as our four-way bow ties. And our bow ties are washable, which speaks to their cost-effectiveness and durability.
