Reese Witherspoon’s new Southern-inspired lifestyle site is live—and less expensive than Goop
Following in the footsteps of Gwyneth Paltrow’s GOOP and, most recently, Blake Lively’s Preserve, Oscar-winning actress Reese Witherspoon has taken the plunge and opened up her own Southern-inspired e-commerce and lifestyle site this week.
The site, called Draper James, is ostensibly one part June Cleaver and another part Reese (who herself was born in New Orleans and raised in Nashville). It is all about instilling Southern “grace and charm” through objects – you guessed it – sourced from the South.
“In the South, there’s a lot of color, prints, tradition, traditional fabrics like gingham, plaids, stripes,” Reese told WWD of Draper James’ aesthetic, which also uses bright blues and polka dots to great effect.
“There’s also definitely a feeling that what you wear makes you feel better, especially if you’re wearing color, prints or joyful things.”
According to WWD, Draper James sources around 40% of its products from the South and hopes to rekindle a sense of pride in the culture and craftsmanship there.
And don’t expect anything costing quadruple-digits. (Sorry, GOOP, love your stuff—but can’t afford it.) At Draper James, prices for small trinkets and some stationary start around $20 and go as high as $400 for some jewelry and clothing. Generally, it feels like a southern-inspired J. Crew—both in price point and aesthetic.
After poking around the site, we were super relieved to find a lot of really cute (and somewhat affordable) things, including this whimsical tote bag and a dress perfect for drinking gimlets at the Kentucky Derby or on a wide, sweeping veranda somewhere. Here are some other, totally charming items we’re probably purchasing on our lunch break:
Hello, adorable $25 cowboy boot charm.
This “Nashville navy” skinny cuff is $75.
The $200 “Tweed Gilmore Skirt” is a total summer staple.
We’re pleased-as-punch about this $85 Southern cocktail napkin set. (OK, it’s a little steep for napkins, but super adorbs)
In addition to home decor, dresses, cardigans, trinkets and jewelry, Draper James is also a destination “for getting to know many of the diverse and talented people doing creative things in the South.” On their blog, they plan to feature writers, artists, chefs and storeowners who make the South an awesome place to live today. To kick off their content, the site hosted a Q&A with Reese where she talks all about her style (cowboy boots, party dresses), her favorite pearl earrings (a gift from mom) and her choice of tea (sweet and iced, please.)
We love Reese for highlighting the South’s quintessential charm. And if we need an extra reminder, there’s a section on the site with Instagram-worthy “Southernisms” like, “Give us a hug, never a handshake,” and our personal favorite, “We like every type of flower, but mostly the wild kind.”
(Images via Draper James)
