It’s been a long time coming, but the award-winning designer Billy Reid tells us that an Atlanta store will finally open in April. Located in the White Provision building of the Westside Provisions District, the Southern-inspired clothing boutique will be the designer’s seventh shop.

“Having a shop in Atlanta has always been a hope of ours,” Billy told us. “We’ve spent nearly four years with numerous on-again, off-again, real estate visits. Much like searching for a home, it was important that we find the neighborhood where could fit into the community and be a part of it. White Provision was one of the first places we visited on our search and we’re thrilled to be there.”

Both men’s and women’s collections will be available at the 2,500 square-foot Atlanta location, the designs balancing tradition and haute, country and city, refined and lived-in. The Spring 2012 collection for men includes a khaki cotton field jacket, grey linen cardigan, oatmeal henley, patchwork shorts, chambray snap front shirts and a green linen plaid sport jacket – all drawing from the spirit of American folk songwriters of the 1970s.

The store will have his signature antique aesthetic, complete with vintage photographs, salvaged wood, old-fashioned furniture, flea-market finds and Southern-themed wall coverings. As we discovered last year during a visit to his home in Florence, Alabama, stepping into a Billy Reid store is like walking into his family foyer. The setting and hospitality (“Can I get you a bourbon?”) in the shop will be intentionally modeled after the experience he hopes his guests have at his own nostalgic abode.

The Atlanta store joins outposts in Florence, Nashville, Charleston, Dallas, Houston and New York.

To celebrate the opening of his Atlanta store, Bearings will co-host a launch party with Billy Reid. Look for more information on the event closer to April.

It’s been a long time coming, but the award-winning designer Billy Reid tells us that an Atlanta store will finally open in April. Located in the White Provision building of the Westside Provisions District, the Southern-inspired clothing boutique will be the designer’s seventh shop.

“Having a shop in Atlanta has always been a hope of ours,” Billy told us. “We’ve spent nearly four years with numerous on-again, off-again, real estate visits. Much like searching for a home, it was important that we find the neighborhood where could fit into the community and be a part of it. White Provision was one of the first places we visited on our search and we’re thrilled to be there.”

Both men’s and women’s collections will be available at the 2,500 square-foot Atlanta location, the designs balancing tradition and haute, country and city, refined and lived-in. The Spring 2012 collection for men includes a khaki cotton field jacket, grey linen cardigan, oatmeal henley, patchwork shorts, chambray snap front shirts and a green linen plaid sport jacket – all drawing from the spirit of American folk songwriters of the 1970s.

The store will have his signature antique aesthetic, complete with vintage photographs, salvaged wood, old-fashioned furniture, flea-market finds and Southern-themed wall coverings. As we discovered last year during a visit to his home in Florence, Alabama, stepping into a Billy Reid store is like walking into his family foyer. The setting and hospitality (“Can I get you a bourbon?”) in the shop will be intentionally modeled after the experience he hopes his guests have at his own nostalgic abode.

The Atlanta store joins outposts in Florence, Nashville, Charleston, Dallas, Houston and New York.

To celebrate the opening of his Atlanta store, Bearings will co-host a launch party with Billy Reid. Look for more information on the event closer to April.

With college football bowl season in full swing, sports fans here in the South are spending a good deal of time traveling to games or hosting their own viewing parties. With the UT win, our state has one victory under our belt and four more bowl opportunities ahead with A&M, Baylor, Houston and SMU. Showing school and state pride is essential, but it doesn’t mean your options are limited to a jersey or sweatshirt. Rather, may we suggest a more subtle form of branded spirit?

Offering belts, caps, ties, dog collars and other items sporting the flags of Southern states, Volunteer Traditions was born from a conversation between founder Mason Jones and a friend. While in graduate school, they noticed someone wearing a belt brandishing the state flag of South Carolina. This inspired a lengthier discussion about the need for high-quality, classic apparel showcasing their home state of Tennessee.

“We wanted to be able to show our state pride for Tennessee in a simple and classy way. As time went on individuals from across the South reached out to us with the same desire. It’s been exciting to see the brand go from one product (the Tennessee Flag Belt) to a variety of items representing many different states across the South,” Mason told us.

The Nashville-based company has gone on to become suitable wear at many Southern universities – both for those in the midst of their education and those returning to stoke the fires of collegiate nostalgia. As for the future, “we hope to continue building on this momentum by expanding the depth of our offering in the states we serve, but, we always want to remain focused on delivering quality goods.”

From December 29 until January 5, Volunteer Traditions will be offering Bearings readers 15% off all products online with the code “Bearings.”