Food and Fashion: Uniquely Southern

Most people don't open their closets or dresser drawers and think of food. Fashion is undeniably a form of art, but cooking and baking is also an art form. Food has long-inspired clothing and accessories ranging from everyday wear to over-the-top theatrical costumes. Everything from banana print t-shirts, hot dog dresses, and Carmen Miranda's Tutti Frutti Hat from the musical "The Gang's All Here."

Most of us are brought up thinking that the things we eat belong in us, and preferably not on us; nevertheless, designers are out there who continue to bridge the world of food and fashion in Southern Culture.

Saturday in the SEC means you're cheering for your team in front of a television or a stadium, cheering with your friends. In the case of football, food and fashion go hand-in-hand in the South.

It's football that has families gathered around the television, yelling over each field goal and fumble, and food that keeps us going during game day. We Southerners love our teams and want to support them to the best of our abilities, and it's not just about styling a football jersey or wearing our team's colors but the attitude we carry while wearing them.

Game day styles have given rise to niche boutiques selling trendy tailgate attire for women, while food such as fried chicken, shrimp and grits, pork rings, and jambalaya decorate our home tables for our families to enjoy.

Whether Easter, a church homecoming, a potluck, or a post-service spread, Southern food and Southern fashion unite spectacularly. "Sunday best" comes from a common historical concept among African Americans that your best clothes were reserved for Sundays or when going to Church, and one must always present oneself well.

When it comes to Easter, we Southerners are known to go all out; from Easter hats that can put the stylish hats from the Kentucky Derby to shame to the white gloves and pearls, little boys in bowties, and Easter Sunday lunch, we do it big.

Food and Worship go hand in hand. You'll find Southern comfort food at its finest at the Church or after the service. Potato salad, Overnight Fruit Salad, classic meat load, baked Macaroni and cheese, the Easter ham, and so much more are as integral as our Sunday Best.

Ask any Southerner what authentic barbeque is; depending on where that Southerner lives, you'll get wildly different answers. BBQ preferences are incredibly personal and regional, but there is one thing all Southerners can agree upon: meat, seasoning, type of wood to cook, and what to wear.

If it's the traditional 4th of July, red, white, and blue are necessary. Southern fashion for BBQs embraces vibrant colors and an effortless, carefree summer vibe, such as a breezy summer dress, a flowy midi skirt, or even beachy jogger shorts. We know how to dress up and stay cool in the Southern heat. Stylish polos and chino shorts can be seen everywhere while the food sizzles and the families enjoy gathering together.

From Memphis to Carolina, to the Midlands of Kansas, Southerners are stylish in fashion and food. We're one-of-a-kind and experts at blending fashion, food, and family.