I grew up amongst the rolling hills and peaceful woodlands of Northern Michigan, where dressing smart meant layering on tough pieces against the cold and the rough touch of nature – practical clothing that got you through season after season. Here in the urban forest of Atlanta, smart clothing means something else – more refined, modern, clean. My designs reflect the mixing of these two worlds I’ve lived in, as well as a rejection of what fashion for the everyday guy has largely become – fast, cheap and pretty much disposable. For a lot of reasons, I think we deserve more substance. That’s why Elk Head clothing is born of better stuff, for people who have outgrown the throwaway life. We make clothes for people who keep appointments and promises, weekday schedules and friends longer than a season. We know that Supima cotton, vegetable-dyed leather made in a 100-year old midwestern factory, and legacy thread hand-stitched by a family in Italy has so much more to offer everyday pants and shirt wearers, even if it costs a little more. And we know that knowledge is half the battle against the empty calories of fast fashion and a disposable existence; that the more you understand about what makes a great shirt really great, the more likely you are to find yourself needing more things of like it in your life. Garret Hilgendorf, Founder, Elk Head Clothing, Atlanta, GA