Love For the Mason Jar

Ole Mason Jar – Menswear Clothing Line, Based in North Carolina

Founders Bradley Rhyne and Filipe Ho have created a menswear clothing line that brings back the southern gentlemen style. Both living in North Carolina they understand the southern style and lifestyle that represents the style. Creator and Executive Producer of MountainGirl Productions' travel series “Trip Out” went to college with Filipe and is not surprised he has created a high quality clothing line. Back in college Filipe was the 'man of style', always dressed and executed what it means to be a southern man. Ole Mason Jar showcases high quality fabrics in their dress shirts and even in their leather accessories. The menswear line is for any man that loves style with a twist of southern charm.

It's exciting to interview Bradley and Filipe about the clothing line and what motivates their designs. We also get to learn about the charity aspect behind the brand. By the end you will want to line up to make your purchases for yourself or that man in your life.

Let's dive into the mason jar:

I love the company name, Ole Mason Jar, where did the name originate?

Bradley & Filipe: We wanted a name that represented our southern heritage and the brand we aspired to be.  Being from North Carolina, the mason jar is an iconic item that brings back great memories of a time that once was.  In fact, to this day our grandparents still preserve their own garden grown vegetables in mason jars.  The mason jar is simplistic yet symbolic, loved by many and recognizable by all.  The mason jar transcends trends, is never overstated and perfectly represents our vision: “Preserving Southern Sophistication”.

What and/or Who inspires your designs?

Bradley & Filipe: We draw inspiration from a lot of things, some being other designers like a Billy Reid, and some being actual places or things.  Loving to travel, we are always on the watch for fashion and style in different cultures.  Here in the US, we are always looking for things that look cool and vintage that can also influence us (say an old suitcase or vintage item from the 1960’s).  Things that are simple yet tell a great story is what we are all about.

What was your motivation for creating Ole Mason Jar?

Bradley & Filipe: Since rooming together in college, we always knew that the skill sets we each brought to the table would work really well together in creating a successful company.  Fashion was really a natural extension for what we would ultimately choose to pursue, being that we both have such a passion for it. Ultimately, we saw a glaring need for a company like OLE MASON JAR in the market place, as most other brands had some pretty glaring gaps in their products or designs.  Either the fit was off, the designs were bland or the materials used were less than great, or a combination of all of that.  As young professionals in the workforce, we felt like we deserved a product that had a great fit, design and quality, and thus OLE MASON JAR was born.  At the end of the day we want to create the absolute best button down shirt in the menswear market.

What is your description of the man that wears your button downs?

Bradley & Filipe: Anyone that aspires to be a modern gentleman, from someone about to embark on their collegiate journey to the gentleman looking for the perfect shirt for his retirement party.  Anyone that wants, or likes, to look great and put together when they are out and about.

Can you explain your "Buy a Shirt...Give an Opportunity" program?

Bradley & Filipe: A big part of our brand identity is that we give back.  For every item we sell, we give back percentage to our philanthropy partnerships in an effort to truly make a difference in the world.  We have been blessed with the opportunity to start and proceed with something that is a passion of ours, and so we gladly give back.  Not only does this help make a difference for our partnerships, but it also helps to serve as a reminder as to the importance of what truly matters.  This helps to keep us grounded, and constantly gives us that extra motivation when things get tough!

Where can your audience purchase your Menswear and accessories?

Bradley & Filipe: Currently, we are online at www.olemasonjar.com but coming soon we expect to be in some local gentleman’s shops in and around North/South Carolina.

Where do you see the brand in 5 years?

Bradley & Filipe: We hope to be a staple brand in the menswear market, as well as in a large big box retail store (Nordstrom).  Additionally, we hope to continue adding more partnerships and continuing to expand in our giving.  Lastly, we hope to continue improving on and designing the best button down shirts in the menswear market.

Filipe, we went to college together at Appalachian State where you were the 'Man of Style', have you always wanted to create a clothing brand?

Filipe: Haha, thank you, I am flattered to be viewed in that light going back to college!  I absolutely have always wanted to do this, and as long as I remember I have always had these ideas on how or what I would do if I were to design for a clothing company.  

What is your most popular item?

Bradley & Filipe: Our button down shirt is the staple of our brand, and our top seller.  We have a loyal customer base, most of which don’t just order one shirt but multiple shirts; in fact we have one customer who has every pattern that we have ever made!  With that said, we also have some other really unique products (our tshirts are a super soft ring spun cotton that is 100% made in NC out of cotton grown in NC, and our leather accessories are also made in NC)

Can you explain your Small Batch Release? How often do you release small batch of shirts?

Bradley & Filipe: The Small Batch Release is something we came up with for a couple of reasons.  We wanted to be unique and unlike other traditional brands, and also to add more designs and options in our product line.  The concept of the Small Batch Release is that each month we release 4-5 new patterns that are only available for that month, and at the end of that month, the pattern is no longer available.  We see this like a great whiskey; made in small batches, aged for a long time and only available in limited quantities.