If Reese Witherspoon’s newly launched lifestyle brand, Draper James, were a combination of Reese Witherspoon movies it would probably be Sweet Home Alabama with a dash of Legally Blonde. That is, if Elle Woods had gone to Vanderbilt.
The brand’s mission is “to bring contemporary, yet timeless Southern style to your wardrobe and your home, no matter where you live.” Items of clothing available include lace tops, patterned shorts and dresses that could easily be found in a J. Crew catalogue. There’s a bag that reads “Totes Y’all,” which you can have monogrammed, and an iPhone case that reads “hush y’all.” There are mint julep cups and stationary sets.
In an introductory video, Witherspoon declares, laying on the accent: “Pretty please: it’s not just a way to get what you want. It’s a lifestyle.”
So how does it stack up against other celebrity endeavors? At first glance Draper James feels more focused than Gwyneth Paltrow’s all-encompassing Goop or Blake Lively’s boho-chic, artisanal-minded Preserve. (Paltrow and Lively are the respective queen and lady-in-waiting of these type of projects.) While there is a slight air of self-importance—it is a celebrity lifestyle site after all—Witherspoon also made it somewhat personal: it’s named for her grandmother and grandfather.
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