The brand itself is Reese's personal homage to her Southern roots. She grew up in Nashville and always looked up to her grandparents, Dorothea Draper and William James Witherspoon, for their charm and impeccable style. Thus she named it Draper James in honor of these two pillars of influence in her life.
Reese says on the company's website, "My grandparents taught me everything I know about gracious Southern living. From them I learned to dress and act like a lady, to take pride in my home, to reach out to help a neighbor, and to always invite everyone in for a visit."
To say her grandmother was stylish is an understatement. According to Reese, she only drove white Cadillacs while always wearing pristine white gloves. While she didn't have a ton of clothes, she knew how to make them stand out with the perfect accessories. That sort of understated Southern elegance is what Reese is trying to capture with the line's clothes and accessories. Here are some of the highlights.
More: Reese Witherspoon wants you to know she's not who you think
Image: Draper James (Derby Bag — $325)
Image: Draper James (Bristol Short — $125)
Image: Draper James (Statement Stud Pearl Earrings — $125)
As you can see, the style is all about sophistication with a Southern flair. Reese says Southern girls love mixing and matching bright, colorful florals and prints with heirloom jewelry they may have gotten from their grandmothers, like a set of gorgeous pearls. She wanted Draper James to exemplify that and give women the chance to dress up the Southern way.
More: Get the look: Reese Witherspoon's errand-running outfit
But she didn't want to stick to just women's fashion. Reese's grandparents were also incomparable hosts and thus a large part of the brand is dedicated to home decor. There's even stationery and hostess gifts, which are integral parts of "gracious living." Reese actually always had dreams of opening up a stationery store. She told ABC, "I've been obsessed with stationery and monograms. There's something about Southern girls and monograms, we literally — if it's not moving, we monogram it." If you look at some of these custom monogrammed napkins, you'll start to see why she loves it so much.
Image: Draper James (Assorted Southern Greeting Cards — $30)
Image: Draper James (Single Letter Cocktail Napkin Set — $85)
Reese has taken such care with her brand. Over the past three years, she has been dedicated to curating the style, and makes sure her hands touch everything that passes through production. It is, after all, her family name, and the last thing a good Southern girl would do is let her family down.
As of right now, 70 percent of all Draper James' products are made in the U.S., with the hope that it will be 100 percent in the not too distant future. The company also gives back to an organization called girlsinc.org, which strives to help young girls become entrepreneurs and leaders of social change, aka, little Reese Witherspoons.