Back in 2010, Judy Hill, the founder of High Cotton, began her company with a single yard of cotton fabric. In the company’s first year, she sewed over 1,000 bow ties by hand. This is the story of High Cotton, a story of American craftsmanship and the unique qualities of cotton.

Judy Hill said she chose cotton for her bow ties because her son Cameron, who was a student at the University of Virginia Medical School, was forbidden to wear silk bow ties in the hospital since they could not be washed. Because Judy’s ties were cotton and machine-washable, the hospital allowed Cameron to wear them daily. Thus, Judy’s unique brand was born—because of the benefits of cotton. It’s easier to maintain than other fibers, and it comes out of the wash cleaner than synthetics like polyester.

According to Judy, Cameron’s fraternity brothers “immediately took to the idea of a comfortable, cotton bow tie” that had its “roots in the South.” Her son’s fraternity brothers loved the bow ties, and High Cotton really took off on the campus of the University of Virginia Medical School.

Once the company was established, Judy had to make some tough decisions. She cites a troubling statistic that back in 2010, only 1% of all garments in the United States were actually made in the country. For North Carolinians like Judy, it was heartbreaking to know that their home state, which was once home to a thriving textile industry, now couldn’t lay claim to the title. Judy says, “When we conceived the idea for High Cotton, there was no question as to where we were going to make our products. Going overseas would have been the cheaper, and quicker option, but we made a promise from day one—to make our products as locally as possible and to help revitalize the textile industry, bringing textile jobs back to our state.”

So when you buy High Cotton products, you’re supporting over 200 jobs in North Carolina: family farms, local textile manufacturers, and the artisans who hand-cut and hand-sew the ties—the people in a community who have a real passion for the art.

In Judy’s own words, the minds behind High Cotton are “inspired by a higher purpose and committed to the South’s values and people. Our locally hand-cut and hand-sewn products support the revival of the North Carolina textile industry and the Southern tradition of the mannerly, warm, and approachable well-dressed gentleman.”

Take a closer look at High Cotton on their website, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.