Stylish Southern Stockings - Garden and Gun
This article was originally published in Garden and Gun.
Decorating for the holidays is an art form in the South and Fig & Dove in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, brings that idea home beautifully with their new line of sewn-by-hand stockings.
(Photos by Margaret Houston)
“I struggled to find Christmas tree skirts or stockings that complemented the décor of the interiors we were working on,” says Colleen Waguespack, co-founder of Fig & Dove and interior designer at Holden & Dupuy. “Every year I looked at what was available on the market and regretted not having six months in advance to develop Christmas decorations that would reflect the quality of fabrics and craftsmanship that we were using in people’s homes.”
Waguespack and her business partner Mollie Hill knew that they wanted the stockings to incorporate luxurious fabrics, such as cotton sateens by Fortuny, Michael Savoiaembroidery, and Alabama-based Coleman Taylor’s hand-printed velvets in neutral and metallic colors. They render the stockings instant heirlooms that are easy to use in a variety of environments, too. “Any of the collections can be combined and work together in harmony,” says Waguespack. “There is no need to buy a row of five identical stockings.”
The stockings start at $175 for solid colors in cream silk satin. “I am so proud to say that everything we make is made locally, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana,” says Waguespack. “The workroom we are using is a very talented group of women with generations of seamstresses in their families. We spent almost a year developing the perfect shaped stocking—the right angle we wanted it to hang, the slight curve at the back of the foot, the shape of the toe, the right size cording.”
The stockings are also available with two types of monograms. “Southerners have a personal connection to things they invest in so we selected two embroidered monogram styles and developed acrylic tags that can be monogrammed and hung with a stocking to personalize it,” says Waguespack. “This gives a lot of flexibility if your parents come in town one year, but the next, it’s your in-laws!”
(Photos courtesy of Fig & Dove)
Waguespack and Hill didn’t stop there with all the holiday beauty, either. Tree skirts in the same gorgeous fabrics, sculptural wooden wreaths by Louisiana painter Mia Kaplan, and hand-painted acrylic tree toppers and dove ornaments by Louisiana artist Brad Bourgoyne, will also be available. To guarantee holiday delivery, order custom stockings by December 8.
As for Waguespack’s favorite stocking-stuffer suggestion? “I love lottery tickets,” she says. “You just never know!”
