Southern Tide is an American apparel company founded in 2006 in Greenville, South Carolina, by Allen Stephenson. The brand is owned by Atlanta-based Oxford Industries.
History
According to Stephenson, the inspiration for Southern Tide came about during college, while studying abroad in Italy. During his senior year at The University of South Carolina, he presented his concept for Southern Tide for a speech class. Following his presentation, Stephenson remembers his professor encouraging him to pursue his idea and he immediately left college. After dropping out, he researched the construction of polo shirts. The finished product became the Southern Tide Skipjack Polo.[1]
Growth
The company's rapid growth has been recognized by several business publications. In 2011, Forbes Magazine recognized Southern Tide in its annual list of "Americas Most Promising Companies", rating the firm at #27.[2]