Last Updated on October 10, 2017
It is a rare moment in women’s field fashion when a product is brought to market with as much attention to function as form. Covey Charleston launched in 2015, making a small wave for doing just that. Instead of modifying menswear designs, Covey Charleston builds on the personal luxury of a woman’s already perfect-fitting pants.
When the Winston-Salem, North Carolina native and company founder Sloan McFadden moved to her husband’s home of the Lowcountry, her mother-in-law’s idea for helping McFadden dress for the field inspired the launch of a service to modify women’s favorite pants by sewing in Cordura fabric. The result was briar-proof field pants for the hunt.
Katherine Parker Clark came onboard to launch the brand, transforming a good idea into a full-fledged brand. A native Charlestonian, Clark accompanied her father on countless dove and duck shoots and by age 14 had become an accomplished deer hunter. The women now customize field pants for men and children, and offer monograms for a finishing touch. Covey Charleston introduced a second product to their line this summer, bringing new life to a family heirloom, and tailoring shooting capes made from American wool and tweeds from British textile manufacturer, Holland and Sherry.
If you’re tempted to try this at home, there’s something to be said for sewing Cordura that’s best not left to guesswork. This is tough fabric trusted by militaries around the world. Covey Charleston offers an array of stylish colors in both 500-denier Cordura, a lighter weight option, as well as 100-denier Cordura. If briars aren’t a big issue where you live, the lighter-weight option is good for warmer climates. Swatches are available, so you can pair the color of your choice in person. After you mail your favorite pants to the women, they return them transformed. Like the fashion sense it inspires, it is a remarkably simple and smart service.