Guys! What’d ya think of Quarterly box #SGF03?!

 

The theme of #SGF03 was “Hometown Pride.” So much of your personal style hinges on where you’re from. Hailing from southern California, for instance, means the chances are good that  a laid-back surfer vibe will work its way into your wardrobe. If you’re from New England, you most likely have a few well-worn, much loved polos in your closet.

If you guys know anything about me, it’s that I unabashedly love 90s pop music that I am from Wisconsin. Madison, to be exact. Growing up in the lovely midwestern state’s capital, my parents made sure to expose my brother, sister, and me to all the great local flavor of the state – and no, I’m not just talking about cheese. Sure, there’s amazing food that I gorge myself on every time I visit home, but there’s also great brands based in the dairy state, as well as plenty of culture, thanks to the university located right downtown.

Growing up in Wisconsin, I also got a crash course education in sports loyalty – easy enough when you’ve got great programs like the UW Badgers, Milwaukee Bucks, and Green Bay Packers in your back yard. Especially for guys, sports allegiance can carry through into your personal style. Whether in baseball hats adorned with your hometown team’s logo, or jerseys you wear til you can no longer squeeze them over your head.

This box has been my own little shout-out to the great state that formed me.

Once you’ve checked out the contents of #SGF03 package below, I hope you head to Quarterly and sign up for #SGF04. It’s going to be a good one!

Colectivo Coffee

This Milwaukee-based roaster recently opened a cafe on the Capitol Square, right down the street from my dad’s law practice. Its liberal hippie vibe (see that with a positive or negative connotation as you please) fits right in on the UW-Madison campus.

Homegrown shops like this one taught me to always check out the neighborhood joint in a new city – if you can skip Starbucks, do it. You’ll learn about your new city that much faster by doing as the locals do.

Colectivo also brewed these delicious-smelling half-pound bags just for #SGF subscribers, so that’s pretty cool.

Bavaria Sausage Summer Sausage 

Quarterly told me that cheese doesn’t travel well, sadly. But that’s okay because summer sausage does, and it comes in a close second as the food of choice for Wisconsinites. I’ve spent many a happy summer throwing back cold New Glarus Spotted Cow Ale and munching away on crackers topped with a slice of cheddar and a generous hunk of summer sausage, like this from family-owned Bavaria Sausage Company.

What can I say? Texas has barbecue, California has burritos, we have dairy and salted meats. And I’m fine with that.

The Onion

When I first moved to New York City (at the tender age of 18! From the mouths of babes, I tell ya..), I had no idea that The Onion wasn’t yet widely available. I was so used to seeing the satirical newspaper – founded by two UW-Madison juniors back in 1988 – on every street corner when strolling through town that I just assumed the paper was popular everywhere. Turns out, at the time it was available in Madison…NYC…and nowhere else! It was the first – and probably only – time I felt like the cool kid in the room in New York City. “Ah dudes, I’ve known about The Onion forever-r-r-r. Get with the times, ma-a-a-a-n.” (That’s my cool kid voice…you can see why I don’t get to use it too often..)

As the years have passed, I’ve loved watching the paper gain attention, and yes, sometimes notoriety. But just read one of their amazingly spot-on, hilarious articles and try to tell me it doesn’t have you in stitches.

Packer Backer MANdle

My love of oft-mustachioed Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers meant that I had to – HAD TO! – include a Packers item in this Wisconsin-themed package. Thankfully, the “Packer Backer” candle from the Appleton, WI-based MANdle fit the bill perfectly. Targeted towards men and their…manly(?) nostrils, the company’s soy wax candles offer plenty of alternatives to the lady-friendly scents you usually smell burning.

The MANdle included in #SGF03 promised to emit the grass stain and pigskin scent of the stadium belonging to the only non-profit, community-owned major league professional sports team in the United States, and home of the famous Lambeau Leap.

Florsheim Travel Shoe Care Kit

You didn’t really think I’d get all the way through a Style Girlfriend x Quarterly package and not give subscribers some straight-up style love, did you? I am proud – like, crazy mom at a ballet recital with a video camera-proud – of all the amazing retail brands based in Wisconsin. The men’s shoe manufacturer Florsheim being one of them. Now being run by a fifth generation of Florsheims, the brand has been making quality dress shoes since 1892, and I never tire of reminding my readers that the company calls the Badger state home. This travel shoe care kit will keep whatever’s on your feet looking shiny and new.

Don’t forget to sign up for #SGF04 – yes, even if you’ve been signed up for #01, #02, and #03. The box’s pricetag will now be set at $50, so that I can jam-pack more good stuff into each mailing. That’s why you need to opt in again, even if you’ve been happily subscribing this whole time. But it’s worth it! And with code “stylegirlfriend50” you’ll get the old price one more time anyway. You know, for old time’s sake. So get on it! 

Tell me:

How has your hometown influenced your style?

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