Get to know our friend Tim Conlin, a Dallas based apparel designer and social media influencer, who re-located back to Texas to be near family four years ago.
Originally from Kentucky, Tim shares his love of all things “Kentucky” across his social media content. “There is such a rich history beyond the bourbon and thoroughbreds that every time I visit, I do all the touristy things”. He comes by his affinity for the equine world honestly, with a daughter who competes on the hunter/jumper circuit.
Since Tim has already graced our social media channels with multiple reels featuring our product, we felt it appropriate to share his incredible history in the world of design!
How long have you been a designer and what kind of apparel do you design.
I have been a designer for over thirty years. Mainly golf apparel. Performance golf apparel to be specific. I have been fortunate to design apparel for Under Armour, Stitch Golf and currently Sport Haley.
Even though I design polyester-based performance apparel, I mainly wear natural fabrics in my everyday wardrobe. I spent years working for classic American brands Champion and Lee Jeans. A Champion crewneck and a pair of chinos were a constant staple during my college years.
When did you start paying attention to fashion and how has that influenced your wardrobe?
In the 1980’s the college dress code was chinos and Topsiders. I spent four years in college not having a pair of blue jeans. Worn out pairs of chinos would be repaired by my mom using an old bandana as a patch. After a brief stint of owning my own clothing store, I worked for Harold’s Stores in Dallas. We went to market in New York and worked the Ralph Lauren line at his showroom. They created these incredible vignettes by “rigging” dozens of mannequins in different scenes, that still inspire me to this day.
As I have gotten older, I still go back to brands that shaped my style in college. Brands like Tretorn, Ray-ban, L.L. Bean and Duck Head still stand the test of time. I am a big E-Bay shopper and often find vintage pieces from these brands that I used to own. I should never have thrown anything out.
What are you wearing? As a “chino” connoisseur, I am a big fan of PennBilt. While I have only known Bill and Lisa for a short time, I have followed Bill’s career over the years with Bills Khakis and Duck Head. I probably rotate between the Plainsman and the American on a regular basis. I always appreciate the deep pockets Bill puts in all his chinos.
What are you drinking?
My heritage dictates that I must answer with bourbon, especially in classic old-fashioned cocktails. However, I do love drinks like a Negroni that are also made with bitters. Of course, a cocktail is naked without some snacks to nosh on like Virginia peanuts.
What are you listening to?
Either jazz or “yacht rock”. I started listening to jazz in college when the local rock station played jazz for two hours on Sunday night. Since I was always studying on Sunday nights, the jazz music was a calming presence each week. Since then, I have always loved to have music playing in the house and jazz music streams 24/7 in my walk-in closet.
What is your favorite room in your house?
My favorite “private” room is my primary closet. One key to a happy marriage, is “his” and “hers” closets. I designed mine to look like a classic men’s store (ala Sid Mashburn). In my social media posts, my closet has become a constant source of questions about the paint color, dimensions and other organizational and decorative details.
What are you most excited about this spring?
Driving my 1988 Jeep Grand Wagoneer on a beautiful Texas spring day. I am always afraid it will overheat in the Texas heat. Fall and spring are great for tooling around in this classic American woody. I am also really excited about some of the great spring colors that PennBilt offers in their 7” Club short. I have always loved chinos in color and am excited for the limited edition Citron (yellow) color they have.