Southern Staple is an up-and-coming clothing company that was conceived by Penn State’s very own Air Force ROTC student Nicholas Pisciotta in McElwain Hall.

Very similar to Vineyard Vines and Southern Tide, Southern Staple sells long and short sleeve shirts as well as koozies.

Unlike other companies, Southern Staple is 100 percent made in the U.S. From the cotton that makes the shirt, the screen printing, and the very package they are mailed in, Southern Staple prides itself in Southern American design and manufacturing.

“The passion for southern culture runs through the threads of Southern Staple, like the water in the lake on which the company was born,” the Southern Staple website reads.

Sophomore Nicholas Pisciotta, founder of Southern Staple, was raised around a lake in Virginia. His company is a commemoration to the friends that he grew up with and the culture of the community around the lake.

Pisciotta says the decision to start his company came from a feeling a strong sense of Southern pride in the middle of last spring semester. He had been following companies like Southern Marsh and Southern Tide on Instagram but became disappointed when he found out where the “Southern” clothes were manufactured.

“One thing I noticed about their clothing, though, was although they claimed to be true to Southern traditions, none of their clothing was made in America, which bothered me,” said Pisciotta.

During finals week, Pisciotta grew more passionate about creating his own clothing line. He has always wanted his own business and when this clothing idea came along, he didn’t want to limit it.

After finals week that semester, he started to work on the company during the evening after his 11-hour-a-day design engineering internship. Pisciotta would also fit in sending packages and making business calls during his lunch breaks.

“It took a lot of energy caused a lot of headaches,” Pisciotta said, “but I have loved every second of doing it.”

Since the company’s July debut at Pisciotta’s Boats and Bow Ties party, Southern Staple has sold over 100 t-shirts and “many” drink koozies. More shirts were sold during a promotional 3,000 mile road trip around the U.S. last summer.

Products can be purchased by visiting the Southern Staple website or by emailing [email protected].