Behind the Scenes: Colonel Littleton

About an hour south of Nashville, there is a little town called Lynnville, and in it lives Colonel Littleton. He’s not actually a colonel, and the stories vary as to how the name came about, but that’s what he and the brand he has developed over the last two decades are known as.

Colonel Littleton was in the upscale men’s apparel industry when he noticed that the quality of gifts in the stores he dealt with was lacking. One day he found 17 pairs of vintage cuff links, packaged them individually and sold them all to the first store he visited. From there he started collecting and selling other interesting gift items, including leather bags. Then one day he bought a sewing machine, got a piece of leather and taught himself how to sew. Almost 20 years later, Colonel Littleton sells handmade leather goods, designed by the Colonel himself, to hundreds of stores across the country and throughout the world. His products range from bags and briefcases to journals and iPhone cases, all crafted in his Lynnville shop from the finest leather.

“If somebody is looking for a slick, black Italian leather briefcase, we’re probably not the company for you,” says the Colonel. His products are made from full-grain American hides tanned by hand at a small local tannery. Because the leather is minimally altered, any nicks and scratches in the hide show through, giving the pieces uniqueness and character. The Colonel isn’t looking for perfection in his leather; he’s looking for a story told by mosquito bites, barbed-wire scrapes and cattle brands.

Colonel Littleton values customer service as much as he does the quality of his goods. “What we do is Americana, made in the USA,” says the Colonel. “I think it’s a quality product that has a design style that [carries] a little nostalgia. And I think people like to see American companies and small town companies do well, and when they get treated right and get a great product, it resonates with people.”

If you’re looking for a gift for the leather-lover in your life, visit colonellittleton.com. Five and TENN at the Omni Nashville Hotel also carries several pieces, and Lynnville is only an hour away! You might even get to meet the Colonel himself.

Photo by Cameron Powell