In the heart of Historic Downtown Matthews sits the flagship Trading Post of Buffalo Jackson Trading Co., a men’s apparel store that somehow manages to feel old and new at the same time.
Built upon the history of the area, new customers walk through a door as old as Matthews itself before being faced with a full-sized buffalo in the center of the floor. The scent of their cured leathers will bring back memories of when men pioneered the great outdoors, while their sleek button-downs and silk bowties pull you right back to the present. The Buffalo Jackson Trading Co. seeks to dress the modern man, but with a nod back to the imperfect, adventurous pioneers that came before them.
“What you wear or carry can define and shape you,” explains founder Xan Hood. “Buffalo Jackson began with this goal in mind, to create a brand that fits a a man who knows honoring the past doesn’t necessarily mean repeating it,” Xan explains.
Inspired by iconic men of the past like Teddy Roosevelt, Ernest Hemingway, Abraham Lincoln, and John Muir, Xan believes these men “fully embody the grit and hard work that define [his] brand” and personify what it means to “Honor Your Wild,” Buffalo Jackson’s motto.
The company was actually first founded back in 2009 in Colorado, when Hood saw the need for a brand that could fill the disconnect between the ideals of the past and the style of the future.
In 2013, Hood moved that brand to Charlotte, the perfect place to meet his ideal customer. Buffalo Jackson’s clothing—flannels, jackets, fleeces—are all made with high-quality fabrics and can be used on a night out just as easily as it can be used on a hike through the Appalachian Mountains.
The unique use of bison and elk leathers give their footwear and bags a balance between beauty and durability, and have combined the leather-making techniques of old with the technological advancements of today. Their many accessories, such as leather Apple Watch bands, field journals, and luggage tags, allow customers to carry a little bit of the wild with them wherever they go.
“We like to find the old and bring in the new,” says Hood. “A tension between the two.”
With a thriving online store and their Downtown Matthews Trading Post, Hood and his crew welcome anyone to come in, shop around, and find their rugged gentleman within.