Putting Craig Conover’s Sewing Down South Pillows to the Test

   
Craig Conover
Photo by: Charles Sykes/Bravo via Getty Images

Craig Conover has a special place in Southern Charm fans’ hearts. Craig is our Elle Woods of the network because when asked about his law career, he would give a blank “What? Like it’s hard?” stare. He has been an OG on the series, frequenting King Street and trying to figure out his life. After a few rough seasons and a breakup with Naomie Olindo, Craig has finally found his footing because nothing is wrong with this man’s sewing.

In fact, Craig is now laughing all the way to the bank. As of 2024, Craig has an eight-figure company. Fans watched during Season 9 as Craig celebrated his success with an over-the-top holiday company celebration. 

Brick-and-mortar shop

If you’re headed to Charleston, the Sewing Down South shop should be a stop on your map. Not only is the shop so welcoming, but it is set up to put you at ease immediately. Pardon the pun, but it is “sew cute!” Craig is often at the flagship store, but he wasn’t the day I visited. But I do love that he genuinely loves his business and knows that he has to take an interest in the fans that have made him famous. But the store was still just as enjoyable without him there. The atmosphere gave off “Sew what” vibes and the staff was super pleasant!

The front windows are large and allow so much sunlight that you can’t help but feel at ease. This is probably why my wallet was flying out of my pockets. The floor was this lovely coastal wood with cute decor all over the walls. A beautiful mural of actual pillows also spells out Sewing Down South’s crest. There is also a cute yarn wall perfect for your social media photos. Upon entering, I noticed some cute pillows and other sewing items. But the store wasn’t as full of a selection of pillow covers as I had hoped to find. It was apparent they were pandering to the reality TV market. 

Merch

Taking a page from Loverboy’s success, Craig now offers a Collegiate Collection complete with crew neck sweatshirts. I am also curious if Craig enlisted the help of Amanda Batula for a specific t-shirt design that sports the same bubble letters as the hard tea company. The move would make sense since both companies were born out of Bravo, but I hope Amanda got a cut. So, when it came to the merch, I was overwhelmed in a good way.

Naturally, I gravitated towards a Sandstone and Orchid “What’s wrong with my sewing shirt?” because, if you know, you know. Both shirts are made from this soft-wash garment-dyed fabric. The feel is just so soft and 100% cotton, with the collar having a double needle trim. Now, I will say I ordered these two items from the online store because I couldn’t commit to them when I was in the store. Strangers keep asking if I am a seamstress. I politely tell them I’m not but then say, “But I do know a guy.” 

My only complaint is that Sewing Down South charges at least $8 for shipping. The shipping can take several days; as the notes point out, it takes one to three days to pack the order and another couple of days after it is shipped out. This was the only disappointing part of the experience for me because I was so excited to get my hands on a T-shirt that after a few days, the happiness of my purchase wore off. I was pleasantly surprised when the box landed at my door because, after a busy week, I had forgotten about it! 

The pillows

What kind of Southern Charm fan would I be if I didn’t try out the pillows!? I obviously gravitated towards the coastal-themed cushions. I loved the King Crab cover the most. It is a pillow I’ve seen all over Craig’s Instagram, and I just had to nab one for myself. Again, there are add-ons I wasn’t expecting. The cover set me back $58, and if I wanted to add a pillow, it was going to be at least $12 for a standard pillow. Craig isn’t dumb. He knows Bravo fans will pay these prices. However, this fan held strong with just purchasing the cover. And honestly, I am happy with everything I brought home with me. So let me know if you’ve been or are planning on ordering from Sewing Down South because I want to know what you bought. 

Previous seasons of Southern Charm can be streamed on Peacock.