Photo courtesy of Juniper & James.
Juniper & James
Juniper & James, founded by Mountain Brook native James Elledge, has launched its first collection of performance-driven golf apparel, featuring premium polos, shorts, belts and hats designed for the golf course and the outdoors.
Golfers in Alabama and across the South now have a hometown-inspired brand to elevate their game. Juniper & James, founded by Mountain Brook native James Elledge, has launched its inaugural collection of performance-driven golf apparel, featuring premium polos, shorts, belts and hats designed for both the fairway and the outdoors.
“I grew up in Mountain Brook, and the golf culture here really shaped my vision,” Elledge said. “We field tested our performance polos at Birmingham Country Club and Mountain Brook Club. 95-degree days with high humidity are a great environment to truly test moisture-wicking and cooling fabrics. The courses helped me refine our launch offering.”
Juniper & James blends rugged Southern elegance with practical design inspired by hunting and fishing gear. Its debut collection is built for hot climates, with performance polos featuring brrr° proprietary cooling fabric.
Photo courtesy of Juniper & James.
James Elledge, founder of Juniper & James
James Elledge, founder of Juniper & James.
“Our polos keep you five degrees cooler so you can go five shots lower,” Elledge said.
The tailored golf shorts include functional details like a patch glove loop and a hidden microfiber cloth for sunglasses, golf balls or sweaty hands.
“I love a microfiber cloth on my outdoor shirts and thought it would be useful on a pair of shorts,” he added.
Accessories include handcrafted belts in collaboration with Zilker Belts and a variety of golf hats showcasing the brand’s distinctive Blue Heron and double J Hook logos. The belts are made from premium Argentine saddle leather, combining craftsmanship with Southern style.
Juniper & James’s Mountain Brook roots remain central to the brand’s identity.
“In typical Southern fashion, the reception from Mountain Brook has been warm and hospitable,” Elledge said. “We did a pop-up shop at my dad’s house this summer that was a huge success. The community really responded to a hometown founder building a premium Southern golf brand.”
The Southern lifestyle also informs the brand’s aesthetic.
“There’s a certain level of relaxed sophistication, or ‘elevated casual,’ that we want to play into,” Elledge said. “As Southerners, we take care in how we play, how we look and how we act. It takes care to fix a ball mark well, just like it takes care to design a collar that lays flat for four hours on the course — and maybe two more at the bar.”
Elledge, a self-described startup junkie, drew on experience building lifestyle brands such as Duck Camp, Deep Eddy Vodka and Epic Western.
“Ultimately, it boils down to listening to the consumer. People don’t buy products; they buy stories about themselves,” he said.
Looking forward, Juniper & James plans to expand into women’s and youth lines, new fabrics and collaborations with Southern makers.
“I want to build a legacy brand,” Elledge said. “It would be a dream to work with Juniper, my daughter, and James Jr., my son, on a golf lifestyle business 20 years from now.”
With deep ties to Mountain Brook and a clear vision for Southern-inspired performance apparel, Juniper & James aims to offer golfers a brand that honors both the game and the community where it all began.
