As winter rolls away and we enter into the warmer weather, every Houstonian will be looking for clothes that keep them cool. This season, a new Houston store believes you should skip the cotton and linen and say "aloha" to . . . bamboo.
That's right, bamboo.
Cariloha Bamboo argues that it has the answer to your hot Houston prayers: A wide range of soft products that will keep you cooler in the summertime. The tropical-inspired store in Rice Village offers an array of men and women's clothing, athletic wear, bedding and bath goods made from eco-friendly bamboo fabric.
“Once you experience bamboo, you’ll love it so much, you'll keep coming back and wanting more."
The co-owners of the new Houston store, Linda Whittington and Tracy Young, say bamboo fabric is just what Houston didn’t know it needed.
“Once you experience bamboo, you’ll love it so much, you'll keep coming back and wanting more,” Young says.
The name Cariloha is a combination of "Caribbean" and "aloha", and was inspired by the relaxed island vibe in the Caribbean and Hawaii. Whittington and Young are dedicated to providing a unique and informative experience for every customer. The store is equipped with a colorful educational panel that details the step-by-step process of making bamboo fabric.
The luxurious fabric is said to be twice as soft and three degrees cooler than cotton, which could prove useful in Houston’s climate. Cariloha T-shirts are designed to pull the moisture away from the skin, and they are supposed to repel odor, which will leave you fresh and dry in theory. If the soft and eco-friendly ingredients aren’t enough to make you a bamboo convert, then the reasonable prices are another possible selling point.
"The great thing about bamboo is that you're getting the quality of luxury fabric, without the luxury price tag," Whittington says.
The longtime friends and co-owners got the idea for this store while on vacation in Aruba. After researching and shadowing the opening of a few other stores, they decided that Houston's semitropical climate was the perfect city for the boutique.
The island-inspired store aims to creates something of a tropical paradise ambience.
"We like to be able to provide a shopping experience, because when you understand the benefit of the fabric you can't help but get into it," Young says.
The store in Houston is the first one to open in a non-tourist, urban location, and is a part of a larger corporate vision to transition away from being a tourist or vacation only brand. The Rice Village store may be the first urban store location, but there are already Texas Cariloha Bamboo stores in San Antonio and Galveston.
"I think its the perfect fabric for Houston's weather and we've got something in here to satisfy everyone," Young says.
Cariloha store co-owners Linda Whittington, left, and Tracy Young, right.
Select runway couture and past collection pieces headline Chloe Dao’s 25-Year Anniversary Clean-Out Event.Photo courtesy of Chloe Dao