Mom Power
Hanging on a Thread: Heights children's boutique deepens its community bond withstory time
Photo by Whitney Radley
Kari Burdick and Rebecca Clemmer
Thread quickly outgrew its original space and moved into this shop on 19thStreet in the Heights.Photo by Whitney Radley
Thread recognizes how little many children's clothes get worn before the kidsoutgrow them.Photo by Whitney Radley
Tucked among the shops on 19th Street, you'll find Thread, a stylish children's consignment boutique owned by lifelong friends Kari Burdick and Rebecca Clemmer.
Both women studied retail merchandising at the University of Texas, but moved in separate career directions upon returning to their hometown of Houston: Clemmer worked in marketing in retail, while Burdick taught elementary students.
After both women decided to mother full-time, and recognized how much barely-used kids clothing they each had accumulated, Burdick and Clemmer opened the shop in 2011 in Burdick's guest house. The response was overwhelming, and the stock became too much for the small space — it wasn't long before Thread moved into its new, two-story Heights home.
Downstairs, Thread is all color and tasteful whimsy.
Upstairs, friend and photographer Brooke Schwab's studio occupies a clean, open space. Downstairs, it's all color and tasteful whimsy.
The clothing selections — all strictly consignment pieces — range from newborn sizes to 12, with a small department of maternity pieces for expecting moms. Tot-sized Tory Burch flats, Janie & Jack swimsuits and other gently-used, high-end garments and accessories line the shelves, each clean, spotless and neatly-tagged.
Mixed among the colorful clothes are toys and equipment, as well as thoughtfully-crafted accessories and ephemera: Early Rider bicycles, homemade stuffed animals, locally-designed stationary from Pepper Lindsey & Co., children's books, Twistbands and Chewbeads.
Throughout the summer, Thread will host story time — a weekly come-as-you-are, drop-by event for shoppers and their toddlers. Kicking off the summer series at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, the ladies will read If You Give a Cat a Cupcake by Laura Numeroff and The Relatives Came by Cynthia Rylant, followed by coloring activities.
But a fair warning to the stylish parents who accompany the kiddos: Be prepared to shop.
A staircase in Gucci's signature Rosso Ancora leads shoppers to the second floor. Photo by Pablo Enriquez for Gucci
Houston Galleria will be one of the first boutiques to open with Gucci’s latest store window concept, Endless Narratives.Photo by Pablo Enriquez for Gucci
