A new Montrose boutique has captured the attention of Houston shoppers — with good reason.
Wardrobe The Boutique, located at at 810 Waugh Drive, has a much different goal than most retail stores when it comes to selling clothes. "I wanted to bring something to Houston that had meaning, that gave back to the community, but was really fashionable and wearable," says owner and British ex-pat Claire Carmichael-Grant. "Most of everything in here gives back to the community in some way."
"Most of everything in here gives back to the community in some way."
One of the many brands carried at Wardrobe is LVR Fashion, a company which donates a portion of its revenue to ARCAS — a wildlife rescue center in Guatemala — and also provides clothing to women in need at the Downtown Women's Center in Los Angeles each month. LVR uses organic and sustainable materials to produce comfortable, fashionable pieces.
Other brands include Nation Ltd, a T-shirt line created by University of Texas grad Jen Menchaca, who donates a portion of sales to The Wounded Warrior Project; Stitched clutches, with proceeds going to help the poor in Indonesia and Stretch yoga jeans and jewelry from Dallas designer Catherine Ray.
Even the walls of the dressing rooms in the contemporary store follow Carmichael-Grant's dedication to the environment as they were crafted from reclaimed wooden doors.
"Because of stores like this, you can find things that you couldn't find before [in Houston]," CultureMap fashion expert Clifford Pugh says.
See the KHOU CultureMap Moment:
Owner Claire Carmichael-Grant, left, promotes sustainable and charitable clothing at her new boutique, Wardrobe.
