9 Places to Shop Sustainable September & Year Round Sustainable Fashion
Earth Day isn’t the only time of year to take a look at how you’re helping (or hurting) the planet. Have you heard of Sustainable September? It’s a time for folks to challenge their daily habits by making small changes to improve our impact on the earth. Luckily, Durham is home to several local businesses that can help you celebrate while also updating your Fall wardrobe. Sustainable fashion is all the rage, with several clothing companies supporting ethical business practices, utilizing natural materials, and encouraging customers
to reuse through renting. Say goodbye to fast, disposable clothing and hello to slow, sustainable fashion. Learn more about several of Durham’s new sustainable fashion shops below and refresh your autumn look while supporting Mother Earth.
Sustainable September in Durham
Casa Bella Market
3604 Witherspoon Blvd, #105, Durham, NC 27707
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This woman-owned, small retail business may seem like just another spot to pick up locally made wares, but if you look a little harder, you’ll see it’s truly a powerhouse pioneer of sustainability in Durham. Casa Bella Market owner Sara Mannone opened in Patterson Place off 15-501 in Feb 2023. First, I’ll share the new sustainable fashion feature that compelled me to include Casa Bella Market on this list, but then I’ll highlight some of the other incredible offerings available at this oasis.
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As of September 8th, Casa Bella Market is home to Circular Triangle’s Fashion Library. This brilliant concept allows customers to rent artistic, sustainable clothing created by local artists. You can rent an item for up to 3 weeks and the $20 donation covers shipping, laundering, and growth of the Fashion Library collection. Some items are even for sale if you love
them too much to send them back. But consider how much waste will be prevented by sending your clothing back into circulation, not to mention how many more people will get to enjoy the item. Besides clothing, Casa Bella Market offers so many avenues for reducing your carbon footprint. With low/no-waste sustainability at its core, Casa Bella Market provides a refill station featuring local home and body products, including Durham’s own soap and cleaning brand, Fillaree; plus sustainable products like Beer to Bags, which turns malt bags from breweries into reusable totes. They even offer a FREE community silverware library, so you can borrow real metal forks, spoons, and knives and avoid filling landfills with plastic utensils. As someone who at one point bought 200 forks and knives secondhand in an attempt to be more
sustainable, I can tell you that borrowing these for free would have been a huge time- and money-saver!
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But wait, there’s more! If selling/renting sustainable goods wasn’t enough, Casa Bella Market also offers classes from local artists. I participated in a watercolor class there with one of my favorite Durham artists, Carrie Richardson with Bright Kind Creative, and it was such a fun experience! The cost of the class includes all the supplies and, for the adult classes, an
adult beverage. There are also kids classes (ages 5-11) on Wed evenings that cost $20/class (8-class sessions).
Casa Bella Market represents all of what I love about Durham: local people pouring their values into their work and supporting artists and community. Follow their socials to learn more and check out their Fall Open House on Sat, Sept 28th from 10am – 5pm to grab discounts, treats, and prizes!
Tigress
2302 Chapel Hill Rd, Durham, NC 27707
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If you are looking for new clothes (feminine or masculine) from sustainable brands, gifts from local artists, or secondhand sustainable clothing, then Tigress is the shop for you. Originally opened in Sept 2023 inside Outer Loop Arts, Tigress moved to its current spot, a historic bungalow in the Lakewood area in March 2024. Owner, Rachel Erdheim, transitioned from a
career as a lawyer and started giving the artist part of her brain more room to explore as she developed Tigress over the past several years.
Erdheim’s thoughtfulness is evident when you walk into the artsy, homey shop, from the tables highlighting independent art and jewelry to the wide variety of eco-conscious clothes made with natural and sustainable fabrics. Tigress sources from fair trade certified brands, ensuring the makers of your clothes receive fair wages and are conscious of their environmental footprint. No sweat shop merch here! It’s like all the vibes of Ten Thousand Villages with the flair and freshness of a local business.
In fact, even the consignment section of the shop contains exclusively sustainable brands. There is a list on their website to give you an idea of what is accepted (think: Patagonia, Marine Layer, etc.), but generally they’re looking for natural materials and an ethos toward sustainability. The consignment feature was an aspect that stood out the most to me, since it truly embraces the circular economy model, providing a place for people to bring their used clothing so it can live to see another day rather than end up in a landfill.
Another highlight for me is Tigress’ commitment to community. Not only do they host regular community events, like a happy hour in August complete with tarot readings and raffle prizes, but they also donate to nonprofits that align with their socially conscious values. With proceeds in 2024 supporting groups such as LGBTQ Center of Durham, Legal Aid of NC, and Triangle
Native American Society, it’s clear that Tigress is walking the walk of sustainability.
Check out their selection of conscious products online, follow them on social media, and most importantly, visit them in-person as this quaint shop is truly a fair trade escape in our busy world!
Rose + Lee Collective
213A W Main St, Durham, NC 27713
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What started as a women’s clothing boutique in Apex in 2019 has expanded into a sustainable and ethical, woman-owned business with a second location that just opened in the heart of downtown Durham this summer. Founded by Amber Rose and Prisca Lee, Rose + Lee’s motto is
“Style with a Story,” meaning they elevate the stories of makers and brand owners while educating and building a community of thoughtful consumers. Clothing, accessories, and gifts throughout the store are selected from ethical brands making a positive impact on the environment and communities worldwide.
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If you follow Rose + Lee Co on social media, you’ll find an array of well dressed and thoughtfully accessorized women modeling some of the incredible pieces featured in their two storefronts. They even recently featured Amber at a While you can shop online, the in-store experience is
much preferred, with in-house stylists to offer their ideas and support in helping you curate your wardrobe. You can even book one of the stores for free for a Girls Night Out Party, complete with free styling, party favors, and 10% of the evening sales going to the cause of your choice.
While the Apex store is inside a house-turned-storefront, the Durham location is smack dab in the middle of downtown, directly across from Discover Durham, our local visitor’s center, and next to Dolly’s Vintage, another great shop for supporting sustainability and local makers. This
location makes it a great spot to hit up after the Farmer’s Market, before a DPAC show, or if you have friends/family staying at a downtown hotel.
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Be sure to follow the Rose + Lee Co Instagram and Facebook pages to keep up with upcoming sales and events, like the Marine Layer Trunk Show on Sept 19th . Freshen up your fall/winter wardrobe with some sustainable styles from Rose + Lee Co!
Other Ways to Shop Sustainably in Durham
Of course, I’d be remiss if I didn’t make mention of the other ways you can reduce your carbon footprint while shopping around Durham. The above are just three examples of places to buy new, sustainably sourced clothes and support slow fashion. Below are several other examples of ways to shop sustainably in the Bull City:
Thrift and Vintage Stores: Discover Durham wrote a blog about the array of vintage and thrift shops around town. Anytime you can buy secondhand, you rescue that clothing or item from the landfill. Special shout out to The Scrap Exchange, which has been promoting creativity, environmental awareness, and community through reuse since 1991. Very sustainable. Very demure.
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Package-Free/Refillable Stores: Reduce your waste by shopping at stores that don’t have plastic or any packaging on their products. Fillaree, as mentioned above, is a Durham-based company that offers refillable body, dish, and home soaps and cleaners with stations available throughout the Triangle. Part + Parcel is an eco-conscious, package-free store with bulk
grocery, home cleaning, and personal care items. Bonus: P+P serves as a model of neurodiversity through inclusive employment.
Shopping Local: Never underestimate the impact of shopping local on the environment. Not only are you reducing your carbon footprint by eliminating the need for trucks to transport your food and other goods, but you keep your dollars in Durham.
For farm fresh foods, check out the Farmers Markets across Durham
(Downtown, North, South, Black).
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For retail shops featuring local artists, check out Cecy’s Gallery, Artisan Market at 305, and Casa Bella Market (featured above).
For an exchange of free items (like a rummage sale with no money needed), check out Durham’s Really Really Free Market.
Upcoming Sustainable Events
Use this month as an opportunity to learn more about some of these sustainable businesses by exploring their stores and attending these events.
Most Saturdays and Sundays: Workshops at The Scrap Exchange
(2050 Chapel Hill Rd, 27707)
Thurs, Sept 18th , 4 – 7pm: Marine Layer Trunk Show at Rose + Lee Co
(213 W Main St, 27701)
Sun, Sept 22nd , 2 – 4pm: Clothing Swap at DSSOLVR Durham (630 Rigsbee Ave, 27701)
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Fri, Sept 27th, 5 – 6:30pm: Flow and Refill at Fillaree (3117 Guess Rd, 27705)
Sat, Sept 28th, 10am – 5pm: Fall Open House at Casa Bella Market
(3604 Witherspoon Blvd, #105, 27707)
Sun, Sept 29th, 1 – 3pm: Revive + Revamp Upcycling with Durham Craft Company at Legacy Studios (601 Fayetteville St, #200, 27701)
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Hopefully you’ll discover a new sustainable business in Durham to support this month. Happy Sustainable September, Durham!
Check out September Happenings for more ways to explore the Bull city this month
I’m Chrysti!
Durham real estate agent and enthusiast for all the best the area has to offer.
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