Stories Worth Sharing: 1907 Apparel

Love. From the moment I enter 1907 Apparel, that’s what surrounds me. Maybe it’s the way owner Dawn Cornelius reaches down to my 2-year-old and shows him a place he can draw. Perhaps it’s the intriguing story displayed on the wall or the box for clothing donations to support an adopting family.

Nestled among The Shoppes on Fatherland, 1907 Apparel is a boutique specializing in clothing, jewelry, and housewares. The products are beautiful, but more importantly, they have stories that need to be shared.

There’s the ox-yoke table made at a cooperative in Honduras, and the wallets made from recycled concrete bags. While the store carries well-known socially-aware brands like FashionABLE, they also seek the lesser-known stories of brands like Freedom’s Promise, which rescues women from sex trafficking in Cambodia.

With a background in publishing and marketing, Dawn Cornelius found that she longed to touch lives in a more tangible way. “I wanted to see something happen,” she says. And so she founded a store that aims to change lives.

1907 Apparel has committed to send a portion of its profits to local and global organizations that provide for the basic human needs of those in poverty. The principles of the store are based on a remarkable story of love that changed Cornelius’s life forever, and the store seeks to continue changing lives by encouraging others to share their stories as well. In February, the employees wanted to focus on love that gives more than flowers at Valentine’s Day. They reached out to a family seeking to adopt a little girl from China and began a campaign to “Bring Lola Home,” raising over $1,000.

There are many striking things about 1907 Apparel — the kindness of the staff, the design of the store — but perhaps one of the most striking is the affordability of the products. While there are several uniquely crafted works that are out of my price range, I found gorgeous spring dresses, blouses, and jewelry for under $50. The locally made WOW soaps ($5) and recycled metal crosses from Haiti ($25) are two products I couldn’t resist buying.

1907 Apparel has big plans for impacting the community this spring, and they are adding more eco-friendly and socially-conscious products to their shelves each week. I’m excited to watch the store and their impact grow.

Hang out with 1907 Apparel this St. Patrick’s Day for their “Go Green” celebration. The Cupcake Bus will be at the store from 12pm to 3pm on Sunday, March 17th, and all green items in the store will be 7% off.  The store is located at 1006 Fatherland Street, 37206.