Ella’s stocks sustainable classics for your closet and home
By Ashlee Cowles | Oct. 14, 2023
Most small businesses change over time, especially when they’ve been landmarks in downtown Traverse City for nearly 25 years. Ella’s, which began as a vintage clothing store in 1999, has evolved into a small department store that offers high-end apparel, most of it European and American made. Although Ella’s still offers a few select vintage pieces upstairs and in their sale room, the store’s primary offerings have shifted to consciously curated fashion for both women and men, along with home furnishings and décor.
While aspects of the business have changed significantly since the store’s inception, one core tenet has stayed the same: Ella’s remains committed to sourcing and selling items that are manufactured responsibly.
“We have stayed the course with this vision,” says Wendy Buhr, owner of Ella’s. “We want the items you buy to stay out of the landfill, to always be worth something, and to make you smile.”
Don’t MALL the Planet
Buhr is local to northern Michigan, having spent most of her childhood in Torch Lake while wintering with her family in the Florida Keys. Her father was a builder who flipped homes and her mother was an antiques dealer, both of which provided Buhr with an early introduction to collecting, design, and entrepreneurship. After high school, Buhr spent a few years in Chicago where she worked for an interior designer. When she was 21, she moved back to northern Michigan with a vision as clear as the lake she grew up on.
Buhr wanted to open a store that had a classic department store feel and carried items that would become vintage one day. She also wanted to use vendors that were well vetted for their ethical manufacturing practices. “From the very beginning, I felt like I was swimming against the tide,” says Buhr.
She opened the doors to her first 700-square-foot store during the heyday of malls and mass-produced fashion. “I was handcrafting my own things then and buying from friends who were making things…all before Etsy existed!” Nevertheless, Buhr and her friends were really into recycling and remaking clothing, furniture, and jewelry. “We used to make these T-shirts that said ‘Don’t MALL the planet.’”
Buhr’s initial retail concept was a bead shop called Threads, but in 1998, her daughter Ella was born, and shortly thereafter came the clothing store that still bears her child’s name.
More than a Price Tag
In 2008, Buhr moved into the two-story, 5,000 square-foot space that Ella’s occupies on Front Street today. The state of the economy at the time was one of the reasons Buhr decided to go high-end with this new concept—it was important to remain with buyable vendors who would stay in business.
As Buhr learned more about fashion and had her eyes opened to the ethical dilemmas within the industry, she doubled down on her commitment to avoiding the incredible waste and pollution caused by “fast fashion.”
“My clientele wanted me to stay at a lower price point, but you just can’t buy things at a lower price point in an ethical way,” says Buhr. “Buy one thing that is going to last you instead of several.”
She doesn’t shy away from opportunities to explain why certain items Ella’s carries are more expensive than what customers will likely find in a big box store. “I’m not saying come in and buy your whole wardrobe [high-end], but add pieces. Those will be your favorites and those will last because they’ll be classics and always well made.”
Building a Thoughtful Wardrobe
Emphasizing quality over quantity is one of the primary ways Ella’s staff carries out their commitment to sustainability. But how does one curate a look that is both fashionable and timeless, and also doesn’t contribute to needless fashion waste?
American-made denim is a mainstay at Ella’s, with brands like Citizens of Humanity and Mother Denim being among the most popular. Buhr recommends starting with a good pair of jeans that “fit without bagging out” as a reliable must-have for fall. She says to look for “something that makes you feel trim and fashionable.”
Next, Buhr suggests investing in a blazer, as this versatile piece “adds polish to any look” and can be worn “over a dress, with denim and a T-shirt, or suited up with a dress pant or skirt.” To top off your wardrobe for the shoulder season, three tops and two comfortable sweaters are staples you can mix and match. Ella’s carries brands like Soeur and Humanoid, and many of the options are made out of breathable fabrics like 100 percent cotton or linen, which are more recyclable and less environmentally costly than materials like polyester.
Buhr also emphasizes the importance of good footwear and says this is an area of your wardrobe that’s worth spending a bit more money on. “Cheap shoes depreciate your look, but expensive shoes make your target outfit look more expensive,” she says. A clog or loafer and a nice pair of boots—real leather or a good vegan leather—are always solid choices. “If you buy well, you will have them for years.”
And for those windy autumn strolls, Buhr loves adding a nice trench coat to her repertoire. “It feels very French.” Ella’s also offers accessories such as leather handbags and belts, as well as ethically-made hats in a variety of sustainable materials and styles.
For the Home
Inside the spacious downtown store, you’ll find much more than clothing. Ella’s has a friendly and full-service interiors team on the lower level of the store who use their creative skills to design homes from inception.
When it comes to home furnishings and interior design, Buhr says a timeless style is one that is neutral. “Buy all of your large upholstery in a solid linen or boucle, and you can add more interest in your textiles,” such as pillows, throws, and rugs. The pillows at Ella’s are a popular purchase, sourced from all over the world, including places like Turkey and Morocco. Working directly with artisans in other countries is the aspect of Buhr’s work that most excites her.
“I just love handmade…I’m a textile junkie,” she says. “Being able to travel and see people making things in all different cultures and reading about them and studying them and then actually going there—that’s my jam.”
In addition to pillows, Ella’s carries rugs, candles, and linens like towels and napkins. The store also sells custom furnishings such as sofas, sectionals, chairs, ottomans, side tables, and lighting. Buhr says that most of the pieces they carry are “soft modern” and lack the stark, hard edges of some contemporary furniture. They’re “very hygge in fabric choices,” she adds.
While it’s tempting to opt for the cheaper, build-it-yourself pieces, Buhr discourages that practice. “If you buy well-made furniture,” she says, “there is a lifetime guarantee on the frame, so you can change up your look easily by switching out the textiles instead of purchasing new furniture every five to 10 years.”
One of the main home furnishing brands Ella’s carries is Cisco Home, which uses sustainably-harvested hardwoods. “They’re making furniture the same way it was made 100 years ago and standing behind it… The furniture is beautiful and lends itself to any architecture.”
And if you can’t afford higher-priced items right now, Buhr emphasizes that you can always purchase clothing and furnishings of a higher quality secondhand. “Let’s stop contributing to the waste in the world,” she says.