Caroline Black, a North Carolina State University graduate and Charlotte local, started Hems & Hers in the summer of 2009 as result of searching for a creative outlet once entering the workforce. When she began searching for the right hobby to satisfy her creative cravings, she considered the immense sewing talent her mother possesses, and the fact that she grew up watching her create gorgeous frocks and modeling the finished products (with a matching hair bow). It seemed only natural to follow in her oh-so-adept footsteps.
“This business was born accidentally,” Black said. “After I made my first dress (the Hannah dress, our most popular dress style) my friends began asking me to make pieces for them. The Belle skirt (the most popular skirt style) was created when my best friend Belle told me she was having a hard time finding a high-waisted, full skirt with pockets. Several friends followed suit, and I started selling them. At the same time, I had a personal blog with about 300 followers who were reading daily as I documented my journey with the sewing machine. When I launched the hobby as a business (basically when I announced its name, Hems & Hers), I had 300 customers almost instantly.”
Black also noted that she is inspired by her eastern Tennessee roots, North Carolina surroundings, incredible Leave It To Beaver upbringing, deep-seeded faith, and the constant support and encouragement of my family and friends (furry and not). Her taste has never been subdued and that her eyes naturally gravitate toward vibrant colors and flirtatious and rich patterns — from paisleys to plaids to polka dots. Which is what originally drew me to her website — I was instantly in love.
If you are looking for original affordable pieces that scream sweet, feminine, effervescent, lively, flirty and quintessentially Southern, then you need to skip over to Hems & Hers. You will not be disappointed.
This article appears in Mar 1-7, 2011.
