It’s all in the Bag

Whatever the activity or the day’s mission, there definitely is a bag for it!

By Elizabeth Sugg » Photos by Brandon Williams

A busy summer is ahead. Treks to the beach or the lake, a promised visit to the zoo, a work trip that combines a weekend getaway, whatever lies ahead rest assured that the merchants and entrepreneurs of the Sandhills have a stylish bag for the transport of the day’s necessities.

Reborn Clothing Co. is the brainchild of 23-year-old N.C. State grad Emily Neville of Linden, population 130 in the northern part of Cumberland County. Inspired by the trends of sustainability and upcycling unused materials, in 2017 as a college sophomore, Neville began sourcing textile waste from top brands and turning the scraps into both clothing and a colorful swath of assorted bags. Reborn’s summery Sunbrella tote bags hold a load of essentials, and they are stylish and lightweight to boot.

The entrepreneurs Cameron Cruse and Lisa Bradley, the two military spouses who conceived the successful R. Riveter brand, have their flagship store on Broad Street in Southern Pines. Inside are an array of colorful, useful bags all handmade and hand-stitched by fellow military spouses, ideal for summer with plenty of pouches and pockets to keep your keys and phone handy. Down the street Morgan Miller has a melon-colored leather pocketbook that will add the pop to upscale a pair of jeans or become the perfect accessory to a pretty day dress. If you are feeling neutral yet with panache, Monkees of the Pines' gray tote with trendy touches of tone-on-tone camouflage will become your catchall for a weekend getaway.

Another Sandhills source for great bags is Binding Energies (BE), an evolving collection begun by three longtime yoga friends Le-Arne Morrissett, Lisa Youngclaus and Virginia Gallagher that the trio call non-fast fashion. “Binding” with fair-wage cottage industries across Southeast Asia, their colorful, textured yoga bags and new suede festival bags are for sale at the BE Boutique inside Beautopia in Southern Pines.

Emily Neville, the founder of Reborn Clothing Co., has some fun with her bright and sunny Sunbrella tote. Sunbrella Beach Tote, $99.99 at Reborn Clothing Co.