Sisters Erin Corder-Brown and Emily Barbour, owners of Do It With Soul in downtown Spokane’s West End District, describe their eclectic clothing shop as a peek into their closets.
Growing up, their clothes weren’t the kind you’d buy off the rack. Their mom worked as a seamstress, so they were always encouraged to be creative. Instead of throwing out stained t-shirts or jeans with holes, they’d repurpose them.
Corder-Brown made her first dress at the age of six, and one of Barbour’s early memories is sewing a purse out of the back pocket of some jeans.
“We’ve always been into thrifting and altering, so it made sense to keep it going and turn it into a business,” Corder-Brown shared.
The women go to estate and garage sales and inherit clothes from family members, then alter the pieces, turning them into unique artwear.
“I love it when people are blown away with how successful my sister is at altering products,” said Barbour, whose strength is the business side of things.
She’s heard from many people who recount Pinterest fails at tie-dying, cutting jeans into shorts, or cutting shirts into crop tops.
“That shows me how hard my sister works with her creative side,” Barbour said. “Pinterest can look all fun and games, but at the end of the day, you have to have ‘it.’”
Their most popular items are what they refer to as “band flannels,” where they take thrifted, upcycled-found flannels and patch a band logo or any kind of iconic image from tattered t-shirts onto the back of them.
“You can throw that on the simplest of outfits and feel unique 100 times over. It’s really fun,” said Barbour.
In addition to vintage artwear, a few from-scratch pieces, and new wholesale in small batches, you can also find some home décor, wall art and even hutches at Do It With Soul.
“There’s something for everybody,” Barbour said. “It’s not a 10-minute shopping stop; it’s an experience.”
Born and raised in Spokane, Corder-Brown holds a degree in apparel design and merchandising from WSU, and Barbour graduated from the University of Idaho with a degree in advertising and business.
Once she became a mom, Corder-Brown wanted more freedom and flexibility than what a traditional job could offer. After some late-night conversations about life and making your passion a business, Do It With Soul was born in 2016.
The sisters started out at vendor malls and swap meets, working out of their basements. Eventually, they opened a workshop studio in the Sprague District.
When their lease ended right before the pandemic, it was a chance to reset, regroup and really think about where they wanted to be next.
They’d had their eyes on downtown Spokane’s West End neighborhood for a while. Barbour teaches yoga at The Union West and knew how unique and fun the community is, so when the space at 112 South Cedar Street opened up, they knew it was “the one” and opened the doors to their new home in February 2022.
With breweries, boutiques, coffee, yoga and more all in downtown Spokane’s West End, you can make a total afternoon of your visit, and they encourage you to do so.
“We’re excited that this area is turning even cooler than it was pre-pandemic,” Barbour said.
They’re looking forward to all the foot traffic the warmer months will bring, and for the start of The City Line, Spokane’s first bus rapid transit route, which will have a stop near their shop.
Do It With Soul is open 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. six days a week – closed Wednesdays.