'A community of individuality': Rumors boutique fosters creative expression

Disco balls, cow skulls on the walls and colorful dressing stalls. What sounds like a game of I Spy — looking through the whimsical landscapes that make up the popular children’s books — describes the experience of shopping at a boutique that has served the Chapel Hill-Carrboro community for years. 

Rumors' Chapel Hill location opened in 2013, and has since become a staple among fashion lovers and newcomers alike. From vintage T-shirts to mini skirts to cowboy boots to cargo pants, Rumors has something for everyone. 

“If you’re ever looking for something new, something fresh or you want to explore, there’s definitely cheap options here, which is great for college students,” Adriana Naula, a Rumors employee and third-year student, said.

“Buy-Sell-Trade” isn’t just a phrase for students of the Kenan-Flagler Business School. Rumors builds its collection of “pre-loved” clothing and accessories through community members who bring in their clothes in exchange for cash and store credit. 

“It's really nice to give new life to clothing rather than just dumping it in a donation box or throwing it away,” Juliet Magoon, the Rumors store manager, said.

For Magoon, this exchange is how Rumors is able to give back to its community, by providing affordable fashion options and giving opportunities for community members to make some extra money on the side. 

“We're not marking things up crazy. We're paying people a fair price for their items and trying to benefit everyone in the process,” she said.

Rumors also partners with local vendors, offering rack space and promotion for those with established, curated shops.

Braulio Gordillo-Diaz started Overgrown Vintage in January 2020 and developed an appreciation for pre-'80s fashion. His partnership with Rumors helped him become a full-time business owner in 2023 because the boutique encouraged him to grow his collection. 

“I wouldn’t be where I’m at without them,” he said. 

Gordillo-Diaz started off as a Rumors customer in high school when the boutique first opened, and since then, he has built relationships with Rumors employees — a union of fashion, business and community. 

Rumors’ merchandise embodies the unique identities of its sellers, offering customers a wide variety of options to help them discover who they are. 

“I think that it fosters a community of individuality,” Teeney Hurley, a Rumors employee, said. “It inspires people to be who they are, and accepting, as soon as you walk through the door, that anybody and everybody can find something here, in style.” 

In the spirit of creating a welcoming environment for its clientele, Rumors employees display clothing of all sizes and avoid labeling clothing according to the gender binary — as exclusively male or female. 

Naula said that while breaking the gender binary can be challenging because fashion is often gendered in society, she has enjoyed seeing shoppers push against it. 

“I’ve been able to see people going in all kinds of sections, which I really much enjoy” she said. “I’m glad that our customers aren’t super tapped into the binary and are free enough to explore other styles.”

Tanner Queen is a UNC student and a frequent Rumors shopper. Since freshman year, Queen has looked to the boutique as a source of inspiration, and his favorite clothing item purchased at Rumors is his green leather trench coat. 

“You could meet a new friend or maybe explore a different aspect of yourself that you didn't know about and go in there and have a good time,” he said. 

Magoon said she thinks people are too concerned about making their clothing curated to a narrow aesthetic. She likes to switch her style up on a daily basis — one day, Magoon is wearing athleisure, and the next, she’s in business-casual. 

“Fashion should be fun and it’s not that deep," she said. "Literally just try different things."

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