When Megan McIntyre and Charrell McLean became the new owners of Tipsy Mermaid Mercantile in Palm Harbor, Florida, in February, they had a clear vision for the type of atmosphere they wanted to capture in their laid back Gulf Coast town.
“The overall theme for Charrell and me is fun, coastal beauty,” says McIntyre. She describes it as being able to come in and find a fun gift for yourself, a friend or family member for any occasion that fits the Florida weather. It is also about making the customers feel beautiful and happy inside and out with the items they choose.
The clothing at Tipsy Mermaid Mercantile accomplishes just that. “It’s all about having that cool, comfortable style,” says McIntyre. “It is finding that balance between beachy dresses that can cross over between casual and a night out, but also be comfortable and cool being in Florida.”
Protection from the intense sun is also an important feature the owners consider in the apparel they choose to carry.
Like many retailers, Tipsy Mermaid Mercantile faced a forced closure from March 16 until May 4 due to the COVID-19 quarantine. When McIntyre and McLean were finally able to reopen the doors, they made sure their offerings checked all the right boxes, bringing in new made-in-America brands such as Cabana Life, a company that makes colorful dresses and rompers with 50+ SPF ratings, and comfy sandals from Oka-B.
While continuing to offer items with appeal to mermaids, they have some things for “mermen” as well: T-shirts from Coolibar and Bluewater Gear, also with 50+ SPF sun protection.
Masks have become a big apparel item due to the pandemic, and even they can be coastal and stylish.
“One of our main dress companies, Southwind Apparel, had to shut down its factory in Maryland for a period because its merchandise wasn’t considered essential — so the company started making masks,” says McIntyre. “And now we carry them.”
The masks come in sizes to fit everyone: women, men and kids. They are available in vibrant pinks and greens, plus fun prints like crabs and anchors. Some even match Southwind Apparel’s dresses.
Tipsy Mermaid’s most popular frock is Southwind Apparel’s scoop-neck halter dress with a built-in shelf bra. It’s available in solid colors and prints.
“It’s cute enough to feel special but casual enough to go from the pool to the grocery store to home to out for lunch,” says McIntyre.
Tipsy Mermaid has also begun carrying sun-protective shirts for kids from Bluewater Gear, extra cute when paired with reversible sun hats from Flap Jack Kids. They also have sun protection built in. Reversible cover-ups sporting mermaids on one side and narwhals on the other are also on tap for the kiddos.
Because some of the dresses Tipsy Mermaid Mercantile carries retail at the higher end, around $100, the store also sells what McIntyre describes as “beachy tees” which go for $24.99 each and are a little easier on the wallet.
The biggest difference that will be seen in the store’s apparel during the fall, according to McIntyre, will be “adding sleeves.”
Pent-up demand resulting from having to close earlier in the year has definitely been evident at Tipsy Mermaid. “Everyone’s excited to come back out and shop and we’re super excited to have them,” says McIntyre.
Emerging from slumber
Tipsy Mermaid Mercantile wasn’t the only store to experience an uptick in business toward the later part of the summer. Wholesalers like Cabana Life noted that August saw an increase in orders from coastal boutiques. Founder Melissa Papock says, “They came out of hibernation.”
For cues as to what items will be popular in any given year, Cabana Life will often look to the Southeast.
“We start shipping to our Southeast customers way earlier in the season,” Papock says. “We are always looking at them for an early read.”
Although a lot of crossover exists from region to region, there are some variations in color and style.
Aquas, corals and bright citrus tend to play well in Florida and other southeastern areas, while stores in the Northeast have a penchant for traditional blue hues like navies and aquas. Their orders start coming in later in spring.
Californians gravitate toward more flowy silhouettes, and are more muted in their preferred color palette, according to Papock, though there are definite exceptions. And in Hawaii, organic prints win out over geometrics.
“Hawaii loves its florals,” says Papock.
Florals aren’t just reserved for the South Pacific. Just ask Jared Gavuro, owner of Seaside Shade Shack in Sea Isle City, New Jersey.
Seaside Shade Shack has been in business 12 years selling premium sunglasses and Vera Bradley gear, but only recently introduced men’s resort wear.
“The Hawaiian shirts in general are going right now and anything with a lot of color and tropical prints,” he says.It’s a decision Gavuro is glad he made.
“It’s been very well received. I never thought I’d be reordering as much as I have,” he says.
Clothing items range from $65 to $70 with tropical prints leading the way. Three of the top brands Seaside Shade Shack carries are Kenny Flowers, Party Pants and Duvin.
Gavuro found all three at January Surf Expo in Orlando, Florida, and says he appreciates that these are all small companies that have had to hustle like he has to be successful.
Button-downs and swim trunks are his biggest menswear sellers. Gavuro says he can’t stock enough trunks featuring nautical stripes and tropical flowers. He also sells quite a few of 30A’s Beach Happy T-shirts.
The vibe at Traveling Gypsy in Narragansett, Rhode Island, is bohemian style with a beach flair.
The store carries sizes ranging from small to 3X. Whether it’s a pair of flowy pants or a swim cover-up, one thing is certain: “Everything I sell is super comfortable for the beach,” says owner Lisa Roy.
Her first couple of years in business saw traffic mainly from vacationers, but over the years the store has picked up a loyal local following.
Even though the comfort component has been a constant from year to year, Roy has noticed a few fads. In 2020, jumpsuits and dresses were all the rage.
“Last year and the year before it was rompers,” she says. “And I sold a lot of elephant pants the last few years, but not so much this year.”Vibrant colors can be found throughout the store, but the color combo that sells most is blue and white. As for fabric types, rayon from India takes the top prize, though Roy does sell some cotton. She carries apparel from Angie and works with a distributor from India. For ideas, she looks to an app called FashionGo.
Roy typically attends Surf Expo in January and the New England Apparel Club shows. This year she’s thinking of becoming a traveling gypsy herself and heading out west on the hunt for some new inspiration.
“I am hoping to find some different lines out there by shopping around in different stores. I’m just going to travel around for the winter,” she says.
Fall finds
In 2019, Cabana Life launched its first fall line. Retailers that carried the brand in the spring and summer wanted to be able to offer Cabana Life prints during the cooler months as well, and the company responded.To Papock, it really showed the breadth of the customer who wears Cabana Life. For some the sun protection aspect is the first and foremost reason for their purchases, but for others it is about the prints.
Cabana Life launched five new prints and several different silhouettes in September “and it’s just a great collection of some of our best prints and best silhouettes all colored in fall colors,” says Papock.
“It’s a one-step to looking all put together, and they’re comfortable. You can sit in them all day and be happy,” she says.
The fall colors are deeper shades of the spring and summer colors.
“Navy is our black so we start there,” says Papock. “Then we’ll go back to our tried-and-true color palette.”
For example, wine replaces corals and aquas turn to greens and jades. Sprinkle in little pops of yellow or an unexpected detail, and you have the Cabana Life style the company is known for.
“There is a fall answer to all of our colors that people love so much in the spring, it’s just a little bit more muted and toned down,” says Papock.
No matter what the season, Papock has some fashion advice on what resort wear should accomplish. “It should be able to travel. It should be carefree. It should protect you from the sun, and it should make you look amazing the second you throw it on.”
With the help of quality beach retailers and the companies that supply them, having your customers looking amazing — and doing it safely — should be an effortless task.■
