Dressing for Home Apparel Best-Sellers at Resort and Beach Shops

The pandemic has radically altered many Americans lifestyles, but they still want cute new things to wear — especially if they’re shopping on a weekend getaway. “This year, we’ve not sold any of our beautiful occasion dresses,” noted Kerry LaJoie , owner of Hazel Boutique in the coastal resort of Portsmouth, N.H. “But we’ve sold tons of loungewear, like knit culottes you can wear as pajamas, or with a beautiful sweater out. People want something new — and to be able to wear it right now, even just around the house.”

The light cotton pants and flowy dresses of summer gave way to cozy, oversized flannels for winter, as customers sought to update their look with pieces that fit the new stay-at-home lifestyle. Neutrals and earth tones like heather gray and mink have sold well, along with navy, which LaJoie said is always popular in New England.

During the pandemic, shoppers favor easy accessories they can purchase without having to go into an enclosed dressing room, potentially exposing themselves by having to remove their masks. LaJoie regularly steams items between try-ons at the 1,100-squarefoot store, but patrons remain wary of any contact, she also the recipe for success at Sundance Clothing, a 30-year-old boutique in Chatham, Mass. “Because everyone spending so much more time at home, they’re buying more robes, joggers, other comfy clothing,” explained Owner April Cabral . Camouflage, a trendy pattern, has been a hit with shoppers who no longer have to go into the office. But the runaway best-seller has been a pair of $15 high-waisted leggings. Fleece lined for the Cape Cod winter, they come in a variety of colors and a single size that fits just about everybody. “We’ve sold hundreds of them,” Cabral reported. Another top item is a knit cap with a USBrechargeable light — ideal for winter adventures. “We’ve sold a lot of them for gifts,” said Cabral. As the holidays approached, her efforts to enhance the store’s website have paid off with customers shopping from home. “We’re doing better than a lot of people,” Cabral reflected. observed. “We’ve sold a lot of really fun knit hats with fluffy pom poms which are great because you don’t have to try them on. They make a good gift, and obviously it’s cold right now,” LaJoie said. “We’ve sold tons of boots and booties this year. People want to spruce up their outfits with cool new shoes.”

Loungewear, accessories and online outreach are

In Portsmouth, N.H., LIT Boutique Owner Michele Fonteyne said she had also upped her focus on social media. “We have people buying directly from Instagram,” she said. Fonteyne opened multiple accounts and has found that videos are more effective than photos. She’s lucky to oversee one of the largest storefronts in downtown Portsmouth, which —unlike many resort boutiques — caters to a wide demographic, from high school and college women to young professionals and their mothers.

“We had to make some changes to accommodate shifting lifestyles and consumer trends,” noted

Dressing for Home (From page 60)

Fonteyne. In addition to social media outreach, those changes include finding new brands to entice customers, like the Los Angeles label Boys Lie. “It just blew up,” marveled Fonteyne. “Every time we get it, it all sells out instantly.” Commando, a longtime customer favorite, is another line that continues to do well.

This season, LIT customers favor a neutral palette of earth tones, mustards, and the ubiquitous dusty mauve. “There are always some customers who want bright colors, but in general it’s more muted,” Fonteyne observed. Casual and athleisure styles have surged since the pandemic began, but as some shoppers go back to work, Siren has sold more upscale jeans and dressycasual tops.

Faux leather, a trend for several years, is a hit with style conscious young women: “You can throw any type over the pants and look good,” noted Fonteyne. Sweaters, jackets and masks are all categories that have sold

Selling Tips for Sunglasses and Hats

Practical, unisex sunglasses and hats are what sells at Sundance Clothing in Chatham, Mass. “We’re a women’s store, but our hats appeal to all ages and to men, women, and children alike,” said Manager Chelsea Forgeron. She’s had men walk by with their dogs, glance at her night scout hats in the window, and pop in to buy one.

Especially in colder climes, beanie-style knit caps are a consistent favorite during winter months. But sunglasses aren’t the staple they once were at independent boutiques. That’s largely because retail space is valuable and the sunglass scene is relatively saturated, with stylish, inexpensive frames on sale at chain retailers. Sundance only carries one line, which resonates because the specs are both unisex and locally made, Forgeron said.

COVID-era hygiene concerns have prompted Kerry LaJoie to remove all glasses from Hazel Boutique, which she owns in Portsmouth, N.H. But hats are another story. On the Atlantic waterfront, patrons buy fedoras and sun hats in summer, cash- mere or felted wool styles in winter. “Where we are, hats are a seasonal thing, offering protection from the sun or cold,” LaJoie explained. It also helps to have a stylish window display; LaJoie arranges the season’s toppers people are working from home on screens, Fonteyne noted. In one of Portsmouth’s largest downtown retail storefronts, LIT displays hats and sunglasses prominently up front. on storefront mannequins.

There’s little sun to ward off in coastal Washington State. At Cotton Cotton Cotton, a boutique in the resort town of Friday Harbor, “we did try readers, but they didn’t work out,” observed Owner Gail Schnee. To ward off the misty chill, patrons favor stocking-style hats from Nepal as well as classic pom-pom hats. Schnee highlights the hats in store windows alongside mittens and scarves.

Nearby in Portsmouth, sunglasses “sell themselves” at LIT Boutique, said Manager Michele Fonteyne. Lenses featuring migraine-preventing blue light protection have been popular during the recession, since many

“We make the accessories a part of the story we’re telling in our boutique,” affirmed Amanda Sparks, owner of Siren Boutique in Eastsound, Wash. She said her thoughtful displays inspire shoppers to accessorize with just the right hat. “Does it stay on your head? Does it cover your face?” reflected Sparks of the thought process behind hat purchases. “Socially, is it appropriate for our area — is it gaudy, or does it fit in?” ❖