September/October • 2021 • GASPARILLA MAGAZINE 51
People as well as styles have been
followed and admired throughout
each decade. While not all fashion
trends of the 20th century were
considered chic, they are all nostalgic
time capsules that many of us look
back on with fond memories.
Because Gasparilla Island has
attracted some of the most rich and
powerful people from all over the
world as a vacation destination or as
a place to call home in the winter, the
island almost has its own brand of
fashion. Light fl orals and pastels often
adorn the ladies who arrive at The
Gasparilla Inn & Club, and men are
often seen with signature Bermudas,
loafers and a melon-colored buttondown
or Polo for casual daywear.
Many of our shops in Boca
Grande turn the heads of even the
most discriminating fashionistas. J
McLaughlin, a clothing company
that features high-quality silk, cotton and
cashmere fabrics with whimsical, bold
prints, has come to the island in the last
few years and become a Boca Grande
favorite. Created by brothers Jay and
Kevin McLaughlin in 1977, their lines have
a timeless feeling and are versatile in the
fact they are comfortable enough to wear
on any day trip, yet have a chic and classic
representation that could be worn to
cocktail hour or a casual dinner party.
Top lines and designers have been
carried at Fugate’s and their Patio Shop for
decades. Sail to Sable and Southern Tide
are featured brands for men and women, as
well as shoes by Hey Dude and Jack Rogers
and accessories and
jewelry from Brighton
and Vera Bradley.
One of the favorite
shops on the island
for visitors who love
fashion is The Palm on
Park: A Lilly Pulitzer
Signature Store, a
brand that has become
synonymous with Boca
Grande style for both
men and women. There you will fi nd the
sweet and lovely Manager Kris Boyden,
who has worked there for almost 30 years.
Kris made sea grape jam with her father
when she was a child, and now makes and
sells it to fund cancer research.
Kris even has a Lilly Pulitzer print made in
her honor. Created in 2016, it is called “Jam
Out,” and still remains a favorite with many.
There are several adaptations of the Jam
Out print, and it is featured on many types
of Lilly Pulitzer clothing. The boldly colored
print that features the leaves of the sea
grape plant is now a Lilly collectible.
Fashion shows at The Gasparilla Inn
& Club have been a tradition in Boca
Grande for a very long time. When the
Boca Grande Club was new in the early
1980s, they sponsored a fashion show of
Fugate’s top lines, and residents would
model the clothing. That show was held
around Valentine’s Day for several years.
In the Boca Beacon’s February 14, 1986
article, it talks about Betsy Joiner being
the master of ceremonies, and featured
fashions that included swimwear to evening
gowns. Models included Dippy Bartow,
Carol Baldwin, Sally Ketchum, Jean Lumley,
Cotton Hanley, Louise Levering, Ann
Kris Boyden