Palm Cove fashion guru expands into swimwear

THE owner of Palm Cove’s womens clothing store Annie’s Ladies Boutique has recently expanded her business, opening a new swimwear store, Annie’s at the Beach, just down the road on Palm Cove’s Williams Esplanade.

“In the last few years, ladies have come in asking if I stock swimwear, it started with the visitors to Palm Cove and then the locals too,” says owner Annie Gillow.

After about six months, Annie started asking those enquiring what particular swimwear they were after and began searching for the right items that would suit her shop.

She decided to make room in her tiny, chock-a-block boutique to stock swimwear, starting with 10 pieces on one little rack.

“I carefully chose what I knew ladies would love – tummy tucking pieces that made you look two sizes smaller – and the result, they rocketed out the door,” she says.

“So I thought, I need more of a range for more shapes and sizes. However, this could not be done in my little store so off I went hunting for another location in Palm Cove.”

With that, Annie’s new shop Annie’s at the Beach was born.

Annie now stocks seven brands of boutique swimwear in the new shop.

“We stock BAKU, an amazing Australian-designed and made swimwear for everyone, in sizes 6 to 16. Plus other brands suitable for plus-sizes up to size 24, and much more,” she says.

“Ladies have been impressed with the prices I have as well. To offer something for all price points is something that has always been important to my boutiques.”

While Annie’s Ladies Boutique is a smaller boutique, Annie’s at the Beach has become a much larger shop offering more than just swimwear.

Since opening, Annie has added hats, beach bags, beach throws and towels, plus a few new brands of clothing including Pygmees (as worn by Annie in the picture on the left), a “fab stretch cotton, funky-retro style of dresses and tops”.

“It’s a brand that I have personally worn for years and I have just hung up my first range of pieces in the last two weeks,” says Annie.

Annie’s stores provide a point of difference that ladies love, with many great solutions and choices in many shapes. “I don’t just buy a brand,” she says. “I search, test, check and buy what will work best. You can buy a dress or swimwear that looks good, or you can buy one that turns heads.”

Check out Annie’s great range of boutique clothing and swimwear options at Palm Cove.