Lantana beach shop’s focus is marine, not money

Going into its sixth year, Casual Starfish now has an online store, frequents green markets and is being sold at Good Vibes Bungalow, a part of the coffee shop Good Vibes in Lantana. Also new, a nonprofit designation.

Casual Starfish is known among seashore locals for its beachwear clothing such as sun shirts, straw hats and prints that are adorned with their signature images such as the “groovy octopus” or the “sleeping warrior” print, among others.

But owner Dean Dietrich says there is more to the company than just beach clothes and good vibes.

“Deep down, I would much r a t her make a n i mpac t t han money,” Dietrich said.

But part of that impact is about money. The Lantana shop has made small contributions to area marine conservation causes from the sale of its merchandise. There is also a buy-local mission — the company’s shirts are printed by two Florida print shops.

To grow sales, Dietrich said the company has positioned the Casual Starfish brand to appeal especially to women. He said that in envisioning the clothing line, he wanted to allow women to have a variety of designs and colors. “Moms, grandmas, wives do most of the buying for the men and boys in their lives,” said Dietrich. “So appealing to them is the key.”

Despite the brick-and-mortar and online store, Dietrich said their business is still very much face-to-face. “People want to touch and feel, so when we sell at outdoor markets we are usually very busy,” he said. “Our outdoor market gross sales per day is up to 50 percent to 75 percent over the last year.”

Dietrich and his wife, Jeanette, turned to clothing partly out of a particular frustration in dayto-day shopping. They found it hard to find shirts for their children that would provide them with adequate sun protection, especially at the beach or on the ocean.

The solution came about as Dietrich, who works full-time for a pool-cleaning company, was producing shirts for the company to give away at trade shows. The shirts gained popularity and turned out to be just what he and his wife were looking for, bringing him to a seemingly obvious conclusion.

“If we can’t find the stuff, why not make our own?” he asked, and in August 2011, the Casual