Meredith McLaughlin, owner
Love Shack, 137 E. Atlantic Ave., 561/276-7755 Meredith McLaughlin caught the fashion bug at an early age—and has yet to recover. “I’ve basically been in the fashion world since the day I was born, because that’s what my mom, Carole Harvey, has always been into,” she says. Before starting Snappy Turtle 35 years ago in Maine—and then transporting the preppy shop to Delray—Harvey always had daughters Meredith and Caroline in tow when buying supplies to make her own canvas bags. McLaughlin even remembers the nightly ritual of picking out the next day’s outfit.
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“No lie, my mother’s questions weren’t, ‘Did you do your homework?’ They were more like, ‘What are you going to wear tomorrow?’” McLaughlin helped the family business branch out to a younger, hipper audience with the opening of Love Shack in 2001, which she believes offers a relaxing atmosphere to match its laid-back apparel and accessories. “We hope that people are comfortable browsing and know that we are certainly happy to help them if they are looking for suggestions or guidance,” she says. “Otherwise, we hope they can just relax and shop!” Why She LoveS faShion: “I believe that one’s fashion is the ultimate form of selfexpression.” TrendS for The upcoming year: “What we’ve been seeing dominate the trends
for the past few years is boho-chic. It’s something that is continuing to stick around and be innovated each season. I think what sets us apart from other trendy stores is that we do buy on trend for the store, but at the same time, we kinda do our own thing.” favoriTe parT of The job: “Buying for the store. Whether the customer is 60 or 16, I feel like one of my strongest attributes is being able to find something for everyone.”
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