Pictured: The new Monkee's Sarasota location is set to open in February 2024 and will offer trendy, funky and unique resort wear. Photo by Lori Harpsoe.

St. Armand’s Circle is home to some of the best shopping in Southwest Florida and will soon welcome a brand new Monkee’s boutique location in early 2024. The Monkee’s franchise was started in 1995 by Dee Dee Shaw in Wilmington, North Carolina, with Shaw aiming to open a girly and fashion-relevant store that offered plenty of high-end, department store items in a small-town, charming boutique setting. Since then, Monkee’s has opened stores in 12 states and developed a cult-like following for its varied styles between locations and impressive list of designer vendors.

The new location is set to open on February 2nd, and is owned by Lori Harpsoe, who moved to Sarasota from Cleveland, Ohio with her husband and two children in 2021 during the pandemic. She was drawn to Monkee’s because of its impressive, designer labels while visiting the location at Waterside Place, which opened in December 2022. “I’ve always loved fashion and it is the one thing that has always made me happy. I used to say ‘I want to open a boutique one day, but life gets in the way with routines and kid stuff,’” she says. “I first visited the Waterside Place location when one of my best friends from Ohio was visiting and was immediately drawn to the high-end feel. As I looked at the labels, I noticed that you don’t really see these kinds of brands in boutiques too often, so I took a business card, saw that it said franchise opportunities and thought that was exactly what I needed.”

What makes the Monkee’s company and its growing fleet of boutiques unique is the freedom owners are given to inject their own personality and flavor into the store’s offerings. While stores in North Carolina, South Carolina or Alabama might offer styles geared towards more Deep South, preppy looks, Harpsoe says that the Sarasota location will carry clothes, accessories and shoes catered to those looking for funky and trendy resort wear that will make their vacation or staycation even more memorable.

Another reason for Monkee’s immense popularity is its age-inclusive range of styles. “One of Monkee’s philosophies is that three generations of women should be able to come in and find something that fits their needs. I was trying to keep that in mind because I want to make sure there is something fun for everyone, especially for people on vacation here. I want people to come home from vacation with something that's special and unique and from our store, something that not every other boutique carries. I think that’s the fun part.”

Harpsoe continuously studies the latest fashion trends and handpicks every item that will be in the store, hoping to create a positive combination of cutting-edge fashion and personalized attention for those looking to find unique pieces for special occasions and top-notch customer service.

For more information, visit shopmonkees.com.

Pictured: The new Monkee's Sarasota location is set to open in February 2024 and will offer trendy, funky and unique resort wear. Photo by Lori Harpsoe.