While women’s boutiques abound in the Lowcountry, few offer a stylish, carefully curated collection of fashions in a beautifully organized and spacious aesthetic. One that does, however, is Coastal Bliss in Shelter Cove Towne Centre.
This boutique covers all the bases, including trends (and classics) in all sizes and for any stage of a woman’s life (from girl to grandmother). Plus, you can actually see the merchandise – it’s not all shoved into a few messy racks. Not only that, but there is also room to browse through every piece without bumping into someone, and you can get valuable advice and feedback along the way.
Blake Schmid, owner of Coastal Bliss with Boutique Buyer/ Manager, Emily Bonvissuto.
Coastal Bliss, locally owned and operated since 2013, has been one of my favorite places to shop since I moved here in 2020. I honestly don’t think I’ve ever walked into the store without walking out with at least one new piece for my closet. If you’ve been inside the store, you understand. If you haven’t been yet, then after reading this, you’ll want to go see for yourself just why.
Let me explain what I think is the secret to the Coastal Bliss appeal.
Cheryl models a sweater set in a beautiful neutral oatmeal shade by Apricot, a brand out of the UK.
First of all, owner/buyer Blake Schmid and boutique manager/buyer Emily Bonvissuto understand how to buy and merchandise their fashions for their customers. Their selections are always on trend and contemporary, and they are always presented at the perfect time you need them, which means there will always be something there for today’s events and something there for anything in your future.
If it’s summer and you want a cute, cool frock, you can find it; if you are shopping for fall fashion, you’ll find something fabulous to wear in a month or two. They also always have a great sale rack where you can find something from any season.
Next, Schmid and Bonvissuto understand who their customers are and choose their inventory with every one of our personal tastes in mind. I don’t think I’ve ever shopped at Coastal Bliss when there hasn’t been a wide range of ages and body types shopping and waiting to check out with something absolutely perfect for them.
Whether you are 21 and looking for a fun, midriff-baring, tight-fitting mini and some short cut-offs, or you’re a mom who needs a little pick-me-up pair of great fitting jeans and a top for a parent meeting, or you’re a woman of a certain age who may be dressing for your grown child’s wedding or an upcoming vacation, you’ll find all of that and more at Coastal Bliss.
Blake Schmid helps Cheryl style a floral green dress she’s purchasing for a trip to Italy.
Even better, once you’ve shopped with Schmid and Bonvissuto a time or two, you won’t even have to leave your dressing room; they will know your preferences and can keep presenting you with suitable options until you find just the perfect thing.
Finally, when you leave the store with your new clothes and accessories, you’ll leave with confidence, knowing that not only do you feel great, but you look great.
Schmid and Bonvissuto give the best feedback regarding fit and styling. You won’t have to wonder if something is flattering on your figure or if the color or fabric isn’t right, or if you’ve paired it with the wrong bag or shoes, because they will tell you. They make sure that you’re comfortable with what you’re wearing, and if something is not the right outfit for you, then they have something else that will be perfect.
Wyatt selected the black and white skort and body suit because she loved the femininity of the skirt combined with the practicality of the shorts.
The day the CH2 crew and I were there to shoot photos for this article was a perfect scenario of what I just described. There were already two models present for the shoot – Kara Tranter, a 20-something, and Whitney Wyatt, a 30-something. When I began to chat with Schmid about the angle I had in mind for the article, she loved it and asked me if I would step in and be that “lady of a certain age.” (If you know you know, and if you don’t know, I’ll keep you guessing!)
Tranter is a working professional in the hospitality industry, so she always needs a work-appropriate wardrobe – plus, lots of her friends are getting married, so she’s got showers and bachelorette trips in the near future. Tranter loves Coastal Bliss because she knows that she can walk into the store no matter the occasion and find a timeless style that fits her body perfectly. She will be able to wear an outfit again and again and enjoy seeing herself in pictures looking great and happy.
Kara Tranter decides on a blue-toned floral dress with a Dolce Vita platform heel for a wedding she’ll be attendig later this month.
Tranter tried on the Royce evening dress by Hutch, a New York-based brand that Coastal Bliss has carried for several years. Women love their effortless feminine designs and bold, flattering, and versatile pieces. Tranter also tried on some “wear now and later” dresses that will transition from her office at the Marriott to any after-work events.
Emily helps Kara pick out earrings to match the outfit.
She chose the evening dress because she’s attending a wedding this month and, importantly, the dress can be worn afterwards to any nice dinner parties or upscale restaurants. Because of the floral design and spaghetti strap styling, she can bring it back out this spring.
She also chose a Dolce Vita platform heel, a beautiful shoe that she will be able to wear with other pieces of her wardrobe as well.
Wyatt is a working mom with three kids ages 18, nine, and six, who looks forward to date nights and wants to look great doing mom stuff. Wyatt has been a Coastal Bliss shopper since the first day the store opened. She knows she can run in for a date night outfit, grab something that makes her feel confident, and get all the compliments while she’s wearing it.
Wyatt tried on a skort from Love the Label, a body suit from Show Me Your Mumu, and a knit pullover dress also from Show Me Your Mumu – a women-owned, women-run brand from Los Angeles. It’s been one of the signature lines that Coastal Bliss has carried since they opened. Buyers love everything from the fit to the fabric to the versatility. The bold prints and timeless styles and shapes appeal to all women of every age and size.
Wyatt selected the black and white skort and body suit because she loved the femininity of the skirt combined with the practicality of the shorts, which allows her to run around with her kids looking like she’s dressed to the nines. She also loved that she can seamlessly move from day to date night simply by changing shoes and accessories. When she’s out with kids, she can wear it with a little black bootie and a carry-all tote bag in just about any color. For date night, all she has to do is freshen her lipstick, change into a black strappy heel, and grab a designer mini bag and step out with her man.
I’m a married, 55-plus freelance writer and yoga teacher who gets to set my own schedule. I enjoy country club lunches with my girls and dinners with my husband and other couples at the island’s best restaurants once or twice a week. I also enjoy meeting up with girlfriends for an occasional happy hour.
Because I have plenty of “right now” clothes, I wanted to shop for something that I could wear when the weather starts cooling off a bit (crossing fingers sooner than later).
I modeled two looks, too. The first was the Anja shirt dress by Hutch in cotton poplin, a fabric that always offers a great fit. The elastic waist really pulled it together for me. Whereas most shirt dresses are shapeless, this comfy little cinch at the waist made the Anja so cute and feminine. The colors, too, offer multi-season wear time. As the weather cools, I can just throw a little vest or cardigan over it and keep moving.
I also modeled a sweater set in a beautiful neutral oatmeal shade by Apricot, a brand out of the UK. They make beautiful, wearable timeless collections that deliver effortless design and fantastic quality – all important details to the Coastal Bliss customer.
These are just three examples of why women love shopping at Coastal Bliss, where the best-dressed ladies on Hilton Head do their shopping. Whether you’re a local or a visitor, when you need that perfect outfit for any occasion, you’ll leave the store with a bag or two filled with confidence-boosting, stylish, contemporary fashions and accessories, and a heart filled with bliss!
Coastal Bliss: Cheers to keeping the women of Hilton Head Island stylish and fabulous since 2013! Visit the store at 38 Shelter Cove Lane, Suite 126.
