California Drawstrings in the Bay

Sponsor Spotlight - October 2018

If style and comfort married, their offspring would be the elegant clothing found in this popular Old Town boutique. 
story and photos by Denise Jacobs

California Drawstrings shares many of the same attributes as Bay St. Louis and neighboring small towns along the Mississippi Gulf Coast—charming, creative, artsy, breezy, and, OK—even quirky!  

You might say that California Drawstrings dresses the women of Old Town Bay St. Louis—and yet, like the whimsical nature of the Gulf itself, changing from day to day, no two women look alike.  
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Linda Keenan, proprietor, owns stores in Covington and the French Quarter, as well as Bay St. Louis. At market, she buys with each store’s unique location and customer base in mind, never buying too much of anything, never wanting her clients to run into each other on the street. 

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Keenan has a most faithful following for good reason. While shopping for her Old Town BSL store, Keenan keeps in mind her returning customers’ taste in jewelry and color palette. You could say that Keenan carries both the basics and the flair, and her customers provide the style. 
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“Sometimes I add a little persuasion,” Keenan says, “and coax a woman into trying on something outside her comfort zone. It’s really rewarding when that works out and a woman falls in love with a new look.” 

Thanks to Keenan’s extensive line of clothing, shoppers can choose from among the super chic, the subtle boho, classic black and white, and neutral flesh tones without sacrificing their personal style. From old standby brands like Flax and Matchpoint to Cut Loose, April Cornell, and Fridaze, Keenan carries the biggest and best line of Flax, wrinkle-resistant linen, and knits on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.  
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Between Keenan’s labels, her fashion knowledge, and her superpower buying skills, it is quite possible to build a strong foundation of timeless pieces that can be paired with almost anything in a woman’s closet. 

“People come into the store from all over the country,” Keenan says. “And they often ask my sales clerks about the store’s buyer.  ‘Who does the buying?’ they ask.  The clerks point toward me, and, of course, I always look like I just fell off the turnip truck. Regardless—I’ve always liked putting things together. When I go to market, I don’t consider the trip a success unless I can come back with one or two pieces that will knock your socks off.” 

Lots of local California Drawstrings customers wanted to get in on the action when they learned about this article. Kat Fitzpatrick, a local visual artist, modeled several jackets purchased from California Drawstrings through the years, each of them perfectly coordinated with a simple linen top and pants, also from California Drawstrings. Fitzpatrick’s jackets fall in the “knock your socks off category.”  Members of a local book club - Club Nouveau - dressed in California Drawstrings attire for their most recent gathering. 

Members of Club Nouveau

Artist Kat Fitzpatrick in two of her jackets from California Drawstrings.

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Lisa Loth, Waveland resident, photographer, and Silver Slipper employee, chose some fall favorites from the store racks to model just for this story. During Lisa’s photo shoot, return customer Pam Newman drifted in from Ocean Springs, Mississippi, looking fab in a neutral flax-colored dress she bought at California Drawstrings a year or two ago. Snap! 

Pam, a regular customer from Ocean Springs, models one of her favorite Drawstrings dresses purchased a year or two ago.

By the time this story runs, new fall linens—a little heavier fabric in darker hues than typically worn in the summer—will have arrived. Shoppers will find a lovely linen tunic dress for sunny days, linen trousers, and linen jackets—all beautifully accessorized with Keenan’s choice of scarves and accessories. Stop by and find your bling - or your bliss! ​

Actress Lauren Hutton recently shopped in the French Quarter location of California Drawstrings.