Minding Your Business- Island Pursuit

Island Pursuit is a Chatham institution and the go-to choice for shoppers looking for the best resortwear around. This is a one-stop shopping experience that captures the timeless essence of coastal Cape Cod fashion. The store, which also has a location in Mystic, Conn., is located on Main Street, heading toward the downtown Chatham area, and it boasts tons of parking for easy access to the massive shop.

Island Pursuit is the type of destination where men and women alike can find everything they need for a timeless, coastal outfit for every occasion. Popular brands they carry include Johnnie-O, Sail to Sable, Saint James, and the popular wraps and draped dress toppers from Alashan Cashmere. There is also a dedicated “shop within a shop” featuring the popular outerwear brand Helly Hansen with the best of their raincoat, jackets, sailing vests, accessories and more. Natural Comfort shoes is next door and is also now part of Island Pursuit with a massive selection of footwear. 

General Manager Mimi Walantis is the primary buyer for Island Pursuit and has a long history in retail, with experience at the Mashpee Vineyard Vines shop within Puritan Clothing, the Mashpee Lilly Pulitzer store, and an accessory shop with her mother in Providence, R.I. for 17 years. She has a real knack for buying and has been thrilled to bring in new labels to the store like Gretchen Scott and Madda Fella, brands you don’t typically see around town. She takes great pride in the overall shopping experience for her customers and listens to the customer’s tips on new brands.

“I am really psyched to be back involved with the buying,” Walantis said. “We listen to our customers and they bring up brands all the time that maybe we haven't heard of that I get to research. And our staff, some of whom have been here 10 years, know all of the brands we’ve carried that they personally love that they may want to bring back.”

Island Pursuit sells a very popular private label cotton hydrangea sweater in two different colors.

“It screams ‘Chatham,’” Walantis said. “The custom hydrangea sweater has been a big hit. Hydrangeas just don’t go out of style.”

Walantis is looking forward to working on more in-store events and collaborations around the area. 

“We’re always working on events,” Walantis said. “We may have local artists come in, or host an industry night for restaurants. We recently did the Allen Harbor Fashion Show, which was a great community event. We are open to fundraisers and collaboration — we love that!”

 The customer experience and personal attention people receive at Island Pursuit is what keeps people coming back. The store is constantly re-stocking with new merchandise, and with an exciting re-branding on the horizon, Island Pursuit is set to be more popular than ever. Be sure to stop in soon and check out all of their latest fashions!

Island Pursuit

1238 Main St., Chatham

islandpursuit.com