Barbara Racich & daughter, Anne Merrick Mavis

The idea for Merrick’s started over 25 years ago. I have always loved clothing and fashion. I grew up in a retail household. My great-grandmother and my grandmother truly influenced my awareness of fashion. To me, they were always the most elegant of ladies, as was my mother, Nancy. My mother helped develop the fashion center on St. Armand’s Key in Sarasota, Florida and later became my partner at Merrick’s. As for me, I honed my fashion sense at New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) and later worked at Mademoiselle, magazine where I met my long-time friend and mentor, Edie Raymond Locke, for many years the Editor-in-Chief of MLLE.

This was the 1960′s, and while I was definitely a “career girl,” the idea of starting my own business had not yet taken shape in my mind. It was actually my husband John who planted the seeds for what would become Merrick’s. He suggested that my mother and I open a shop together. “You both love fashion,” he said. “And you’re always showing people what to buy and how to wear it anyway. You might as well make a business of it.”

And so we found our “little house” on Moore Street in Princeton where we served Princeton for over 25 years.  Then things changed. We lost our lease and thought that perhaps the cosmos was trying to tell us something. It was! Reinvent Yourself!!

And so we have!  On September 11, 2010 Merrick’s will re-open as Merrick’s Too!  And while things may be a little different, the fundamentals won’t change.

We will continue to focus on family service, impeccable quality and clothes that adhere to the qualities of  “timeless elegance” , “real clothes for real women” and  “fun”. It may be hard to imagine those three concepts coming together for everyone. But I truly believe that whether you are 25, 55, or 75…a size 6 or a size 16…and headed to a black tie gala or a backyard barbeque….such an achievement is not only possible, it’s imperative!

We look forward to seeing you this time ’round, at Merrick’s Too!