OUR STORY

Thirty Years on the Waterfront

How a fisherman’s warehouse became a wardrobe — and why it matters.

In 1994, my aunt Margaret Alcott converted an old fisherman’s warehouse on the Mystic waterfront into a boutique. She didn’t advertise. She didn’t need to. Within a year, women were driving from New Haven, Providence, and beyond just to shop there.

Margaret had an eye that couldn’t be taught. She could walk into a room, look at a woman, and know exactly what she needed — not what was in fashion, but what was right. What would last. What would make the woman wearing it feel like herself, only better.

For thirty years, she dressed the women of coastal Connecticut. Sailors’ wives who needed something beautiful for the harbour dinners. Gallery owners who wanted elegance without fuss. Retired teachers who had spent decades putting everyone else first and were finally, quietly, putting themselves first.

That was Margaret’s philosophy. And it’s ours.

Why we’re here

When Margaret stepped back, she handed the wardrobe to me. I’m Diane — her niece, and the woman who spent every summer of her childhood in that warehouse watching Margaret work.

Every piece in The Harbour Wardrobe is chosen exactly the way she chose them: not because it’s on trend, but because it’s beautiful, well-made, and worth keeping.

We sell clothing and footwear for women who know what they want. Women who have stopped chasing trends and started building wardrobes. Women who understand that a truly well-made pair of shoes — ones that fit beautifully, feel comfortable all day, and go with everything — is worth far more than three pairs of something forgettable.

How we sell

Margaret had a rule: never keep something in the wardrobe longer than it deserves to be there. When something better comes along, you make room. You let go of the old at an honest price, and you bring in what’s next.

I’ve kept that rule. Whenever I refresh the collection — bringing in new pieces I believe in — I clear what came before at reduced prices. Not because there’s anything wrong with those pieces. Because that’s how a wardrobe should work. Things move. Room is made. Quality finds a new home.

When we’re in a clearance period, you’ll see it clearly on the site. Those are the moments worth paying attention to.

Thank you for being here. Margaret would have loved you already.

— Diane Alcott

The Harbour Wardrobe · theharbourwardrobe.com