How we started
Ever open your wardrobe and feel like nothing in it quite belongs to you anymore?
Not because the clothes aren't nice. But because somewhere along the way — between the school runs, the careers, the caregiving, the endless putting-everyone-else-first — you stopped choosing things for yourself.
That feeling is exactly where Carol & Margaret began.
Two women in their forties. Two full lives. One honest conversation over wine one evening in Wilmington, North Carolina, about what it would feel like to finally do something just for them.
What followed wasn't just a boutique. It was a decision. To create a place where women could walk in — or log on — and find clothing chosen with care, with intention, and with them genuinely in mind.
That was 1996. Twenty-nine springs later, we're still here. Still choosing every piece the same way we always have — asking ourselves one simple question: would we wear this?
What Sets Carol & Margaret Apart
Chosen for women over 40, always — Every single piece in our collection is selected with you in mind. Not a twenty-year-old on a runway. You — your life, your body, your mornings and your evenings.
Timeless over trendy — We don't chase every season. We look for pieces that are beautiful today and still beautiful three years from now. Clothes you reach for again and again without thinking twice.
Rooted in North Carolina — Wilmington shaped who we are. Its warmth, its coastal ease, its unhurried charm lives in everything we carry. You'll feel it the moment you put something on.
Quality you can feel — Fabrics that breathe, drape well and hold their shape. Nothing that pills after two washes or loses its color by summer's end. We wear what we sell and we only sell what we'd wear.
Who Shops at Carol & Margaret
She knows who she is.
She's done with clothes that don't fit right, colors that wash her out, and styles designed for someone half her age. She dresses for herself now — not for an occasion, not for approval, not for anyone else's idea of what she should look like.
She wants a maxi dress she can wear to a garden lunch and a farmers market on the same weekend. A blouse that goes from morning coffee to an evening out without missing a beat. Shoes that are genuinely comfortable without sacrificing an ounce of elegance.
She shops with intention. She keeps what she loves and wears it often.
That's exactly who we design for. Every single day.
Our Promises to You
We want to be straightforward with you — because that's how we'd want to be treated.
We tell you the truth. If something runs small, we'll say so. If a fabric needs special care, it's in the description. No surprises when your order arrives.
We stand behind every order. Thirty days to return anything that doesn't feel right. No complicated process, no questions that make you feel like a nuisance. Your happiness genuinely matters to us.
We ship free across the US. Every order, every time. Because it shouldn't cost extra to treat yourself.
We're real people. When you email us, a real person reads it and responds. We're a small operation and we like it that way. It means we actually care about every single order that goes out.
We keep getting better. When customers tell us something isn't working — a size runs off, a style isn't landing — we listen. You've shaped this boutique more than you know.
Thank You for Being Here
Twenty-nine years ago we made a promise to ourselves — and quietly, without knowing it, to you.
To show up. To keep choosing well. To never stop caring about the women who trust us with their wardrobes and, in some small way, their confidence.
Whether you've been with us since the beginning or you've just found us for the first time — welcome. We're glad you're here.
With love,
Carol & Margaret 🤍