As the photographer positions Karen Thompson in front of her original boutique, Karen calls to an employee. “Hey, Pat? We have to change this to a fall flag, please.” It's the telltale mark of a veteran business owner, a veteran hustler: the attention to detail. Whether it be a successful boutique, a restaurant, a coffee shop, or a gym, you can usually find the business owner finding something to do. Rarely is the successful business owner taking a moment to relax. That's Karen Thompson. For her, it's about hospitality first.

“I think what makes Lace Silhouettes so special is that Karen has built something where we can have some of the top brands of the industry, brands that you don't see at many other specialty stores,” begins Taylor Jackson. Taylor has been a buyer and a marketing coordinator for Lace Silhouettes and LSL Brands since 2019. “That, coupled with the amazing hospitality and service that we are passionate about providing. And I think the combination is just it makes a very unique and special experience for every guest that walks in the door.”

And it's served her well. This year marks 35 years since the opening of her first location, Lace Silhouettes Lingerie, in Peddlers Village. Today, Lace Silhouettes can be found in three locations (the other two are Cape May and Princeton NJ), in addition to almost a dozen other shopping destinations that Karen has created. Lace opened its doors in 1988. Thompson, a sales rep in the garment industry in New York City, saw an opportunity to fill an unmet need: wedding undergarments and lingerie. Certainly, her chosen industry has experienced extreme evolutions over this time. What Thompson has executed with success is the ability to decipher when to change with the times, and when the tried-and-true is better. Hospitality is tried-and-true. So is filling an unmet need, as is building a team you trust who believes what you believe. The rest is up to interpretation.

Karen Thompson when she relocated her store to Peddler's Village, where it remains today / Karen Thompson, celebrating 35 years of Lace Silhouettes at her Peddler's Village store.

“Lace Silhouettes began as a fine lingerie store. It would be a luxury that you would really splurge on. And over the course of time, in the 35 years, as consumer interest changed I realized that women wanted comfortable sleepwear. They wanted comfortable bras and they wanted underwear, and we went into an underserved market. That's when we started to be a one-stop-shopping for a woman.”

-Karen Thompson

The “Family” in Family Business

There's a meme that floats around the internet that goes something like this: “When you buy from a small business, you are paying for dance lessons, you are buying a little-league uniform. You are putting food on a family's table and sending a student to college. You are making a dream come true for someone in your community.” This meme comes to life when encounter businesses, like Thompson's, that have become generational. Kerry Thompson, one of Karen's two sons, has had a front row seat to it all and been working in the business for over 8 years. Kerry forged a career in New York City, similar to his mother, before returning to the family business. He attended New York City's Fashion Institute of Technology and subsequently worked for Ralph Lauren.

“I grew up in this industry. We grew up in the little house right across the street from this store. I was selling lemonade outside the store with my older brother when I was three years old. And I remember as a kid, just living and breathing the whole life of the village [Peddlers Village] and what it meant to be to have a family business.”

– Kerry Thompson

Kerry Thompson, son of Karen Thompson, along with his friend playing with the boxes in the basement of a store Karen used to have in LBI.

Three Things You Can Expect on Your Next Visit to Lace Silhouettes

Looking to freshen up your wardrobe, get an opinion on a bra fit, or need some comfy self-care attire? Lace Silhouettes has got you. ✅

1 Shopping with a Friend. Tired of driving long distances to luxury department stores to receive that personal touch? When it comes to feeling pampered, Lace Silhouettes makes hospitality a priority.

2 The Brands You Desire. Ugg. Wacoal. Natori. PJ Salvage. Chantelle Paris. From hard-to-find European designers to everyday basics. “I'm so proud to pull together a curation of the top brands that you would find in major retailers across the country. We carry the top 50 to 100 of the best brands in the industry,” says Karen Thompson.

3 LOCAL CONVENIENCE. Those stacks of delivery boxes that need to be opened, tried on, and dutifully returned in an unending cycle….break the cycle! Visit Lace Silhouettes or one of the other boutiques in the LSL Family at Peddlers Village in Bucks County, Palmer's Square in Princeton, Cape May, and Florida!

The Next 35

For most, the accomplishment of owning a successful business for 35 years would be enough. For most, growing from one storefront to a handful to over a dozen would be an accomplishment worthy of a whole career. But Karen sees the the future and it is full of growth.

“We are revving up and we're investing in the importance of the business to our community and our people.”

– Kerry Thompson

Karen still sees Lace Silhouettes as a blank canvas, rife with opportunity. “At 35 years I've just laid the foundation for the company and preparing for what could be the next 35 years. I've staged our company as a hospitality company, and I believe with that in mind, it gives me lots of opportunities to grow and expand the company in many directions.” Beyond Lace Silhouettes, the parent company that Karen has created, LSL Brands, is the home to several different shopping concepts. In addition to growth, Karen sees the key to the success of the business in those who she mentors. Thompson believes that a continued focus on the company's core values will help to ensure that her team can continue to remain focused and successful throughout inevitable change.

“I feel so lucky to have gotten to work side by side with Karen,” says Taylor Jackson. “I started at the company as a social media specialist. But then over time, with her guidance, I grew into overseeing a marketing team now, and I've been brought into the buying side, which has opened a whole other side [to my career] with the company.”

From Lace Silhouettes Lingerie, to Fox & Holly, to the Original Fudge Kitchen, to the Wish Wrap. From Cape May to Bucks County and soon-to-be Florida, the future is bright, simply because Karen sees it that way. That isn't an accident. Karen shines her light on what's most important and it's a beacon for everyone around her.