Style, Fashion, and Fun: Meet Darci Jacob, Owner of Downtown’s Darci Boutique

By Lisa Codianne Fowler | Fashion photos by Jordan Kelly-Laviolette | July 2023

Darci Jacob can’t remember a time when she wasn’t obsessed with dressing others.

She managed the very popular women’s store Cache from 1997 until it closed in 2015.  Her talent to assist clients to look their best and her passion for high-style fashion did not stop when Cache closed. She opened her own boutique, Darci, eight years ago.  Now, Darci is known for her trendy, sparkling, and eye-catching ensembles. 

Jackie O’Brien (her right hand), whom she has worked with for 20 years, followed Jacob to Darci, and together along with Debbie Greb (left hand) provide some of the finest couture guidance and customer service anywhere. They are engaging, fun, and positive, and the shop totally reflects their enthusiasm.

Top Brands & Impeccable Taste

“I want you to be able to come into the store and be wardrobed from head to toe,” Jacob says. She addresses every aspect of an outfit, including diverse styles of elegant shoes as well as imaginative jewelry and purses. 

She has impeccable taste and carries top brands such as Frank Lyman—worn by women who are “daring, confident and unforgettable.” Other favorites include the edgy, urbane, and bright clothes of David Cline, and brands of similar types that are equal expressions of unique style: AZI, Tribal, Clara Sun Woo, Jess and Jane, Last Tango, Elliot Lauren, Eva Varro, Liverpool, Jeff Lieb, Onyx and much more. Many of Darci’s brands are available in sizes from 0 to 20, but with exclusivity in mind, Jacob selects a limited number of sizes of each.  

 “As a boutique, I don’t want you to see yourself coming and going, but I can always special order something for you in your size,” says Jacob.

It’s All About The Customer

“You know it’s all about the customer. You go into these big stores now and you can’t even find people to help you. But from the moment you walk into our store, I want you to feel special, like you are number one.”

Jacob, it seems, is always working. Even though the shop has set hours, it is pretty much open whenever you need her. Recently, a client’s future daughter-in-law ruined her wedding dress the week of the wedding. The family met with Jacob after hours to find the perfect wedding dress just in time.

In the rear of the store,Jacob created a fancy Shangri-La where those waiting for their friend, spouse, or partner can relax and imbibe. Wine, beer, champagne, and munchies are served as they wait for the inevitable fashion show from whoever they came with.  Jacob shared that a new cigar bar just opened on the corner±—a great addition to the block and another great place to wait while your friend shops!

“We want our clients to feel good when they leave the store. Sometimes they don’t buy anything because it might not be the exact right thing. I will recommend another store that might be better for them. As I said before, it’s all about the customer.”

Giving Back

Jacob finds little precious time for herself, but when she is not working, she tries to go to the beach once a week.“I like to go from 9 to 11 or 12 in the morning when it less crowded and I can get a parking spot. I take my book, or listen to a movie on my phone, and just veg out. I also love to go see my son. He graduated from Virginia Military Institute (VMI) and lives in Virginia. He’s my baby. My husband and I are very, very lucky.” 

Jacob is also committed to the community she serves. She is an auxiliary board member at SPARCC (Safe Place and Rape Crisis Center), and she has served as fashion chair since 2017. This past season’s event at the Ritz-Carlton was sold-out with 650 of Sarasota’s most fashionable fashionistas! 

From 2016 through 2019, Jacob assisted in the fashion shows for Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Suncoast “Live, Laugh & Love” event at the Ritz-Carlton. 

At Sarasota Military Academy, where her son attended high school, Jacob was the rifle team president for four years and served as PTCC Treasurer. 

She is the currently the president of the Sarasota Downtown Merchants Association, the organization that puts on the tree lightning at the Plaza at Five Points and the New Year’s Eve Pineapple Drop.

“Yes, I’m lucky. I’m very blessed. You need to give back to the people who have made you. You need to give thanks.” And give back she does to many charities. 

You can explore some of Darci’s fabulous styles online at darcishop.com, or better yet, stop into Darci at 1441 Main Street, Downtown Sarasota (941.330.2800), and see for yourself. Jacob and her team would love to style you from head to toe!