Upon entering Island Woman, a boutique that offers slogan T's, costumes and custom-made jewelry, you'll notice that one corner of the store's carpet has been stained. It's the result of many spilled beverages, often the result of hilarity, which is often the result of Sunday patrons modeling some of the crazy hats, wigs and clothes.

This Sunday, although the carpet has recently been cleaned, will likely produce more stains.

Fifteen-year-old Jenn Bren of Chicago and her friend Jamie Taylor are putting hats on and pulling hats off Bren's younger brother, Justin. The 9-year-old, wearing boxers with a pair of rubber glutei maximi exposed to the public and an electric blue mohawk, calls Island Woman "a nice store."

The two teenagers prefer to call it fun, pointing to their amateur model, who's hamming it up in front of the mirror. He flexes his muscles, then sticks out his tongue and finally puts the boxers on backward.

Giggles beget hilarity. Hilarity, this time, begets no stains, as no one has a beverage. Only mullet (the hairdo) hats and mullet (the fish) T-shirts. Their wise parents sat outside listening to the live music, which permeates Island Woman.

Manager Fia Kaplan, a former Spanish teacher from Chicago, said Sunday is the store's best day because of the crowd gathered at Stan's Idle Hour next door.

"This atmosphere lends itself to being more goofy and fun. It just goes hand in hand," she said.

The store, opened for 22 years and counting, is owned by Kaplan's stepmother, Anna Yamanis-Carter. Of Greek origin, Carter was born in Australia and grew up in a little fishing village. Her father ran a crayfish business, employing Italian and Yugoslav immigrants. Her first school was on the beach and she would attend barefoot, she said.

When she was 10, they moved to the Bahamas. Like many of her high school classmates, she intended to attend college abroad, at the University of Miami. Instead, a two-week jewelry exhibit there turned into a five-year business for the young woman.

In 1978, she graduated from the Gemological Institute of America in Santa Monica, Calif., and the jeweler became a gemologist. Gemology is the science, art and profession of identifying and evaluating gemstones. Gemologists are qualified to identify and appraise gems.

Carter started coming to Marco Island on vacations to escape crime-ridden Miami. She and Stan Gober, the owner of Stan's Idle Hour Seafood Restaurant, had become friends, and he asked her to make a "for rent" sign for the empty bait shop next to his bar. She rented the place instead, and Island Woman was open for business.

The boutique offers gag costumery, Buzzard clothing (popular with bikers), one-of-a-kind sunglasses made by a mystery local (Carter wouldn't say who designs the whimsical specs) and fine jewelry.

Kaplan said customers really remember the merchandise at Island Woman. She recalled a customer from Chicago who, before returning home from vacation, purchased nearly $1,000 in goods to be used as prizes for a bowling party he was having up north.

"The stuff here, it's different, it's unusual. It allows people to get out of character," Kaplan said.

And, despite the efforts of a hard-working carpet cleaner, the largest stain remains on the carpet in the back corner — in front of the mirror — as a reminder.

Island Woman is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and on Sunday "until" the music stops" through the summer.

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