Story by Louise Sheffield
Photos by tabithamcgowanphotos
Snow in July? At Ocean Isle Beach, NC? Well, not actual snow, but LainSnow is on everyone’s radar lately. Even the weatherman would agree that this brand is anything but icy. In fact, the forecast for LainSnow swimwear is hot, hot, hot!
Owner, Becca Ingle, naming the company after her daughter, Lainey Snow, struggled for years trying to find a bathing suit that she felt comfortable in while enjoying the beach and pool with her two small children. With daughter, Lainey, only wanting to wear long sleeve swim shirts at the time and son, Roman, fighting a sensory sensitivity with most swim trunks, Ingle failed time after time to find the perfect suit to fit the needs and style of her family. After Covid lockdown, the passing of her beloved mother and a nudge from the universe, Ingle found herself no longer searching for the perfect suit, but creating and selling it.
LainSnow officially launched online in April 2021 with the original “Ocean Isle” one piece in Sea Blue selling out in just 30 minutes. Ingle credits social media, specifically Tik Tok, for helping her small business boom into an overnight international sensation after posting a video she took of the first customer she saw in person wearing LainSnow.
The sight of a neighbor boating down the Laurinburg Canal at OIB was a moment she will never forget, giving her all the feels and getting her 3 million views. She recalls the beginning as crazy and chaotic with her suits selling out within literal seconds of posting them online. Becca, along with her family and friends, packed orders themselves and took turns along with her team going back and forth to the post office every day with loads of merchandise to be mailed out.
She commends the ladies of the USPS at Sunset Beach for their kindness and grace with her ever growing amount of daily parcels. Becca said she remembers personally labeling and dropping of at the post office packages traveling farther and farther away from the Carolinas, spreading across the entire US including Alaska, then to Canada, India, South Africa and even Australia.
After taking sometimes 3 months to fill orders due to such high demand, LainSnow now has preorders to ensure customers get suits in a timely manner. All the shades of blue will be dropped in July so keep an eye out on social media and watch for some old favorite prints to be restocked periodically this summer.
Ocean Isle Beach residents and locals from neighboring coastal communities have been anticipating the opening of the LainSnow flagship store for quite awhile. After a couple years of extensive remodel, upgrades and complete redesign of 1 Causeway Drive on OIB, LainSnow finally had their grand opening on Memorial Day Weekend this year. Many customers drove from hours away into town, lining up at 7 am to make sure they secured a spot for the ribbon cutting and in hopes to snag a special suit for the first time in person.
With creative murals, bright colors and tropical island vibes, Becca’s Pinterest Board came to life and found its way into every customer’s selfies and social media stories about their anticipated shopping experience. Waiting in the long line may have been just as fun with a parking lot party outside including vendors offering food, jewelry, design your own trucker hat, face painting and tattoos, flowers, and hair styles and braids. Becca’s dad, husband Yeirdon, and son Roman also came to show support for the girls and mingle with the crowd of family, friends and fans. LainSnow shares a space in the building with Five Hills Realty, Sandollars Bar and Grill, Buoy Bowls, Blondiez Donuts, Carolina Premier Properties-Crystal Babson, and Trifecta Builders. The storefront will be open 7 days a week, 10-6 pm, all summer long. Stop in and you may find yourself as an extra in one of Lainey’s famous Tik Tok videos.
Now, as a mom of three, she not only added baby Koa to her family but has added Golf and Athletic Wear, hats, shirts and cover ups, and the sister brand Coast & Ro Scooter Luggage. She continues 
her partnerships with luxury hotels such as the Seven Stars Resort and Spa in Turks and Caicos and the Bitter End Yacht Club in the Virgin Islands where LainSnow will have a pop up and Becca will blog about the resort and her travels.
Followers joke asking “What coast is Koa on?” but it’s true. One day Becca may be at home in Brunswick County dropping Lainey off for dance, on the road with Yeirdon traveling to cheer on Roman’s baseball team and the next day she’s jet setting with Lainey and Koa, sound machine in tow, for Miami Swim Week. She is an ordinary mom fulfilling extraordinary dreams coast to coast.
In year four, the original three shades of blue, blush and tan line up alongside every color of the rainbow adding in cotton candy, tie dye, polka dots and stripes just to name a few popular prints. New designs for men, women, children and their Sandy Beach dolls, are constantly being added to make matching with your family fun and still comfortable in the same buttery soft material that broke the internet in LainSnow’s infancy.
Followers are now asked to help name the new designs and the winner will get a free suit. Whether your taste is pastels or neons, straps or strapless, Kiawah tops or Holden bottoms, there is something for everyone. Whatever your style, it all started with the one piece Ocean Isle!
