The inspiration for Sloop Jones came while traveling through Guatemala. Terry McKoy recalls, "I was struck by the vivid colors of the Mayan Indians, and their contrast with my grey suit, white shirt, and black shoes. Theirs' was a life full of color. The color in my life was limited to a sliver of silk (a tie).".
In 1989 Terry McKoy and Barbara Alperen moved to the Virgin Islands looking for a place for their art studio. At the easternmost corner of St. John, in a quiet bay, off the Caribbean Sea, they created Sloop Jones art studio and tropical gardens.
Since then they have been working together creating patterns and designs inspired by their tropical garden, the Caribbean Sea, and the island of St.John. Their patterns are applied to clothing, pillows, rugs and wall hangings. They started with t-shirts, and gradually developed a product line of over 30 garments, and rugs. In addition to 6 different styles of sweaters, they paint mens' camp shirts, neckties, hats, shorts, and a variety of long and short dresses. Each garment is individually painted using a palette of 6 to 12 colors. They recently intorduced a yoga camisole, which is one of their best selling items. The result is a piece of wearable art with color blends and depth unavailable in screen printing or other mechanical processes.
Bright colors, playful images, and graphic patterns have made Sloop Jones popular with visitors and residents of St. John. The clothes are fun to wear, and wash beautifully. People often comment that the colors lift their spirits. Many customers have a summer wardrobe comprised almost entirely of Sloop Jones garments.