Chicos was founded in 1983 as a small boutique selling Mexican folk art on Sanibel Island in Florida. Then one day our founders discovered the sweater that made literally everyone look fabulous and pivoted the business and retail was never the same. Chicos was founded in 1983 as a small boutique selling Mexican folk art on Sanibel Island in Florida. Then one day our founders discovered the sweater that made literally everyone look fabulous and pivoted the business and retail was never the same.