BY SUMAIYA NOURY
When you think of Cape Cod fashion, what immediately comes to mind? Chances are navy blues, stripes and beachwear will come to mind, but to store owners around the Cape, today’s Cape fashion ideals are a bit more than just coastal styles; the latest looks on this peninsula of ours are leaning brighter, more comfortable and more inclusive.
After visiting clothing stores in Falmouth, the overwhelming feeling regarding this summer’s styles and current trends is that people want to look and feel good while staying comfortable. Lightweight fabrics like cotton and linen are often favored for their breathability in the hot summer sun and people want styles they can lounge in, be active in or even dress up in if they choose.
At Green Eyed Daisy on Main Street, Jeannie Dombrowski said that customers are really drawn to vibrant, cheerful colors and they want to wear optimistic, fun outfits. While coastal blues and whites are still available, they are now being mixed in with other seasonal colors as customers branch out from their usual choices.
“Right now, we’re in the happy spring months, so they’re looking for vibrancy, they’re looking for optimism,” Dombrowski said. “I think people love to be comfortable. They want to kick back and be on the beach during the day; people don’t want to feel restricted.”
Color and vibrancy, though, ultimately seem to lose out to the biggest trend: comfort. Sundresses, simple yet stylish sandals and clothing made of easy-breezy materials have remained customer favorites for ages and will likely continue to do so. And, as people on the Cape become more and more concerned with sustainability, many stores have also made an effort to expand their collections of sustainable products and fashion made with environmentally conscious materials.
Even with the colorful summer dresses of this season, the classic nautical styles are still a major part of the Cape’s fashion culture, said Richi Mehta, owner of Port Cargo on Falmouth’s Main Street.
“Cape Cod fashion, we always are classic with the nautical, the navy and whites in the summer,” Mehta said. “I mean, it’s timeless.”
These classic Cape Cod clothing items have stood the test of time in the area’s retail shops. Mehta said the nautical and white, navy and marine-blue-colored clothes, especially linen jackets, are as popular today as in past years. Port Cargo and Reel Island in Falmouth both carry these linen jackets, as well as basic summertime clothing.
Crystal Petz, a manager at Reel Island, said customers are looking for bright and colorful sundresses, natural cotton fabrics and anything comfortable to wear in the summertime heat.
“You can really tell the difference in Cape Cod style from Boston or New York,” she said. “It’s just really fun.”
The customers who shop at Reel Island are looking to feel as relaxed and carefree as they do on vacation, and while the Cape continues to embrace nautical trends, retailers are noticing customers shopping for more modern trends thanks to younger demographics. There is an air of “effortless elegance” to these new outfit trends, often paired with fun, playful accessories and pops of color, almost as a way of communicating personal taste while keeping with current, widespread or “viral” trends.
“I believe fashion is a personality,” Petz said. “It really makes a point here on the Cape. It’s bright, it’s summer, it makes people happy.”
Every shop owner agreed that the casual and comfortable vibe of the Cape influences the shopping experience and that many shops want to get to know their customers and build lasting relationships that bring them back to the region and these shops in particular year after year. Shopping, especially on Cape Cod, is meant to be a fun and personalized experience that many people have come to know and love when visiting our beachy towns.
While style certainly shifts with each season, the carefree feel of the Cape’s shopping experience stays constant. The diverse patterns and vibrant colors will always have you wanting more.