By ROBERTA CANNON
I confess that I know very little about fashion, especially since my wardrobe consists mostly of jeans and sweatpants, thanks to COVID. As I stepped out of my comfort zone to peruse boutiques, I was pleasantly surprised to find that great customer service and very knowledgeable shop owners and staff could make me feel so uplifted with the clothing and experiences they offered when I visited them.
While Port Cargo, Cape Cod Fashionista Boutique & Salon and Seaside Boutique all offer the latest trends and refreshing colors of clothing sure to fit your needs, they also provide a personalized shopping experience that in many ways has become a dying art.
Port Cargo,
One of my first stops was Port Cargo in Falmouth, which has been a family-owned mainstay in the center of town for almost 50 years and also has locations in Mashpee and Hyannis.
Richi Mehta, son of owners Raghbir and Rita Mehta, oversees the day to day running of the Falmouth store.
“I grew up in the store watching my parents run the business,” Richi said. “My dad is retired; my mother runs the Mashpee store, and my brother has the one in Hyannis.”
Port Cargo,
When I walked into the store, I was greeted with clothing in a brilliant array of displayed throughout the shop. Jackets, sweaters, scarves, jeans, flowing tops and skirts graced countertops and hanging displays all with colors of spring, waiting to be worn. While many of the tops are bright with flowers and stripes, others are one color, waiting to be paired with a flowing skirt or comfortable pair of pants.
“We try to be very inclusive, and have something for everyone,” Richi said. “That includes helping customers pick out clothing and accessories to match.”
While the dressier brands have taken a hit during the pandemic, Richi has noticed that on the Cape, the trend has been edging its way toward more-casual looks over the past 20 years. He still carries dressier lines and can fill the bill for black tie events when necessary but the casual styles are the ones customers are looking for, especially now that events are on the social calendar again.
“With our brands, we choose a lot of color and clothing that is fun to wear,” Richi said.
For the Mehtas and their staff, whom they consider family and an integral part of their longevity and success, it’s all about the shopping experience they strive to provide.
Richi smiled when he told me about the woman who came in recently looking for a top to complete her outfit. “She picked out a top, paid for it, and asked me to remove the tags, Richi said. “She said, now I am going across the street to the town hall to get married.”
Cape Cod Fashionista
Another customer came in last year to purchase an outfit to celebrate her 100th birthday.
“For us, it is more than just selling the clothing, we become a part of our customers’ stories,” Richi said.
Cape Cod Fashionista
A short ride down Route 28 to Mashpee Commons brought me to Cape Cod Fashionista Boutique & Salon, a new storefront on North Street that opened last November.
This brightly colored and airy shop, owned by Donna Davis, offers unique experiences for mothers and daughters of all ages. Her clothing lines offer a variety of styles and color, including mother-daughter matching outfits as well as matching American Girl doll clothing, and grandma selections. There is even a girls and dolls spa that offers doll repair and hairstyling, mani-pedi, princess makeovers and up-do with lots of glitter for the girls.
“If you are looking for something that is different or unusual and not wanting to wear clothing that looks like everyone else, then this is a good place to come,” Davis said.
The front of the store offers a wide variety of colorful retail clothing that includes dresses, tops, skirts and pants. The back of the store has high-end to mid-range consignment outfits and pieces at discount prices. Some of the brands include St. John, Stella McCarthy, Gucci, Tiffany, Louis Vuitton and Lilly Pulitzer. Many have never been worn and still have the original tags on them.
Her shoe selection has high-end brands like Aquazurra, Gucci and Christian Louboutin that sell for more than $1,500 brand new. In her shop, she sells them for under $200.
Seaside Boutique
Davis said customers are now coming in to find outfits to wear to weddings. Her clientele is traveling to various wedding locations in Maine, South Carolina, Texas and California at venues ranging from barns to garden weddings.
“Depending on the type of wedding, I can help them select the clothing that will best fit the type of event they are attending,” Davis said.
“If you know your brands, you’ll know you are getting a very good deal,” Davis said.
Seaside Boutique
My final stop, the Seaside Boutique in Merchants Square, Sandwich, specializes in comfortable women’s clothing and personal customer service.
Heather Miller opened her business in 2014 and while fashion has evolved over the years, her clothing line has not really needed to change.
“We have been in this area of clothing even before COVID and have only had to make minor adjustments,” Miller said.
When I entered the shop, I noticed that while I instantly felt relaxed amidst the calming colors of greens and blues and the type of clothing on display, it was the periwinkle that drew me in.
The shop offers dresses, skirts, pants, tops and accessories to complete your ensemble. Her clothing line also includes SPF clothing that provides protection from the sun’s ultraviolet rays.
Like the other shop owners I interviewed, Miller is looking forward to what the spring and summer seasons have to offer.
“I think this year, we are going to see a lot of mint green,” Miller said. “Navy blue is always a huge staple in summer. Periwinkle has been a good color for spring. Now that we are coming out of the COVID realm, women are wanting to look nice and piece together new outfits to wear out to lunches and dinners.”
I will be returning to these shops as a customer when it gets warmer and spring turns to summer. I know I will find something at each one to enhance my wardrobe and maybe even get me to give up my jeans and sweatpants if only for a few months of uplifting color and style.