FAMILY TRADITION; EIGHT DECADES BY THE RIVER: HECHT'S STYLE

Left: Hecht's is marking its 80th anniversary in downtown Cape Girardeau.

The original Hecht's is shown in this Southeast Missourian file photo.

The Mayflower weather vane atop Hecht's Store in downtown Cape Girardeau has withstood decades of rain, snow and winds.

It is a fitting icon for a store that for 80 years has been a flagship of fashion tradition known throughout the region.

Since its founding in 1917, Hecht's has been an upscale women's clothing store that -- in an industry marked by turnover and tough competition -- not only stands out in longevity, but is growing as well.

Hecht's, with five stores in downtown Cape Girardeau, one in Paducah, Ky., and one in Carbondale, Ill., has an eighth store on the drawing boards for early 1998.

"We'll continue to do what it takes to remain competitive in this business," said Martin ("Marty") Hecht, who has guided Hecht operations for more than 50 years and who now serves as chairman of the board. The store was founded by Hecht's father, Louis Hecht.

As part of its 80th birthday as the region's grand lady of fashion, Hecht's will feature a number of special promotions and prizes.

What's Hecht's secret of success?

Plenty of hard work, aggressive marketing and fashion savvy, Hecht believes. Hecht is also understandably proud of the fact that for 80 years, Hecht's has been a family operation.

"That, in itself, makes Hecht's something of an endangered species," he noted. In fact, Hecht's is one of few, if any, women's specialty stores in existence for over three-quarters of a century ownership.

Former U.S. Senator Jacob ("Chic") Hecht, Martin Hecht's brother, sees the store's 80th anniversary as a "national affair." The anniversary, Chick Hecht said, reflects not just on the store, but on Southeast Missouri as well, and in particularly on the Southeast Missourian newspaper.

"I don't know of another ladies specialty store that has been in business 80 years," said the former senator.

In addition to working with the Southeast Missourian as a longtime client, it was a former Missourian publisher Fred Naeter who introduced Louis Hecht to T. B. Barnett, the architect who gave Hecht's its elegant, timeless look. Barnett also designed the Missourian building.

"It's not just an anniversary for us, but for the newspaper, too," said Marty Hecht, noting that his father was "a great advocate of print media advertising."

The newspaper, said Hecht, featured stories of the growth of the store, and it continues to do so today. One of the big reason's for our success has been the power of our daily newspaper."

Marty Hecht, a graduate of Southeast Missouri State University and a veteran of World War II, has been assisted in the operation of the store by his wife, Laverne "Tootie" Hecht, and Dan Elkins, who has been with the company more than 20 years and is now a partner, and president of Hecht's.

Mrs. Hecht is still a buyer for the store, which purchases women's fashion in New York, Dallas, and California.

Hecht's, with locations in shopping malls at Paducah and Carbondale, has resisted the lure of the mall in Cape Girardeau.

"We did discuss a possible move when the mall was making plans to open more than 10 years ago," said Hecht. "But, my father, who was living in Las Vegas at the time, favored our downtown locations."

And although Hecht's has undergone a nip-here-and-tuck-there, it's character has remained classically the same.

Marty Hecht has also nurtured his father's love of downtown Cape Girardeau. He is a tireless supporter of projects to further the downtown area. During periods of transition when vacant storefronts cast a pall on downtown, Hecht stepped in to offer leadership in merchandising his father's beloved downtown and also acquired, renovated, and leased a number of downtown buildings.

Today, he is proud of the success of Hecht's, and of downtown Cape.

Some of Hecht's downtown friends are happy to see Hecht and his five stores in the downtown area.

"I can't remember when Hecht's was not there," said Evelyn Boardman, a downtown booster and merchant. "I can remember when we used to go by Hecht's windows to see the latest in wedding gowns." Boardman and her husband, architect John Boardman, operate Madder Rose Antique Mall in downtown Cape. John Boardman's architectural office is also located downtown.

"Hecht's has a good clientele," said Bern Lang, of Lang's Jewelry, which has been around for more than 80 years. "There have been rumors that Hecht's would go to the mall since it opened, but he has remained here, and downtown merchants are glad. We have a good relationship with Marty and Hecht's."

Of stores in business downtown since 1917, only two remain: Hecht's and Lang's Jewelers.

The Lang & Weiler Jewelry store, established in 1905, had become Lang's Jewelry in 1916, when Hugh A. Lang purchased Weiler's interest in the store.

Other familiar downtown names when Hecht first opened his small store were Buckner-Ragsdale Store, open in new building in 1916; Walther's Furniture opened in new store in 1916; Fred A. Groves had moved to a Fountain Street address; a business college moved into the upstairs of the Buckner-Ragsdale building; and Harris Motor Car Co. had just opened.

Hecht's is now a landmark, both because of its architecture and its reputation as a hallmark women's store. The business began in 1917 when its founder, the late Louis Hecht, determined the time was right for a move from Poplar Bluff to the larger river city of Cape Girardeau. One of 10 children, Hecht had been associated with his father, the late Jacob Hecht, in two stores at Poplar Bluff.

The Hecht family has long been associated with the clothing trade. Louis Hecht's parents -- Jacob and Celia Cohen Hecht -- opened a small store in St. Louis. Later, they moved to Poplar Bluff in 1900, where they opened a Hecht's Store.

Louis Hecht arrived in Cape Girardeau, surveyed the downtown area, rented a room at 135 Main, across from the old Buckner-Ragsdale store, and hung out his shingle.

Today, the Hecht company includes four other stores in downtown Cape Girardeau: Hecht's Main Street Store, 35 N. Main, now in its 32nd year; Hecht's Too, 46 N. Main, established in the early 1980s; Hecht's Woman, 113 N. Main, which opened in the late 1980s; and Hecht's Shoes, 109 N. Main, which has been open 15 years.

Hecht's opened its Carbondale store in 1974, and the Paducah operation in 1986.

The opening of Hecht's in 1917 was heralded by newspaper advertisements of men's suits at $9.75 and women's coats at $4.95. The community welcomed Hecht's, but not long after opening the store Louis Hecht answered the call to serve Uncle Sam in World War I.

"I am called to the Colors" screamed a full-page advertisment in the Southeast Missourian on May 2, 1918.

Louis Hecht had been in business a year.

"I owe my success during the past year to the people of Cape Girardeau," he said. "I am going to sell my stock to the people." He sold most of his stock to the public, and sold the rest to a Herbert Moss of St. Louis. He then joined thousands of other young men who sacrificed careers and families to fight for their country.

But, Louis Hecht returned to Cape Girardeau after the war, and on June 10, 1919, opened a new store at 127 N. Main.

Business was good. He purchased property and commissioned famed artist-architect Tom P. Barnett of St. Louis to design the building at 107 N. Main.

Barnett, a seasoned European traveler, carried out a Parisian theme, adapting the front archway and ceiling of the store in the architecturally classic design of the Cathedral of Notre Dame. The store's gabled roof, however, was topped with a distinctly American touch a Mayflower weather vane that today is the icon of the flagship store.

The new building cost $60,000, a lot of money for the time, said Marty Hecht.

At the grand opening in December 1927, Marty Hecht was given his first "job" with the company. "My sister passed out flowers to the ladies and I passed out cigars to the men," he said. "I was only 2 years old at the time."

Louis Hecht knew that even though Cape Girardeau was in the nation's heartland, there was a place in that Midwestern heart for style. Toward that end, Hecht and his wife were among the few small-town merchants at the time to make two buying trips a year to New York, where they personally selected the latest in New York and Paris fashions.

Louis Hecht sold the downtown Hecht's to his son, Martin in 1946. He continued to take an active interest in the stores' progress until his death in Las Vegas in 1988 at the age of 99.

Today, Elkins said, buyers still choose Hecht's fashions from such markets as New York, Los Angeles and Dallas.

Marty Hecht and his wife, "Tootie," continued the buying trips, and Hecht's customer base continued to expand.

Today, mothers, daughters, and granddaughters visit Hecht's in downtown Cape Girardeau.

"Our selection is much greater now, and, of course, Hecht's for years has handled clothing for women only," said Hecht. "We still bring clothes out for our customers to see, but we also have more display racks of clothing on the floor.

One original fixture won't give way to display racks, however. And, that is the plush, round settee, located near the store's entrance. It is a reminder to many Hecht's customers that good things can still be found.