IN CAPE FASHION: THE CITY'S FASHION TASTES ARE TRADITIONAL, WHETHER AT WORK OR PLAY, IN AFRICAN CLOTHES OR BLUE JEANS

Cape Girardeans dress traditionally whether businessman, casual college student, working mother or children.

If you want to know what type of people live in Cape Girardeau, look at the way they dress.

"In this town, we're a little more traditional; we're a little more casual. People in this town want to look nice but be comfortable," said Lynda Gant, manager and buyer at Sandy's clothing store.

Gant said the fashion in Cape Girardeau is clothing that is practical yet stylish. "People want to go from daylight to dark in the same outfit," she said. "Here, we've got to do kid things."

"Kid things" means that residents here place a high priority on spending time with their children. Their clothing requirements reflect that.

But that's not to say that Cape Girardeans aren't fashion-minded.

"We want what's in style," Gant said. "But we don't want the far out on one side or the very traditional -- we are the Heartland even in fashion."

Gant has been in the clothing business for 25 years, eight years in Cape Girardeau. Before moving to Southeast Missouri, Gant spent time as a buyer in Dallas and Kansas City.

She said places like Dallas, St. Louis and Kansas City are second in line behind New York and Los Angeles in the demand for cutting-edge fashion. Towns like Cape Girardeau usually board the fashion train third.

When the fashions do change here it is in more subtle ways. Gant said skirt lengths rise and fall and colors change but the way Cape Girardeans dress remains basically the same.

"You can go to New York and Los Angeles and get that real wild look," Gant said. "We still want fashion but we don't want it to be so different."

That doesn't mean that Cape Girardeans aren't trying new things. Betty Mosley, co-owner of Sew Unique Creations on Broadway, makes custom clothing in traditional African styles.

Mosley, who was talked into opening Sew Unique by her husband Charles Mosley, said her shop is the only one in the area that sells African garb. She said the popularity of the style has transcended race and cultural barriers.

"The people here are getting more creative," Mosley said. "Even the whites are venturing into this look and other nationalities. It just depends on the person and how they feel about wearing it."

African garb is basically cut loosely with light fabrics. Men's styles include knee length shirts that are worn over baggy trousers. Women's dresses can be simple wrap-around styles, two-piece dresses and outfits that are similar to what the men where. Mosley said the most outstanding aspect of African garb is the design pattern.

"The prints are unique," Mosley said. "They have golds in them, they have silver in them and then it's the design that you do with them. And, most African design has a matching hat or head wrap."

The clothing is also made to fit both large and small people. Mosley said some manufacturers forget about larger-sized people when making their designs. She said many times what big people end up wearing is not attractive.

"That's one reason why I started my shop," Mosley said. "As the sizes get larger the look changes."

Of course, when styles change they don't change for good. There is always a revolution in fashion that brings the old into style again. That is where Reruns consignment shop on Main Street enters the fashion scene.

Cathy Davis, Reruns' owner, has been selling second-hand clothing in Cape Girardeau for eight years. She said the one thing that never goes out of style in this area is blue jeans.

"All age women wear blue jeans and they like to buy used blue jeans because they've already been washed and if they're going to shrink they're already shrunk," Davis said.

Davis said even though she feels like she has a good handle on the fashion sense of Cape Girardeans, she has been surprised by what has been bought from her store.

She said efficiency is a primary concern for clothing in this area. "They're going a lot more to natural fibers, machine washables and they've got to be comfortable," Davis said.