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PROVINCETOWN GUIDE
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| DIRECTORY |
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Provincetown :: Monday, March 15th 2010
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Hot Coffey
Classic Beachwear and a New Fall Line
By Stephen Desroches of Provincetown Magazine
September 14th, 2009
The beach boy is getting ready for autumn.
| “Calling me a designer would be an insult to designers,” says Coffey. “We’re not designers. We make clothes we would want to wear. We’re a shop that makes clothes.” |
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Popular clothing shop, Coffey Men, (199 Commercial St.) is widely known for its unique and hip swimsuits and summer resort wear. But the shop is branching out and expanding to include clothes made from heavier materials designed to keep you stylish year-round.
“I started off as a small shop on the beach and really just wanted to carry beachwear,” says owner Scott Coffey. “But we’ve really transformed into a shop that can provide you with an all-year wardrobe.”
All the clothes are made on Cape Cod. And while they are conceived and designed by Coffey, don’t call him a designer.
“Calling me a designer would be an insult to designers,” says Coffey. “We’re not designers. We make clothes we would want to wear. We’re a shop that makes clothes.”
The shop itself has a casual vibe, designed to accentuate its beachfront location. Coffey Men’s t-shirts, with their corkscrew, puppy dog, and mermaid designs, have become ubiquitous along Commercial Street. And again, while Coffey emphasizes he is not a designer, the shop has created an undeniable look of comfort and confidence that is easily recognizable.
The friendliness with which the shop is operated transfers to the feel and look of the clothes. And it is the openness and warmth to the community and regular customers that actually plays a big role in what items will be made and sold in the shop.
“We take a lot of advice from our customers,” says Coffey. “If someone comes in and says, ‘You know, that would look really good in green,’ then we make it in green. Our customers have been a big help.”
If the shop is out of a particular item or a customer has a specific tailored want, it can be accommodated, says Coffey. It’s all about ease and flexibility.
Coffey worked many years for high-end retailers in New York. And his shop in Provincetown was supposed to sell items by menswear designers in the region. But when he made a few pairs of drawstring pants and they flew of the rack, things began to change.
Coffey then took classic beachwear designs and began to play with them, adding a sophisticated sex appeal and a fun attitude to give them an updated look. The shift worked and garnered a wide appeal. Men and women, of all ages and personal aesthetics shop at Coffey Men.
“It’s been a lot of fun to see who comes in the shop,” says Coffey. “It really runs the gamut; professional people from urban areas and folks who live in the middle of nowhere come in and find clothes that suit them. And of course locals have been so supportive.”
Coffey Men’s clothes are starting to attract attention from retailers around the country, and plans are in the works to make Coffey clothes available in men’s boutiques in several cities around the country. But Coffey stresses that his will always be a Provincetown shop, as it is the town that inspires the clothes they carry - fun, carefree, and versatile.
While his James Bond-inspired swimsuit and whimsical t-shirts put the shop on the map, his blazers, coats, jeans, turtlenecks, and button down shirts have brought in a new crop of customers and pleased returning clients. In particular, Coffey’s herringbone passport jackets and woolen car coats are quite popular as the air begins to chill with the hint of fall.
“I really want people to know that we’re open year-round,” says Coffey. “This town is so beautiful all year. It’s a shame people only think to come to the beach in the summer. That’s why we’re carrying cooler weather items. To help people think differently about Provincetown. It’s not just a summer town.”
Coffey Men (coffeymen.blogspot.com) is located at 199 Commercial St.
For more information and articles please visit Provincetownmagazine.net.
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