 As
a 12-year-old operating a water ice stand outside his
uncle's candy store, Frank Cona didn't realize that he
was starting a career in retail.
Now, the 64-year-old owner of Chadmoore Formal Wear is
inching toward retirement after 40 years of operating
on South Broad Street.
Cona has seen and done it all in the ever-evolving
world of men's wedding and prom fashions, and his store
has been home to a number of notable firsts.<
"We had the first tuxedo store in Philadelphia.
We were the first to carry Pierre Cardin, the first
to offer all-white tuxedos and the first to offer all-ivory
tuxes for grooms," Cona recalls proudly.
The merchant also remembers the first incarnation of
Chadmoore, which was opened by his father, Peter "Tony"
Cona, on the corner of Chadwick and Moore streets in
1954.
The street names served as an inspiration for the store's
moniker.
"My father started out in 1952 as a tailor and
dry cleaner in a small little house. We added the tuxes
in '54," says Cona, who lives in Southwest Philadelphia
near 73rd Street and Dicks Avenue.
At 14, Cona was entrusted with the all-important job
of attaching collars to tuxedo shirts. Within a few
years, he had his own Jeep, and went around the city
picking up and delivering tuxedos.
The job allowed Cona to learn all the city's nooks
and crannies, as well as to develop relationships with
many of Chadmoore's patrons.
After graduating from St. John Neumann High School
in 1958, Cona went on to Villanova University, where
he earned a degree in business administration.
He moved the family business to its current location
at 2138 S. Broad St. in 1964.
Cona mourns the recent merger of his high-school alma
mater with St. Maria Goretti, recalling a time when
Neumann flooded his store with hundreds of frantic students
looking for prom outfits.
The prom market has dried up considerably in recent
years, underscoring the trend of South Philly residents
moving to New Jersey.
As a result, Cona says, Chadmoore added a shoe store
on Broad Street in 1986, and also opened a shop in Turnersville
last September.
"Most of our customers are out there. What we
have up here is just a skeleton of what was once South
Philly," Cona says.
At prom time, he adds, "Southern is null and void.
CAPA and GAMP are minor players, and Neumann is nowhere
near what they used to be."
Although the Jersey store is new, Pete Cona says his
father had been resisting a move to the Garden State
for years.
"There were always opportunities to go out there,
but my dad wanted to stay here for the people,"
explains Pete, 37. "He always had a sense of commitment,
both to his customers and to South Philly."
Pete and his younger siblings, Wendy Graziano and Frank
Cona Jr., all spent parts of their high-school and college
years working at Chadmoore and learning from their father.
"Most of my memories are of watching him interact
with the customers. He always took his time and tried
to serve them as best as he could," recalls Wendy,
35, whose husband, Nick Graziano, operates the Turnersville
store.
Working at the family tuxedo shop also gave Wendy a
keen eye for men's fashion when prom time rolled around.
"Yes, I dressed all of my dates. I was a critic
at the dances," she laughs.
From conservative to outlandish, prom and wedding fashions
have come full circle on Frank Cona's watch.
The simple black tuxedo that was popular when he started
working in the business 50 years ago has again taken
center stage, much to Cona's delight.
"There have been so many changes. We've had every
color and style imaginable," Cona remarks, noting
the 1970s and '80s yielded some particularly strange
looks.
The business owner says his trip through the fashion
world has been an immensely enjoyable one, and believes
that positive experience has helped Chadmoore survive
many changes.
Forty years ago, there were only four or five businesses
on the 2100 block of South Broad Street, which now is
comprised almost entirely of commercial storefronts.
"We were always willing to go that extra mile
for people. If we didn't have something in-house, we
would go out and buy it," Cona says. "Customers
appreciated that. When you love your job like I do,
people know it."
Though he still enjoys a hands-on approach, Cona acknowledges
that with shorter hours each week, he is phasing himself
into retirement.
"I've had a great ride. I trained my daughter
and son-in-law. They can take it over," Cona says.
"Still, this is a great place to kick back and
hang out."
In honor of Chadmoore's 40th anniversary on Broad Street,
Wendy threw a party for her father in the store in April,
bringing back scores of former employees.
"My dad's attitude was infectious. He made everyone
enjoy working here," she says. "But you know
what? He deserves a break."
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