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The bride-to-be sighs. “But it’s Duke blue,” she laments of the sleek gown that her mother is modeling under a crystal chandelier at Kannon’s Clothing. “And we’re definitely not Duke

Rosemary and Goat Cheese Strata

The bride-to-be sighs. “But it’s Duke blue,” she laments of the sleek gown that her mother is modeling under a crystal chandelier at Kannon’s Clothing. “And we’re definitely not Duke

Faith, Family, & Fashion at Kannon’s Clothing

Drawer of ties at Kannon's Clothing

The bride-to-be sighs. “But it’s Duke blue,” she laments of the sleek gown that her mother is modeling under a crystal chandelier at Kannon’s Clothing. “And we’re definitely not Duke fans.”

Boo Knuckley Jefferson nods knowingly, registering the young woman’s concern like a diplomat taking in the pronouncement of visiting royalty. Tastefully turned out in a classic little black dress with a gold chain, Boo’s sharp eyes also clock the mother-of-the-bride’s fondness for the gown’s flourishes and flattering cut.

Expert at smoothing out such wrinkles, Boo, a third-generation owner and operator of Kannon’s, doesn’t miss a beat. “Of course,” she offers reassuringly, “we have this gown in different colors. Let’s try …” — she pauses, and the entire room seems to lean in, listening — “fuchsia.”

All day, these sensitive style negotiations unspool at Kannon’s in Raleigh’s Village District. Mothers-of-the-bride and those of the groom, as well as bridesmaids and guests-of — all bring their hopes and anxieties here, alongside the casual-wear browsers who are not so casually wondering if they can pull off the latest trends.

Inside the shop, the selection approaches sensory overload. The colors of the blouses, dresses, and jackets swirl like a rainbow scissored into strips and strewn every which way. The textures of rabbit-fur stoles, feathered clutch purses, and tartan canvas sneakers call out to be caressed.

As the bride-to-be ponders her mother in fuchsia, a grandmother-of-a-different-bride picks up a gown that she’d previously selected, now tailored to perfection. She and her husband journeyed up from their farmhouse in Wilson. Other customers come from as far away as South Carolina and Virginia. All of them could acquire their finery online with the click of a computer mouse. Instead, they trek to Kannon’s women’s store, with its lustrous white walls and high-noon lighting — or its counterpart men’s shop just up the street.

Mary-Kannon Jefferson Gosnell, Mary Kathryn Phillips (far left), Joe Ann Knuckley Wright, George Knuckley, and Boo Knuckley Jefferson.

Mary-Kannon Jefferson Gosnell (second from right) is following in the footsteps of her predecessors: Mary Kathryn Phillips (far left), Joe Ann Knuckley Wright, George Knuckley, and Boo Knuckley Jefferson. photograph by Charles Harris

“Here, they’ll accessorize you from head to toe, which is rare,” says Krissy Lusardi, who reps a fashion house in Montreal and is now staking out a store corner to set up a trunk show. “Dress, shoes, purse, jewelry, even advice on hair and nails.” But what really brings people in from far away is the attention they get when shopping for social occasions.

Or, as Boo puts it, “When you walk in this door, you’re a member of the Kannon family, too.”

And what a family. Boo has trained all her life to dress people for special occasions, as have her three siblings — all equipped with soothing Southern twangs and expert manners. They are the grandchildren of a couple who could barely speak English, but nonetheless understood how to make people feel special and cared for.

• • •

Like a thread in a wildly zig-zagging pattern, the history of Kannon’s stretches far from its current location in one of Raleigh’s poshest neighborhoods. In 1905, a sheep and goat herder in Hammana, Lebanon, listened with fascination as a high-rolling businessman described the riches and opportunities awaiting in America.

An inspired Isaac George Kannon soon bid temporary farewell to his wife and two children and hopped a barge across the Atlantic. His first stop was Ellis Island, followed by a train trip to the place his immigrant brother-in-law called home: North Carolina.

Joe Ann Knuckley Wright at Kannon's Clothing

Joe Ann Knuckley Wright welcomes clientele and packs their special purchases with care. photograph by Charles Harris

Here, the exuberant Isaac took to buying linens and other sundries wholesale and then ambling with a pack on his back across eastern Wake County, peddling them to housewives at a small profit. Eventually, he opened a storefront in downtown Raleigh.

Isaac Kannon and his wife Zahayia

Isaac Kannon dreamed of the good life in America and found it in Wendell, where he and his wife, Zahayia, opened a modest clothing shop. Today, Kannon’s is a Raleigh institution. photograph by Kannon’s Clothing

By this time, Isaac’s family had joined him. But finding the capital city “too large for his liking,” according to a store history, he shifted his clan 25 miles east to Wendell. There, on Main Street, is where he opened the original Kannon’s in 1916.

Living in a two-story house that had once served as a school, with an expansive wraparound porch, Isaac and his wife, Zahayia, raised 10 children. Seven of them eventually went their own way, but son Ed and daughters Kathryn and Jeanette stayed on — at the home and in the family business. Jeanette married, brought a high-end élan to the store, and bore four children: Mary Kathryn Phillips, now 70; Boo, 67; George Knuckley, 66; and Joe Ann Knuckley Wright, 63.

The brood shared the original homeplace with Isaac (Zahayia died in 1947) along with bachelor uncle Ed and bachelorette aunt Kathryn, both of whom also worked their whole lives at Kannon’s.

“We all lived in that one house,” says Joe Ann, seated with her siblings in a circle of decorous living room chairs and couches inside the women’s store. “And everything revolved around three things: family, faith, and the business.”

At Kannon’s Clothing, the family’s careful eye for detail helps them visualize winning ensembles for their shoppers. photograph by Charles Harris

The group chortles over memories of dusting shoes and sweeping floors at the original store, and some of them occasionally break into tears recalling their close-knit family’s perseverance. They faced a pivotal but painful moment when deciding to leave Wendell for Raleigh, which, by then, had become their main source of customers. “It was the right thing to do, but it was also gut-wrenching,” George recalls. “We had so many emotional connections in Wendell. It was …” — he tosses back his head — “… ugghh.”

George and Mary Kathryn, who share responsibility for the men’s store, moved first, settling at the Village District in 2012. Four years later, when an appropriate space became available, Boo and Joe Ann relocated the ladies’ branch of the business a block away.

They’ve thrived, and a fourth generation, spearheaded by Boo’s daughter Mary-Kannon Jefferson Gosnell, is continuing the family’s remarkable run. Meantime, the customers keep coming — for styling and sometimes for the fellowship only a family can provide.

• • •

Among a grinning group of friends occupying a corner of Kannon’s men’s store this afternoon is a fellow who five years ago could barely bring himself to leave his home. For more than two decades, 84-year-old Gerald Arnold had worn black as a judge on the NC Court of Appeals. But off the bench, he zhuzhed up in fine suits, pocket squares, and ties — many purchased from Kannon’s.

Gerald Arnold shops for a new suit at Kannon's Clothing

Gerald Arnold (right) survived a period of grief with the compassion of his friends at Kannon’s — like George Knuckley, who’s quick to help the retired judge choose just the right suit and tie. photograph by Charles Harris

The gregarious public servant happily made trips to Wendell with his wife, Sue, and became a regular at the Raleigh store, with its exposed-brick walls and dark, stained-concrete floors. “You’d come here and see people you knew — and if you didn’t know them personally, you knew who they were,” he says in a husky baritone. “Everyone was so welcoming. Like doing business the way people did it a long, long time ago.”

In 2019, Sue died suddenly. “It was devastating,” Arnold remembers. “At times like that, it’s easy to dig a hole and just get in it.”

But his friends at Kannon’s wouldn’t let him. Craving the camaraderie of people who cared, he visited the store, where Mary Kathryn cajoled him, “Don’t withdraw. Come in whenever you can.”

Rack of suit jackets at Kannon's Clothing

Visitors can shop for power suits and attire that helps them rise to every special occasion at Kannon’s Clothing. photograph by Charles Harris

As counseled, Arnold got out of the house, expanded his circle, and, eventually, remarried. He had depended on Kannon’s for friendship and light. Today, he and his wife, Shirley, have carted visiting Florida relatives to the shop.

Recently, Arnold bought a purple tie to punch up the gray suit he wore while delivering a talk for the North Carolina Supreme Court Historical Society. “George and Mary Kathryn have a knack for picking things that make an old suit pop,” he says. “When you’re getting up in front of people, you want to look and feel your best. You want to give it all you’ve got.”

Dress up or dress down — either way, the offerings at Kannon’s Clothing do not compromise on style.  photograph by Charles Harris

Back under the crystal chandelier at the women’s store, Boo and Joe Ann continue giving everything they’ve got to a customer in a tank top. She approaches the checkout counter cradling a bubblegum-pink blouse. “I would have never picked this for myself. Never!” she says, and beams. “But you’re right — I love it.”

More than just the cut and color of clothes, fashion here is about the contour of dreams — from those of an optimistic immigrant to his dedicated descendants and every customer who ventures inside hoping to take a transformative turn on the brightly lit catwalk of life.

Kannon’s Clothing
Women’s:
2015 Cameron Street
Raleigh, NC 27605
(919) 365-7074

Men’s:
435 Daniels Street
Raleigh, NC 27605
(919) 366-6902
kannonsclothing.com

This story was published on Feb 03, 2025

Billy Warden

Billy Warden is a Raleigh-based writer, TV producer, and marketing executive as well as two-time TEDx speaker and longtime singer with the glam rock band The Floating Children. His work has been recognized with a Muse Creative Arts award, Telly awards, and a regional Emmy nomination.