My RTW experience - what has your's been like?

[stylemechanel]

Hello ladies, I have a question about your purchasing of RTW. This is my first RTW purchase .

I purchased a pair of cashmere pants which needed alterations ( my SA made the biggest fuss and gushed over the fact the the alterations guy had originally come from Valentino). The day I picked up the pants I did not have the opportunity to try them on ( I know I should have made the time), nor look at how they had been packaged. When I got home I found the pants on a cheap plastic hanger in a plain cotton garment bag and thrown into the H orange shopping bag. I found that as I pulled the garment bag out it was ripped and fraying, and the pants had not been altered. I called my SA and she said I could bring them in again, which would require another two weeks. I passed on that, partly because I was so disappointed in the way everything was done when I picked up my purchase. I chose to pass on the offer and brought them to my seamstress .

I also found that at Hermes, when alterations are done they will not leave enough of a fabric allowance in the seams should it need to be taken out later - which in my case is now happening due to age and changing body shapes, something that Chanel always does..

I realize this may sound odd - maybe spoiled by Chanel -I don't deny that - but is this standard?

I did post this in the shopping section but it did not get a response and it may not have been the right place for this search for others having purchased RTW and their experiences.

I must admit my experiences at Chanel have been so different and I am trying not to let my 11 years of buying RTW at Chanel color this first experience at Hermes. It will not be my last but I was so disappointed with the entire process.

So ladies, this is standard operating procedure, am I being unrealistic to expect a garment to be prepared better than what I received?


Thanks ladies!

 

[catluc]

I once purchased a blouse at the Brussels Hermes Store and had it altered at FSH in Paris.
When I went to pick it up 2 days later (Sunday closed of course, Monday closed due to stock management day), it was packaged in a flat orange box with care (dust paper and plastic bag to protect the blouse). I didn't get an orange box when I purchased it in Brussels.

What you have expected is very basic, and it's what everyone, or at least I, would have expected wherever they have clothes altered.

 

[purplepoodles]

I'm sorry you had such a terrible experience. It can be quite traumatic to have something expensive that you love come back to you with inferior work.

Hermes is a company with high standards and as they did the work on your behalf you should expect a similarly high standard from their alterationist. I would certainly take this up with the manager and expect her to make it good.

Over the years Hermes has packaged some stuff beautifully and sometimes atrociously, depends on the sales assistant, what they have on hand and how busy the store is at the time. The packaging and presentation of your purchases should be the same standard as everything else from that company.


I used to have my Hermes clothes altered in Toronto by Hermes, didn't matter where I had bought them. We had a wonderful alterationist who did everything from rebuild ties to make Picotin bag liners from scarves. Rose did the very best alterations and was a true artist. Sadly she retired. Last I heard alterations were being sent to Vancouver but don't know who does the work now.

It is very difficult to find good alterationists or anyone who can do reliably good hand work. Hermes seem to being having the same difficulties as everyone else. However it should be the store's responsibility as you may not have bought the pants if you had to find your own alterationist.

 

[stylemechanel]

I once purchased a blouse at the Brussels Hermes Store and had it altered at FSH in Paris.
When I went to pick it up 2 days later (Sunday closed of course, Monday closed due to stock management day), it was packaged in a flat orange box with care (dust paper and plastic bag to protect the blouse). I didn't get an orange box when I purchased it in Brussels.

What you have expected is very basic, and it's what everyone, or at least I, would have expected wherever they have clothes altered.

Hi catluc, thank you for your response. I can not believe how different my experience was, and how disappointed I am by it. I have my eye on a few RTW piece for fall and I am expecting better treatment of how the clothes cared for when I pick them up.

Thank you again for chiming in, I was beginning to think I was way off base.

 

[papertiger]

You were not 'off-base'. I think there is a level of expertise and professionalism to be expected at this level. Please, I urge you to take them back and express your dissatisfaction, please let Hermes learn from this experience.

I think it might be where you are though, I have never had anything but simple alterations (shortening sleeves/hems usually) at Bond St London but they have been done very well and carefully returned. Not all my experiences of Hermes have been positive, a while ago, I bought a Black croc Romance belt in Selfridges and it was shoved unceremoniously into a random orange box, it was only when I bought another in Amethyst that I saw it was supposed to have its own sleeper as well as its own purpose-made box. Had I known from the first, I would have demanded what was my due, as you should now with your RTW.

 

[k*d]

It doesn't sound like your experience matched the level of service one should expect from Hermes. I hope a manager can make things right!

 

[Brooklynite]

does H alter clothes in house? Perhaps they use a local tailor who has a really good reputation? In which case, the sales person probably didn't inspect the pants...and clearly it's their oversight no matter what.

 

[stylemechanel]

I'm sorry you had such a terrible experience. It can be quite traumatic to have something expensive that you love come back to you with inferior work.

Hermes is a company with high standards and as they did the work on your behalf you should expect a similarly high standard from their alterationist. I would certainly take this up with the manager and expect her to make it good.

Over the years Hermes has packaged some stuff beautifully and sometimes atrociously, depends on the sales assistant, what they have on hand and how busy the store is at the time. The packaging and presentation of your purchases should be the same standard as everything else from that company.


I used to have my Hermes clothes altered in Toronto by Hermes, didn't matter where I had bought them. We had a wonderful alterationist who did everything from rebuild ties to make Picotin bag liners from scarves. Rose did the very best alterations and was a true artist. Sadly she retired. Last I heard alterations were being sent to Vancouver but don't know who does the work now.

It is very difficult to find good alterationists or anyone who can do reliably good hand work. Hermes seem to being having the same difficulties as everyone else. However it should be the store's responsibility as you may not have bought the pants if you had to find your own alterationist.

Thank you Purplepoodles, you are right I was so very disappointed, not only in the presentation of my garment but in the fact that my expectations had been raised about the quality of their alterations since my SA had bragged profusely about their alterations expert. I also suppose that because I have always thought of Hermes as a step above Chanel I assumed the care, treatment, and quality of service would be as well. They did not charge for the alterations, if they had I would have been far more upset.

I have a wonderful seamstress who used to work for Chanel in Beverly Hills. She has taken Chanel jackets and completely remade them for me. So I have learned my lesson with Hermes - I am happy to by RTW but I will have my seamstress alter the garments. I have always been one who likes "known commodities". By that I mean you know what to expect - no matter what it is - and that brings a big level of comfort for me. It took courage for me just to walk back into Hermes again as 8 months before that I had just a horrible experience with service so that I just walked out, down the street and into Tiffany's to buy what I needed.

I think as I type this I may be realizing that Hermes is just not for me. That I may have been so spoiled by my SA and all the staff at Chanel that it would be hard for any other design house to beat how they treat me and the garments I buy.

Thank you again for responding! I really appreciate it!

 

[stylemechanel]

You were not 'off-base'. I think there is a level of expertise and professionalism to be expected at this level. Please, I urge you to take them back and express your dissatisfaction, please let Hermes learn from this experience.

I think it might be where you are though, I have never had anything but simple alterations (shortening sleeves/hems usually) at Bond St London but they have been done very well and carefully returned. Not all my experiences of Hermes have been positive, a while ago, I bought a Black croc Romance belt in Selfridges and it was shoved unceremoniously into a random orange box, it was only when I bought another in Amethyst that I saw it was supposed to have its own sleeper as well as its own purpose-made box. Had I known from the first, I would have demanded what was my due, as you should now with your RTW.

Hi Papertiger, thank you for responding. I bought the garment at the Beverly Hills Boutique. Normally I would have just let the mistake slide - because I have a wonderful seamstress whom I trust completely and I knew I could just take the garment to her. But this was now the second time I had a poor experience at the Beverly Hills Hermes.

The third was just this last week, and I am beginning to think it may be my SA that has been giving me careless or maybe thoughtless service. I have been lurking on the Hermes scarf thread and had really fallen in love with one particular scarf. I finally called my SA and gave her the name of the scarf and told her the colorway. She apparently talked to the "scarf manager" who said they didn't have it. I asked her to call other boutiques to see if she could find it for me. Three days later she called and said she found it at her own location and and because I could not get there until this week she said she would have to send it out as they would not hold it ( I am learning so much about Hermes that is so different from Chanel). When I received it yesterday it was the right scarf but the wrong colorway. The thing that bothered me so much about it is when we spoke on the phone after she found it she again reiterated the colorway and we both agreed that was exactly the right scarf. To me it was careless that the wrong scarf would even be packed up and mailed. It was as if no one checked to match the scarf with the receipt. So now I am stuck with the wrong scarf that I will take back but she had told me on the phone that should I need to return it for any reason I could get store credit not credit on my card.

At this point I will ask to talk to the manager and express my frustration and hope that she will credit my account and not insist on store credit only. I think I am going to rethink how Hermes fits into my lifestyle.

Oh am I am so sorry about your experience with your Black croc Romance belt in Selfridges. That to me is just sloppy and thoughtless.

Thank you again Papertiger, I really am so glad that you responded.

 

[stylemechanel]

does H alter clothes in house? Perhaps they use a local tailor who has a really good reputation? In which case, the sales person probably didn't inspect the pants...and clearly it's their oversight no matter what.

Yes, Brooklynite, I believe they are altered in house. But I do think you are right, my SA never bothered to look at the pants, or the garment bag because she would have seen that it was ripped and frayed. She has been working at Hermes for 8 monhs now so I did not expect to have any problems. I am just frustrated with the entire experience. Thank you for responding, I am so glad you did!!!

It doesn't sound like your experience matched the level of service one should expect from Hermes. I hope a manager can make things right!

Thank you k*d, I intend to speak to the manager this week. Normally I would have let it pass but if you read my two other missives above you will see that this is becoming more the norm that the occasional misstep. I am so disappointed because I really believed that Chanel's recent collections were starting to be too young for me, as they really aren't making much in the classic "Chanel" style. I have been watching Hermes over the last few seasons and thought that Hermes might be a better fit now for my lifestyle. Well, it is something I really have to think and rethink. On a lighter note - my husband seems almost giddy that Hermes doesn't really seem to be working out for me -after 11 years he is just settling into "Channel as he likes to say.

Thank you for your suggestion, I will be heading there this week.

 

[dolphingirl]

I once bought a pair of Hermes riding pants inn Japan and the seam ripped wide open during the first ride back in my home country. I took them to Hermes immediately but was surprised to find that the seamstress was not in house. She took jobs from different designer houses. I was lucky that she was at Hermes that day and she quickly fixed the problem, but the pants were returned in a plain paper bag without any packaging. I guess Hermes does not have a standardized service protocol for their RTW.

 

[birkel]

i have to agree not the best in all honesty they have developed the entire leather department presentation very well still the process for ready to wear is not up to standards at least in New York in my experiance that said i too am spoiled by the perfection that is chanel and in that sense must say that i do not like the chanel experiance when it comes to leather so again and as i always do i visit each Brand for its specialty and not the expanded ítems. hope it helps Darling. Birkel.

 

[OhManolo]

I am sorry to hear about your experience. They should do everything to resolve the issues.

My experience has been limited but good thus far. I've only purchased a few tops that did not need alterations. Came in H garment bags, tags and orange bags but no box.

Off topic-- but my store is participating in the semi-bespoke ordering of a few select pieces. You select the design (from a book of designs) and scarf design and they make you the select piece with 2-3 months turnaround. You pay a deposit when you preorder and pay the remainder when the piece is complete. Has anyone ordered such a piece before? Thanks, everyone.

 

[stylemechanel]

I once bought a pair of Hermes riding pants inn Japan and the seam ripped wide open during the first ride back in my home country. I took them to Hermes immediately but was surprised to find that the seamstress was not in house. She took jobs from different designer houses. I was lucky that she was at Hermes that day and she quickly fixed the problem, but the pants were returned in a plain paper bag without any packaging. I guess Hermes does not have a standardized service protocol for their RTW.

Thank you dolphingirl, you bring up a very good point. When I go in this week I will ask my SA if their alterations man is actually their own or contracted. She lead me to believe he is in house but maybe he isn't. When she called him he was there in just a few short minutes. It never occurred to me that he wouldn't be in house as Chanel has 2 or 3 full time alterations women, all in house. I used to shop for RTW at Valentino, Gucci and LV their alterations people were always in house. I guess times are changing as that was a decade ago. I also really appreciate you sharing your RTW packaging experience. I think Hermes may have a way to go in their presentation of their garments. It just doesn't seem like that should be the case - it is Hermes. Thanks again your input! I appreciate it and will update with how they handle all this after my visit to the boutique.

i have to agree not the best in all honesty they have developed the entire leather department presentation very well still the process for ready to wear is not up to standards at least in New York in my experiance that said i too am spoiled by the perfection that is chanel and in that sense must say that i do not like the chanel experiance when it comes to leather so again and as i always do i visit each Brand for its specialty and not the expanded ítems. hope it helps Darling. Birkel.

I may be following in your path Birkel! Buying most of my RTW at Chanel and leather items at Hermes. I still have my eyes on some of the RTW for fall (as I do think it is starting to fit the more casual lifestyle that we are approaching) and I will purchase them but have my seamstress handle the alterations. Their alterations expert made me uncomfortable anyway and now it would just be a waste of time for him do any of the work.
Thanks so much for your point of view, I think I will follow your advice.

 

[dolphingirl]

I always received superb service at Valentino and Dior Couture, but Hermes, nah, so so.

There are quite a few pieces of Hermes RTW I like this season, but I do agree with you, Chanel for RTW and Hermes for leather.