Baron boutique shirt buttons..

[billiebob]

Just a quick heads up to say I got a Baron Boutique shirt, and specified mother of pearl buttons.

Instead of mother or pearl buttons, I got big plastic hemispheres with a shank. (Pearls!) It would be funnier if it didn't cost nearly $60.

So, in case you decide to get a baron shirt, take my advice and stick to the standard buttons. Feel free to PM me about the shirt itself if you would like some info about that.

 

[paul]

I attempted to inform (warn) members about Baron Boutique! Remember my comments on July 13, 2006? If not, review comments from that date.

 

[Rolo]

Originally Posted by billiebob

(Pearls!) It would be funnier if it didn't cost nearly $60.

Even at $60, you have to admit it's pretty darn funny.

Sad, but funny.

 

[Joel_Cairo]

I, too have had a bad experience with Baron. I was planning on sending them a suit to copy (a cheapo H&M number, the cut of which I liked, but which wouldn't break my heart if it were lost by the Nepal postal service) as a test-run to guage their quality. I figured it was safer than doing my own measurements and possibly ending up with baboon-sleeves. Raj Bista was answering my emails very kindly and professionally, and even said he'd send me swatches for free (the prices posted on the web are apparently to deter folks from ordering swatches and never coming back). Then all of a sudden, he stopped emailing me back. A few weeks went by with me sending periodic "you still there?" emails, but nothing. Now I don't know what to think.

Suits me fine though, as the cost of shipping my suit to Nepal, plus Baron's canvassing premium (which is now $60) plus the suit itself (probably $300+ for a decent fabric) would likely have put the suit up over Thick as Thieves prices. While none of us has yet handled a TaT suit in real life, I'll bet dollars to donuts that Jason's product is better than Mr. Bista's. I'd much rather support GetSmart's enterprise anyway.

 

[wheelerray]

I just returned from Kathmandu, Nepal. While there I looked up Baron Botique. Its a hole-in-the-wall shop with some low quality bolts of fabric on hand plus a few swatch books with marginally higher quality fabric. I did not really expect much else, since all work in these small tailor shops is usually outsourced to local manufacturers.

I took a good-fitting Jentzon shirt and a pair of Hugo Boss slacks of fairly low quality fabric and construction that fit great with me for them to copy, hoping to get some good shirts and slacks at a good price since I would not have to pay shipping from Nepal.

Even though I left the shirt and pants with them to copy, they did them wrong. The shirt collar was 1-1/2 " small, and the cuffs were 1/2" undersized.
The fusing used in the collar and sleeves was also stiff and obviously of low quality, this despite assuring me they could match the quality of the original. They also missed stiching in the collar tab slots.

The pants were not an exact copy, being larger in the thigh than the original I brought with me. They also forgot to add the non-slip piece I requested in the waistband to keep the shirttail from untucking.

They remade both the shirt and pants to correct their errors, but neither was ultimately of the quality I'd hoped for--and my expectations were fairly low.

I had planned on ordering several shirts and a few pants depending how the first ones turned out, but did not order any more. The shirt was about $25.00 US, and the pants $32.00, but not worth it. If you're thinking of using them, I suggest you do not.

I will instead keep an eye on the sales at Nordstrom Rack, and order from Jentzen if I want specific colors/fabrics.