An American In Paris

I stopped in on a Saturday for the first time to check out the clothing. I was immediately approached by the sales clerk with the same lecture as everyone else has mentioned here. Turned off by the approach — I immediately turned and walked out.
I don’t write reviews but this warranted one for the worst customer service ever. Can’t recommend shopping here with that approach to be lectured on how to look at clothing.

She told my friend that she was too big for the clothes in her store. That’s really all you need to know about this owner. Albeit, this was about five years ago. But still, she will never have my business. This is how girls develop poor self esteem and body image issues.

The tackiest the thing in the store is the owner! Also, to the people who say these are «One of a kind items» and «she needs to keep her prices low so don’t touch the clothes» or… «It’s ok that she locks the door»… You are all crazy or just plain stupid… Look online, I guarantee you’ll find the items elsewhere for WAYYYY LESS, AND on top of that, they haven’t been sitting on the hanger for months on end! Some of the clothes do look second hand because this witch can’t sell something when she’s so rude all the time. I’m not cheap, her prices are ridiculous, and they come from labels that are easily found. She’s a loony tune. She says don’t touch the clothes, but has the same dresses sitting in the sunny window, bleeding out the color! Look close enough and some of the clothes actually look dirty. Gross. $ 400 on a dress, OK, but a dirty dress, disgusting. She was so rude two different times, I gave up… Twice I came In ready to spend, but I’d never spend it here. Talk about turning down sales! Worst business concept I’ve ever seen. If she took a moment to read her reviews she’d be adding up the amount of money she’s lost due to her horrific behavior.

Ugh.
Joelle does have great taste in clothes, that is true. However, she is incredibly obnoxious and will spend the entire time you’re in the store (assuming she lets you in; she has a habit of not opening the door if she doesn’t like what you’re wearing/doesn’t think you have money) following you around and swooping in between you and the clothes so you can’t touch them, talking shit about the other stores in Old Town, and pulling things out to show you without asking what you are actually looking for/​what you like. I personally will never wear a pumpkin-​colored wool bubble coat; I don’t care how well it’s made or who designed it, and you are wasting my time by showing it to me.
I gave up about 5 minutes in because she would not let me browse and left. If you are looking for an outfit for a specific event this might not be a bad place to go, but Joelle is annoying enough that I never want to shop there again.
Also, for everyone creaming themselves over her accent, she’s Middle Eastern, not French, and she’s still annoying. I am amazed this place is still in business and frankly would be delighted if it closed.

Never made it in the store. Signed said store was closed so a customer could have a «private shopping experience» and that it would reopen in 15 minutes. I had already walked the stretch on King St in the humidity only to have to stand outside. I tried to kill time in a neighboring antique shop since the other stores around were uninteresting. I then went back to the store and it was still closed. I checked Unilocal to see if this experience is typical. After reading the reviews, I realized it wasn’t worth another minute of my time. Apparently this store can survive by having one customer in at a time. More power to them. I will not be one of those.

The owner is super helpful and knowledgeable about what she sales. She does require that you handle the clothing a certain way but it’s only because her clothes are of high quality and she wants to keep her pieces in the best condition.

Are you kidding me? I can’t believe this psycho is still in business. And some of the clothes looked secondhand to me. Not that there’s anything wrong with that but I didnt see that posted anywhere.

I went in hoping to find a dress for a close friend’s wedding. I received the same treatment as everyone else and left feeling rejected and without a dress.
Joelle is not French, she’s Persian. The dresses she has are all the same silhouette and perfect for the office. Who in Old Town is going to pay $ 450 to wear a dress to work? The visuals in the store are horrendous and most of it is unfinished, which doesn’t lend to me spending over $ 100 if she doesn’t see it necessary to put money into her shop.

A cursory glance at the Unilocal reviews for this boutique would have adequately prepared me for what was in store for me on my recent visit to this shop, but I was there on a whim and so I got the unfiltered experience.
I wanted to check out some of the dresses I saw in the window, so I dragged my friend inside to get a closer look. I reached for one of the dresses that caught my eye and before my hands could make contact, the owner swooped the dress out of arms reach like Dikembe Mutombo in a Geico commercial. Clearly I was out of bounds here.
The owner asked us not to touch the clothing and instead offered to pull some dresses to show us. She locked the door so that she could give my friend and me her undivided attention. She walked us around the shop showing us dresses and describing how exquisite the dresses were. I saw other ladies attempt to enter the shop, but they were rebuffed by the owner who evidently prefers to have only a couple of customers in the shop at a time.
Not being able to touch the dresses definitely took the fun out of the experience. Furthermore, the owner’s lecture on the clothes made me feel like I was at a gallery admiring some dresses worn by famous people rather than selecting outfits for my own wardrobe. I prefer to touch and feel the clothes I’m interested in buying and shop at my own pace without someone following me around a store, so this boutique was not my cup of tea.

First, the clothing is bee-​yoo-​tiful. Beautiful, pretty, unique, quality, stylish. And therein lies the reason for two stars instead of one.
Second, and what alone justifies a one-​star rating, based on my interactions and my interactions and experience alone, the owner is, er, unusual? Overbearing? (Let me be honest, I can come up with many, many less polite words to use, but I’m a little concerned about slandering her, ha!)
Here’s the thing, when I entered this store w/​my mother and during our visit, she was actually very, very nice to us. Through our lengthy conversation, I learned a lot about her background, life, family. On the surface, and lecturing aside, she wasn’t a bit rude to us. But that’s because, out of confusion and fear, we played along.
Rule 1) don’t touch the clothing. If you do, hold the bottom hem out with one hand and, with the other hand, hold the hanger; and, Rule 2) don’t expect to be left alone to peruse the beautiful clothing. The owner keeps a close, protective eye on her customers. Oh, and did I mention that she stands within 12″ of you, too? And that’s a generous estimate…
So, bummer! I would love to comfortably look around the store, try on a few pieces, enjoy the experience of shopping and chatting in a sweet boutique. But the owner made me so, so, SO uncomfortable. And I couldn’t get out of there, because I couldn’t wiggle out of the conversation (again, she was nice to me, but I couldn’t find a polite way to get out of there. My bad).
If you go, set your expectations based on my and the other reviews. She can be nice (play along! be kind! don’t touch!) and, again, I think the clothing is gorgeous. But don’t expect to shop freely. Plan on chumming up and being accompanied and watched as you look at the items.
Another thing, people DON’T TAKE IT PERSONALLY. Clearly, she’s not like most other shop owners; her idiosyncrasies have nothing to do with us. She’s, er, different. Eccentric. Lacking in the tact department. Like me, try to laugh (but don’t stay as long as I did, ugh!) and just find more beautiful clothing at another, better boutique that knows how to treat its clientele.

Yep, as of March 2013, the owner is still giving the speech about how to touch the clothes when you first walk in the store. I wasn’t even trying to reach for anything. I literally, just walked in with my mom. The owner was rude and abrasive. I do in fact have the money to spend on nice quality pieces for work. With that attitude however, this lady won’t even get my loose pocket change.

I am so bored with the whole «I am french and I know better thing», rude is just rude and no-​one should put up with that. This lady needs to get a grip, she has no right to treat people badly.
ON a very pleasant Saturday afternoon my wife and I walked into this store having no idea of the rude lady. She was talking to some other people in the store and blabbing about how Americans have no style and blah blah blah. Ok fair enough that is her opinion. Then she wheezes herself to our corner as my wife was looking at a jacket and says to us «please touch my clothes from the hanger»!
Lady: they don’t speak at Channel that way?
ARE YOU KIDDING ME?
my wife just stares back at her and says have a nice day and walks out. These are just clothes not museum pieces and unless the lady owner chills out, her shop will turn into a museum.

No one was in the store when I first walked in on a Tuesday afternoon.
Without warning, the owner launched into a lecture about handling the clothes. For example, «three fingers» width between each hanger, and there are little instruction cards.
I was very put off by this, but nevertheless browsed a little as she unlocked the door and began to lecture other customers coming into the store. In the time I was there, I saw Tibi, Diesel, and Nicole Miller.
I’m sure the other items were lovely, but I wasn’t feeling the «welcome».

I’m not sure why some reviewers are so tough on Joelle. She is a hard working entrepreneur, offering a hand selected high end product. She doesn’t want people grabbing and ruining her clothes. It’s not like some chain store where she can send damaged goods back to corporate.
I strolled in a few weeks ago, for the first time, looking for a dress to wear to a wedding. Joelle was all over me, in a good way. She seemed to have a blast pulling dresses that she thought would fit my body well. She was very complimentary when dresses fit nicely and she was straightforward (but never rude) when she thought I could do better. She loves the clothes in her store and sees them as wearable art.
If I’m going to spend my money on something like a cocktail dress, I do appreciate a tailored and personalized experience. I felt that Joelle genuinely wanted me to walk out of her store happy and return again. Which I will.

The first time I went into the store, I was given a lecture by the owner on how to touch and handle the clothing. Needless to say, this sent me right out the door.
I shop very highend and dont need someone to tell me how to touch a garment.
The second and last time I went into the store I got the same drama as how to touch everything and let it slide because I wanted a few items she had in the window.
Almost 1000 later the same owner who has lectured me twice on how I should touch her clothes, as to not ruin them with my grubby hands wraps my garments in rough butcher paper!!!
I HAVE MONEY TO SPEND AND WILL NEVER SPEND IT AN AMERICAN IN PARIS.

I DARE YOU to stop by the store just to tell them that you ARE NOT going to shop there because word has spread how rude the store’s owner is to customers.
I hate to say it, but there is a reason people say «the French are a**holes.» This store will not last long and I welcome its departure as it’s a waste of good retail space.
First, I’m quite confident that there is a law against locking customers inside stores.
Second, how dare this women lecture customers on how to touch dresses as if we Americans don’t have enough sense to browse through clothes!

As we were walking around Alexandria I noticed a very pretty jacket in the store front. Didn’t stop in at that time but decided to stop on our way back to the car.
I was shocked to find the door locked but understood why when I read the sign on the door. So I knocked and saw the owner eating lunch behind the register. She saw us and slowly put her food down, wiped her mouth and stood up. I thought she was on her way to the door but when I peeked back in she was still messing around at the register and decided to knock again.
She finally came in to the door and let us in: myself, my husband, and my mom. As soon as I walked in I saw a very pretty dress and as soon as I put my hand out to lightly touch it I got a very stern «no touching» from the owner. I was startled at the demand and quickly put my hand down like a 5 year old. I honestly was surprised she didn’t hit the back of my hand! lol
Anyways, moving on. The owner, Joelle, went on to talk about «welcoming you into the store» and how «we are not allowed to touch the clothing» blah blah blah. As soon as the condescending voice and lecture started I was ready to bolt. And surprisingly I didn’t. We stayed for about 5 minutes listening to the incessant talk about how «inexpensive» the clothes are and how «everyone can afford to shop» at her store. Looking around I was able to see how incorrect she was. $ 395 for the jacket in the store front that I fell in love with? Or $ 395 for a dress? Um, I think not. She also started talking about getting styling advice from her when you shop at her store. She went on to talk about how she would dress a teacher. LMAO. With these prices a teacher would be insane to spend her paycheck here.
Anyways, despite the really pretty things she had in the store I hated the whole concept. You have to be «welcomed» in and you can’t touch anything! I mean, come on. Give your customers some credit. If someone is eating ice cream and about to touch an expensive piece of clothing then by all means, say «please don’t touch.» But I don’t think the average customer is going to be groping their greasy grimy hands on the clothing. And also, what’s with the locked door? I mean, am I shopping on Rodeo Drive? Because yes, some shops do that there but here in little old Alexandria? Puh-​lease. How pretentious can you be?

I was super scared after reading the other reviews, but I had no reason to be. The door was not locked — it was open, letting some air into the store. The store is small — I definitely don’t want to be in there with 20 other customers. We were the only ones in the shop.
The clothes and accessories are beautiful — I completely understand the no-​touching rule. Joelle was more than happy to speak with us — she immediately welcomed us and showed us different pieces, as well as giving us info on the designers. She was truly passionate about her products.
While neither my friend nor I were looking for higher-​end clothes today, when I am, I will definitely be back to see Joelle.

Nutjob!!!
Yep, the owner is looney tunes. She asks you to handle the clothes by the hangers, and not touch. I realize that a damaged garment=a lost sale, but come on. If you have to be buzzed in, and you’re one of maybe two customers in there at any given time, you’re probably not going to hurt anything.
I went in once with a friend and got the normal lecture. The owner proceeded to point out that I had very nicely done nails and probably would do no harm, but then pointed out my friend’s bitten nails and chipped paint and observed that she might be another story. Too funny.
But she has some really great labels and unique finds. For the most part, it’s out of my price range, but I respect that it has a very unique and beautiful selection of garments.
While one reviewer says «truly interested visitors will find the owner serves not only as shop-​keeper of beautiful dresses, but also fashion consultant and diva-​extraordinaire. If this is not your style, then there is a Ross right down the street. :) Auf wiedersehen. But for the fashion-​forward among you, bonjour to an American in Paris.» I kind-​of disagree. I have been to fine stores throughout the US and Europe and have NEVER been asked to handle things only by the hanger. That won’t happen to you at a shop in Paris. They recognize that part of the appeal of an article of clothing is its fabric. I browse and lightly touch clothing to get an idea of the feel of the garment. It’s important.
I also think the space itself is really unwelcoming. It’s crowded. She generally has one sample out and «more sizes in the back.» There’s too much to take in, especially since you aren’t supposed to move things around on the rack.
I just think that when I do decide to spend more on clothes, it’s important to have an experience where I feel like a valued customer. When I spend a few hunded dollars on an item, I want you to be nice to me, not lecture me about nails and assume that maybe I’m not good enough for your shop because I happen to be somewhat dressed down on a given day.
All in all, you may find nice pieces here, and you may even catch a sale. But I think that for the most part you can find them in other locations for less, or at the very least be treated as a valued customer rather than a potential garment-​ruiner.

No MORE WIRE HANGARS! oh– and don’t touch the fabric either.
Yup, I got the lecture too!
But, seriously– if you are browsing through silks– you do not want people leaving greasy finger stains. I get her point.
Some incredibly beautiful goods here! WOW! It made me wish that I did not always blow my cash. But– Oh well. Many of the dresses seemed appropriate for a day at the polo fields or yacht races. Since I don’t live that lifestyle, not for me.
Found a pair of I– MUST-​HAVE THESE– stiletto heels. My MUST have changed into a WELL– maybe, NAW– not really– when I looked at the price. Yes, they were cute, but, for 375 $, I could buy part of one of the 6 new air conditioners or floors that I need for my house. I wish her luck!