Elegant Furs

Wow! I have worked with Elegant Furs twice and both times they made me feel like a VIP! I really appreciate the customer service and attention to detail. It is VERY obvious that they know their craft. –Very impressed.

Recently, I inherited some coats from my grandmother that I love and remind me of her. I decided to dip my toe into wearing fur by updating an old bomber jacket into a vest. I chose Elegant Furs because of the connection to David Green furriers in Alaska where I lived for many years.
When I arrived, I told staff my vision for the design and was told that it would be upwards of $ 700. I balked, never having investigate tailoring fur before. When they saw my hesitation, I got the hard sell on the sentimentality of the piece, the uniqueness of the fur, etc. I caved. When Gerardo, the owner and furrier arrived to inspect the garment a spec out the price, we saw that there were many rips and flaws in the old mink. When again I hesitated to update such a damaged piece, I was told Gerardo can work wonders. I pre-​paid the $ 895 and was told it would be 6 – 8 weeks to be called for a final fitting.
After 9 weeks, I called to investigate. I was told they were behind from the holidays and I would get a call back right away. When I didn’t, I called again and was told they would call me the following week for a fitting. They did, and I went in right away. I tried on the fur, which was tailored very well for my frame but missing a couple details that were mentioned during my original fitting, like leather piping on the pockets. The assistant was quick to point out that these things were not listed on my invoice… understandable but I didn’t feel it was my job to ensure every detail spec’d out was listed on the invoice at the time of the fitting. I didn’t push the issue. To their credit, they finished the piece two days later. But when I was loading the piece into the car, I noticed a GAPING HOLE on the collar. Not something you had to dig for. A very noticeable flaw you could see across the room. I went back in and they promised to sew it up immediately, but the assistant said «Well, it is a very old fur. It must have been modified once before.» No apology for not checking their work but blaming me for daring to modify a fur THEY CONVINCED ME they could transform. She went on, «We did sew up a lot of tears.»…again checking the invoice to see just how many tears my measly $ 895 had covered (all). She gave me a garment bag «which we don’t normally give unless you buy a new piece» (thanks for the $ 1 splurge). Since getting home, I’ve noticed a couple more tears on the back of the vest.
Elegant Furs has some gorgeous original pieces, but I would not recommend them for custom work. Mainly, I was offended by this minimal effort at customer service; they actually had me feeling like I was acting entitled to something I didn’t pay for. I didn’t try to haggle with them and I didn’t demand a product that was more expensive than their quote. I just wanted something done right within the time frame they promised. I’m glad that I only used them for a vest and not something more complex.