Mr Charles Shop

I have lived in State College for over 30 years and I am now sad to admit that I have shopped in Mr. Charles since my first year of college back in 1981 (wow…dating myself here!) lol
A few years ago I was there shopping for a nice dress for our company Christmas party. I had cash in my pocket; however, I went straight from working an overnight shift and definitely looked like a bag lady with my oversized winter coat and messy hair… etc. The older salesperson would not leave my side even though I gave her my «thanks, just looking» response which meant…“I’ll get you if I need your help…“
She made me feel like I was about to shoplift! She would not leave so I told her I couldn’t relax and shop and ended up buying a great dress down the street.
After that I boycotted the store for several years.
It has always been my go-​to store for the perfect dress since I like their styles, so alas, I did start popping back in there occasionally.
So.yesterday I went down after another overnight shift. with my «bag lady coat» on to check out a dress in the window that I thought might be great for Easter. Another older salesperson (I believe may be the manager), would not leave me alone and basically told me I was too old for the thinks I was eyeing up to try on/​buy. I’ll admit, I probably do dress younger than I should BUT. she made me feel awful.
I will stick to my boycott this time.

It’s too bad I have to give this place ONE whole star because they deserve to be shut down by the fashion police as well as get a 0.
I’ve always disliked how rude and pretentious the employees were but as a fashion enthusiast (and currently a fashion designer working/​living in NYC) I would go when I was in high school/​college to shop. I’ve purchased a few things over the years. One was a dress for about $ 40 and when I washed it, the color of the print came right off (I take very good care of my clothing and after taking textile science classes, I know how to wash clothing). Another skirt shed sequins. Just fell right off and left little glue marks in the garment.
Consistently, walking past the store I’ve noticed they carry a vast amount of knockoffs. I’ve seen Oscar de la Renta, Dolce and Gabanna, and Ralph Lauren to name a few. Not even pieces inspired buy the original garments — blatant knockoffs sewn poorly. It’s quite sad this is what they market to the «elite» of state college who really aren’t all that elite. (Hello you probably live next to a dairy farm!). Recently, I feel they have been adding in lower priced options for people who think buying a $ 500 de la Renta knockoff is just darn too much (or sad, pathetic, unintelligent). I understand that most people don’t have thousands for the real one but this store is so fake about the ordeal.
However my worst experience for this store had to be when I was shopping with my mom. They said they had a great dress for an event I was going to so I tried it on. Upon my surprise, it was a $ 40 knock off of a Valentino spring collection dress from a few years back sewn in poly chiffon. It wasn’t even a dress from a Valentino designed collection! It was the first collection designed on his label after he retired! When I realized it didn’t fit I hung it on a hook above the mirror and turned to leave because the sales associate couldn’t be bothered on a slow day.
Once I was almost out the door, a sales associate asked where I put the dress and I said in the dressing room. She peered in and said it was not in there. I absolutely did not steel that garment and went closer to the room to tell her to (turn your 60 year old neck to the left about 30 degrees more and you will see it you ignorant hag) look around the mirror. After a long and embarrassing three minutes the idiot sales associate saw the dress. No apology, no act of remorse. I suppose when you pass off fake crap (next to $ 40 Tory Burch plastic flip flops –common people those things are pennies to manufacture) you can treat customers anyway you want.
Save yourself the embarrassment of shopping and buying clothing from this fraudulent wannabe place and take your business to Access down the road or Sydney Mac on the next block.

I’ve wanted to review this place for so long but thought I was maybe just being paranoid until I saw the other two reviews here. I’m glad it’s not just me who thinks «Mr. Charles» — the seller of women’s fashion — is a highly pretentious and unfriendly place to shop!
It always cracks me up a bit when people in this town try to act like it’s a high-​class urban metropolis; granted, this is a goofy way to be *anywhere* BUT while there’s certainly a lot of people with money here, I’d like to remind you that you’re surrounded by farm country and the nearest cosmopolitan city center is some 3+ hours away. For the most part, you’re getting dressed up with no place to go and «culturally» speaking, no one really knows the difference between that $ 200 dress from «Mr. Charles» and the $ 30 Target knock-​off your poor friend’s got on. I understand this store is trying to capitalize on rich white students and alumni but the class-​based pretense that the owner and minimum-​waged employees carry with them is both funny and insulting. The few times I’ve stopped in have been on my way to or from the gym since that’s normally the only time I’m down that way. It’s not like I“m trying on their cheap, China-​made but «brand name» dresses in my sweaty sports bra (I’ve got *some* class!) but yet from the attitude I get you’d think I’d just infested their fabrics with rabies. I’m sorry I wear weird winter hats at all times of the year that may or may not make me look homeless; and you’re right — i *don’t* have $ 350 to spend on a dress. But every once in awhile when the occasion arises (a wedding, for instance) I might want to stop in, try something on and do my best to support a local business rather than Wal-​mart or the Nittany Mall.
So it’s not even really about the price (although seriously — HOW ‘value’ is determined boggles my mind). It’s really that the underpaid (and probably overworked) employees have bought into the store’s «brand» strategy of being «Happy Valley’s» elitist /​upper-​class «fashion» store. I hope in exchange for the negative energy they give off (which *must* put them in a bad mood by the end of each day, right?) that they’re making BANK on commission! For your sake, I hope that if you’re sacrificing your integrity by identifying with a socio-​economic class that they aren’t even a part of, you’re making more than a $ 7+/hr minimum wage!!.

Reading the previous reviewers’ comments helped make sense of what I’ve noticed while browsing at Mr. Charles: the clothes are old. Like, a couple of years past season. When you’re stocking brands like Tory Burch and Madison Marcus, your clientele (read: COLLEGE KIDS WITH MONEY!) will certainly notice the difference. It seems so unfair that the University of Wisconsin gets Shopbop’s headquarters, for example, and we at PSU get this place and the Nittany Mall.