Small questions thread

[lowrey]

their customer service can be a bit unresponsive at times, but in the end they've always sorted things out. I've done a number of returns with them, a couple of times I've had to ask twice for the return auth number, but eventually got it. So service might be a bit laggy, but I'd still say they are trustworthy.

[J_J]

antonioli is legit, I have purchased from them a few times and everythibng went smoothly (I am in Italy though)

[shuit]

their customer service can be a bit unresponsive at times, but in the end they've always sorted things out. I've done a number of returns with them, a couple of times I've had to ask twice for the return auth number, but eventually got it. So service might be a bit laggy, but I'd still say they are trustworthy.

how about Atelier? I sent them 4 messages in regard to yohji and bbs, no respond at all. It's almost 2 weeks now that I've been waiting for them to respond. Is it always like this?

[lowrey]

nothing but love for Atelier, but I am biased.

I am certain both stores get a ton of inquiries via e-mail, many of which take time and effort to answer (measurements etc) and at the same time don't necessarily have the best success rate in terms of leading to sales, so its best to make your query as simple and clear as possible, and sometimes calling might help as well.

[shuit]

nothing but love for Atelier, but I am biased.

I am certain both stores get a ton of inquiries via e-mail, many of which take time and effort to answer (measurements etc) and at the same time don't necessarily have the best success rate in terms of leading to sales, so its best to make your query as simple and clear as possible. Sometimes it also might work better to give them a call.

I actually understood the huge amount of inquiries that they must have received each day but 2 weeks for 2 question (in regard to pricing) just seems strange to me. It surprise me since I did a transaction with the archive & h.lorenzo and they got back to me at the speed of light. Perhaps giving them the call might in fact do the job. Thanks!

[SlightRight]

I actually understood the huge amount of inquiries that they must have received each day but 2 weeks for 2 question (in regard to pricing) just seems strange to me. It surprise me since I did a transaction with the archive & h.lorenzo and they got back to me at the speed of light. Perhaps giving them the call might in fact do the job. Thanks!

It happans...
Keep shoting them emails, especially working in those INQUIRY botton built in website beside the item images.

[xzacx]

Usually a cobbler can dye garments...some of the ones in my area offer that service. Otherwise, unless you're in a larger city, you're better off to do it yourself. It's really not that hard, especially going from white to black. Make sure they are 100% cotton because if there is elastine in there or some other synthetic mix, you will get inconsistent results.

If you're dyeing something that is synthetic, make sure you have a dye for that.

If you're in a larger city, do a search for dye labs. I think they're a dying breed in the states because of EVP standards for chemicals, disposal, etc.

A child could dye a pair of pants though. It just takes a few hours and a little bit of patience. If you were talking about dyeing a leather jacket or a pair of shoes, boots, etc...I'd say find a pro. Cotton? Child's play.

Thanks so much for you reply. I think you've shamed me into trying it myself. The good thing is now if it turns out bad, I have someone to blame! hahahaha

Thanks again!

[BBSLM]

thanks. ill keep trying.

[kunk75]

that's an anomaly, they are awesome

how about Atelier? I sent them 4 messages in regard to yohji and bbs, no respond at all. It's almost 2 weeks now that I've been waiting for them to respond. Is it always like this?

[beardown]

Thanks so much for you reply. I think you've shamed me into trying it myself. The good thing is now if it turns out bad, I have someone to blame! hahahaha

Thanks again!

I've done it many times....here is a quick tutorial on my last dye project.

Use twice as much dye as they suggest on the package to get a really deep color. Use either non-iodized salt (for basic 'store' dyes) or soda ash (for dyes like procion) to help it absorb. Get a pair of rubber gloves and use a plastic tub to mix it all in. You'll be good to go.

[avout]

I posted this in the cleaning thread, but it's more relevant here.

I took my Geller flight pants to be professionally dyed and they told me it couldn't be done because the hot water would warp the elastic and the ribbed cuffs. Would really appreciate it if anyone could confirm this.

[Patroklus]

Probably. What's the composition of the main fabric?

[avout]

55% cotton/45% linen

[Patroklus]

cotton and linen need blistering hot dye for best results. does it have elastic in the waistband or just the hems?

[beardown]

I think that's the typical response of a place that dyes clothing anytime there might be questionable results or damage. I'm sure they could do it but you never know when a customer is going to come in and complain that the garment was damaged and that they're at fault.

Cotton and linen are both natural fibers and will dye easily enough. If there is elastine in the cuffs, those may dye a little less consistently but should absolutely be no real issue if you're just going from faded black to black. If you were dying from one color to another color, I'd say to forget about it.

I have dyed quite a bit of cotton and linen without using water hot enough to damage elastic. With all due respect to Patroklus, I use hot water but nowhere near hot enough to 'blister' anything or melt synthetic material.

Yes, use hot water...as hot as you can get from your tap. Do it in a bucket. The key is to use a lot of dye and make sure you use some kind of agent to 'set' the dye and agitate it/mix it (using a stick)pretty regularly for at least 45 minutes.

Don't use so much water that the dye is heavily diluted. Just use enough water where the garment is covered by a few inches and none is sticking up out of the dye bath.

There are two main kinds of dye you can consider: a basic store dye like RIT and a Jacquard Procion type of more professional type. I've used both with good results and in my experience, the results are more determined by the process than the dye itself, assuming you use enough of both.

You HAVE to use either uniodized salt (2 cups) for RIT dye or soda ash for Procion. Those are essential to get the dye to take and most people skip out on those or don't use enough. And they use one packet of RIT and expect a very deep, rich color.

Think about it: You're not going to damage them further by trying it and 2 bottles of RIT dye at the local market would be $5. It'll take a few hours but you've got nothing to lose.

Rinse them out by hand in a sink (use gloves the whole process), throw it in a washer after you get a fairly clear rinse of water, run it through the rinse cycle on cold and THEN run it through a complete wash cycle using detergent and warm water.

That does 2 things: it will help set the dye and it will ensure that it doesn't rub off on your skin or other clothing/furniture, etc.

Dyeing is more of a science than an art I've found and it requires a little bit of patience to do it properly. Follow the proper process and you can really achieve professional results at home. It's kind of a pain in the ass in terms of the mess you can potentially create but prepare in advance: If you can, do the mixing/agitating outside in case of splashes, wear rubber gloves, think ahead when you're going to rinse it out. Like I mentioned in another post, it's literally child's play when you follow the process.