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The Proper Wedding
02-24-2010, 07:23 AM
Ok, so here's the issue, some of you have sorta read about it in other posts in other threads. But I'm going to lay it ALL out there, and see what you all think...

I got a cloak for my wedding a while ago, probably like a year ago. Got it from ebay. The listing said "burgundy". I went and bought my dress this past weekend. The dress I fell in love with was discontinued, so I had no choice but to buy the exact one I tried on. I originally wanted it in ivory and wine or ivory and sangria. But since they could not order it anymore, I was stuck with what the sample dress was, which was white and apple. Still not happy about the whole white part of it, but I had no choice, that was the dress I felt me it. The apple part of it is just slightly off from what I had in mind. It's still really beautiful. But here's the problem. It doesn't quite match the cloak. It's "apple" which isn't really RED red, but still kinda red. The cloak is considered "burgundy" according to the seller, but my consultant at the store said its actually more of a sangria...which is slightly more purple then burgundy...

Everyone agreed when I was trying on the dress that I can't have that cloak. So first off...I just wasted $35 on that cloak. But I agreed I would just get another cloak.

There's another seller on ebay. It appears their cloaks are more of a deeper red, rather than purple...not RED red, but like a burgundy. But you never know from the computer. All screens are different. I tried talking to the seller. First I asked what color he would consider it. I explained the situation, that the dress is apple, so I need something more along the redder side of the spectrum of the color burgundy rather than on the purpler side. (Haha, I totally thought I was making those words up, but my computer didn't underline them so they must be ;) hehe) His reply was something to the effect of he can't give me any color names because, like all computers show colors differently, so do eyes see them differently...blah blah blah BS!! He said he doesn't want to say something is grey when someone else would say charcoal. WHAT!?

So I send him another email. I asked if he could just mail me the teeniest tinniest little scrap that he would normally throw away (I'm talking 1"x1" here) just so I can hold it up to my dress and know for sure before I make any bids! He refuses...something about policy. He assured me the pic of the cloak would be the exact one I get. Said something about how his pics are professionally taken, so his colors are pretty much an exact match. Most all customers say they're pretty close, blah blah blah. Seriously??? I even told him I would pay for it all. HE WOULD BE THROWING THAT AWAY!!!!! WHY CAN'T HE MAIL IT TO ME!? I explained that I really liked his work and that I was already stuck with one cloak that I can't wear, I don't want to be stuck with 2, so I just want to be sure it's going to work. And he knows it's for a wedding and everything..so he was aware it's pretty important, he even acknowledged that he understands its for a wedding but... ugh

Here's what's holding me back from just going ahead and bidding. It's got pretty expensive shipping. For the length I would prefer, it would be $21 plus whatever the bidding ends up will jack it up. And of course, like most all other sellers, they accept returns, but ONLY for the bidding amount. Shipping to me (what the seller sets it at) and the cost for me to ship it back, is ALL on me! So if in fact it is the wrong color and we can't look at the cloak and dress together and say "good enough", then it's going to cost me $21 plus return shipping. I will get the bidding refund though, which may not be much. It may just be about $20.

I suppose I could resell them, both of them if I wanted. The first one has never really been worn, tried on a few times, but never actually worn. So that IS an option...

Lukas and I compared pics of the cloak (again professionally taken in a studio, so color is pretty darn close to actual, depending on color of monitor) with pics of the dress from david's website (which we assume would be pretty close to actual color because it's also taken in a studio, just depending on color of monitor). We figure, if you're looking at them both from same monitor, its going to affect the color the same way, so if they look "good enough" next to each other on the same computer, they should look "good enough" in person, right?

So here's pics of both...

http://img517.imageshack.us/img517/4237/hgdhgfd.jpg (http://img517.imageshack.us/i/hgdhgfd.jpg/)http://img168.imageshack.us/img168/6327/cloak.jpg (http://img168.imageshack.us/i/cloak.jpg/)

It's ok for them to just be "close enough" I don't expect anything to match 100%. If I get the chance, I'll take a pics of my old cloak with the dress together, but the dress is at my mom's house 1/2 hour away. I'm not sure if I will be going to her house today. But if I get the chance I will.

Should I just go for it??? Again, I could PROBABLY resell the cloak(s) if I wanted and get my money back that way....

The Proper Wedding
02-24-2010, 07:34 AM
I was just looking through all his cloaks, to add more to my "watch" list on ebay, because he has added more since I lasted went through and saved all of them. I found this one. To me, this is what my old one kinds looks like. Still could be considered burgundy, but has kinda a purply look to it, but it's not actually purple... the other ones that I'm looking to buy from him are clearly more redish.

http://img697.imageshack.us/img697/6958/cloak2.jpg (http://img697.imageshack.us/i/cloak2.jpg/)

EDIT: I just found a sample of his "purple" so you can see the difference
http://img638.imageshack.us/img638/199/cloak3.jpg (http://img638.imageshack.us/i/cloak3.jpg/)

SkippyNXC
02-24-2010, 09:13 AM
hmm the first one IS pretty close... but i understand your hesitation...

Have you looked into having like a local seamstress make a cloak for you or is this way cheaper? then that would def. guarantee the color would match ;)

otherwise I would just go w/the ebay cloak and hope for the best...

I just went thru the same thing w/the shawls i bought for my girls and them being described as "gold" yet the tags when they arrived said "mustard" but it's close enough and if they look HORRIBLE, i'll just try to re-sell them... or i'll have 6 x-mas gifts for people LOL

The Proper Wedding
02-24-2010, 09:40 AM
I thought about having someone make it, but I'm having trouble finding patterns that I like, and anything that comes anywhere NEAR what I'm looking for is pretty expensive for just a pattern...then you have the material that you gotta buy...plus paying the seamstress. I'm thinking it would just be so much easier to buy one already made lol

I guess I forgot to mention all that in my original post. I meant to lol

savepaws
02-24-2010, 12:49 PM
The colors do look pretty close in the pics. That's kind of stupid that he won't just send a small little swatch since he makes the cloaks...he obviously will have scraps that he just throws away.

Have you asked where he purchases his fabric and what fabric it is? Maybe if you have that store near you, you could go in and find the fabric yourself...or have a swatch sent to you from the fabric store?

Kyriel
02-25-2010, 07:20 PM
If you have a computer savvy friend, ask them to calibrate your monitor for you. If your monitor is correctly calibrated, the color will appear as the photo was taken. :}