Today I am a very happy milliner. I just received the nicest testimonial from a recent client. It seems she likes me and my work and she is very kindly allowing me to share her story with you:
“Here is my story: I have this favourite cap. I dare to say it is an old friend, like a PI's clung-to trench coat. My hat was a poor-boy cap with an extra generous crown and its drape was beautiful. Not only that, the cap protected my wind sensitive head during the shoulder seasons -- wind too cool for no hat and temp too warm for winter hat. Finally a couple of years ago the cap almost overnight seemed to sigh and disintegrated from fifteen years of sun and wind and protection duties.
I was so lucky to find Anne! I had been searching from even before the 'disintegration' in anticipation of 'the day'. I stopped searching a year ago or so when a visit to a well known Toronto milliner made me feel like I'd received a 'smack upside the head' for my impertinent request. The employee looked at my cap and gave numerous reasons why it was a huge deal to try to make another by taking a pattern from my old friend and how it would NEVER drape the same way and, and, and. At least she was delivering this speech in a friendly manner. At one point she turned to the shop owner for consultation. She (the owner) was arrogant, dismissive and behaved disinterestedly, merely glancing at the cap from 10 ft away. And here she had in me a perfect pushover for whatever price she wanted to charge since I was already well primed by the anticipation of cap-mourning.
Anyway, that experience was significant enough for me to decide that my hope of replacing the cap was dashed, UNTIL I found Anne. She with her anything is possible attitude, has made three beautiful new caps for me...so far. She has the loveliest personal presence and earnestness for her work. Her attention to detail and 'no quitting until it's right' mindset is wonderful. And her prices are definitely fair. Her work is in a word: excellent. How lucky I am to have found my very own milliner.
Happy end to this story and the very happy beginning of having my very own milliner.
Clarissa"
Wow. Can you be humble and proud at the same time? Because that's how I feel. Thanks, Clarissa!
This is a beautiful story. I have a closetful of hats so I can only imagine the difference you made to the lady who had found her one true style of hat!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Kathleen! That's a lovely hat you're wearing yourself. If you ever come to Toronto, I hope you'll come see mine!
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