Gypsy Rose

Anyone else receive the Gypsy Rose catalog? how do you like it?

I just received the 2006 catalog in the mail today. I was pleasantly surprised!... this year they have sexier, prettier styles. I mean, I liked what they had before, but I always thought their fashions for women were a bit on the, well... "frumpy" side. I really saw alot of things that I liked this year though.

Another thing I like about Gypsy Rose, is the dedication they have for the environment. As stated on the first page of the catalog...

"we donate a percentage of our profits to charitable organizations that are trying to make the world a better place. We print our catalog on recycled paper with soy ink, recycle all of our computer paper, junk mail and old catalogs for packaging and we re-use as many old boxes as possible, so please don't be shocked if you get a Sam Adams box at your door with a Gypsy Rose label on it..."

Thats the kind of company I like to order from!

 

i really like gypsy rose, though i wish they had more flowey guy clothes. i bought a shirt from them recently that is almost perfect... except for the color; it's not what the picture showed at all. and i keep emailing for customer service but they won't get back to me

but overall, they're great. and i agree, the current catalog is full of awesome stuff!

 

'0' is a percentage, right? just kidding... yea, Gypsy Rose's stuff is pretty sweet this year...

 

i love gypsy rose... theres a store that i always goto that sells tons of gypsy rose clothing... they are a great company

 

i think they have some nice things, but i personally like independently handmade clothing rather than imported/factory stuff. and its pretty overpriced

 

Oh, I'm not sure about where they obtain all of their products from. But they do state this on their catalog:

Organized co-ops in Ecuador and in Nepal hand make most of Gypsy Rose's wool & crochet products. The co-op in Ecuador is a combination of multiple villages who have come together and successfully created a grass roots cottage industry. Wool is divided among the families who will then make the products in their own home. The income that they receive helps them live a sustainable lifestyle in a difficult economy. The co-op in Nepal is a woman's shelter in a remote mountain village. The shelter houses women and children who, for different reasons, are without a husband. Offering a sanctuary in an area with limited opportunity the shelter provides a home, community, food, and income through wotk for these women. The opportunity to provide you with these products not only allows unique groups of artisans to continue their art and spirit but also helps to support a sustainable community. We are proud to support these co-ops and hope to keep expanding the product line that they produce."

Plus Gypsy Rose has 24 workers here. So it's provided jobs for folks like us. I know their items arent the cheapest, but, they arent so bad, either. Ive noticed a lot of the individuals who sell homemade items on the net, charge just as much -often more- for their goods. I was shocked to see some of the prices on some little websites! Priced so high but they still make sales. Of course .... I would rather construct stuff myself.. or buy from others online, and buy in States whenever possible. I do think GR has the right motive though... because they offer together in one catalog, a big selection of many individuals items, and they do try to make a difference.

Theyve got a nice selection of jewelry that I think is rather cheap. I've been wanting to get a necklace, but didnt want to dish out $7-18 for one. GR has alot under $7 each. I wish they had a bigger selection of bath/body products though. Ive definately found similar lipbalms cheaper at other places.

After being frugal for so long and seeking out stuff at thrift stores and online, it is kind of nice to catalog shop for a change..

 

I like them and have been getting their catalogue since 2002, but after exploring the internet, I've found that so much of their stuff is on a million other "one-of-a-kind" Hippie stores.

 

if you look through their catalog, there really aren't that many items that are made by the co-op. and even then, how much does the co-op get? i can't help thinking they stick that in there more to give the impression that they give back more than they actually do.

individuals who sell their handmade goods know the work they take, and that factors into cost.

in my opinion, gypsy rose is still a big business that very likely has a lot of underpaid workers involved in the production of it's clothing. if i am looking for this type of clothing, i personally prefer to buy from real people who make the items and charge a price fair to themselves. (the stuff usually lasts longer anyways)

plus, last time i did order from gypsy rose, which was a few years back, i ordered a pair of pants, specified any color BUT NOT A LIGHT COLOR. haha guess what i got =P.

 

Gypsy Rose is really overpriced...

 

This comment was made in a myspace hippie board that I am a member of:

I agree, they are big. But i would rather spend my money with a home business that doesn't import clothes from another country and passes it off as thier own and who actually makes the clothes. Support online mommas and poppas, let the rich hippie wannabe's waste their money with GR. Also said above this post, there isn't anything you can't get through them that you can get from someone else who is smaller and will help you out. Cheaper too.

 

I dont know about that, Ive seen some of the little websites charge twice as much for patched tops (like $40 in comparison to GRs $24, and tye die shirts ($20+ in comparison to $18) and so forth. And yeah I agree that they are a bigger company and so of course they probably are cutting corners somewhere, but its a heck of a lot better than buying Walmart, Kmart..... (and no I dont buy clothes from there) and personally I could never afford some of the prices I have seen on some of those mammas and poppas websites. I would love to be able to dish out a few dollars extra if I thought it was going to something I believe in and helping someone out, but if I had to choose between a momma&poppa store that charges more than GR, well, of course I would choose GR. Although I, for one, am a thrift store junkie, have been for years. If I ever buy something new... I do shop around, mostly online, and I always try to seek out the most conscientious sellers. So, I have seen a wide variety of prices. GR is mid-range in prices.

 

Agreed, one has to shop around to find the deals. I myself shop at thrift stores, and we sell thrift store finds on our site, at reasonable prices. But i'm not promoting our homebusines here, I'm just saying that we have found items that others may want. But seeing that we live far from the city, i buy alot of my merchandise (movies, books, music, etc.) online. I have my stores i go to b/c i found the cheapest prices. I would rather buy online than go to wal-mart or target to get what's out.

I do understand that some people charge way more for an item that it's truly worth. I'm not attacking anyone here, so please don't take it the wrong way. I used to make signs for a living and I would charge almost half of what the guy down the street would charge, even though he could get it out over night instead of a few days. It depends on quality and how you manage your production time. Would you rather pay more and get it half-assed over night, or done right but take an extra day or so for a long lasting product? I've seen a few momma and poppa sites charge way-way too much for thier products. And these products weren't made by them, they where whole sale. It's best to look around at prices on anything you buy (not just clothes and handmade goods), be thrifty and be wise.

Another thing you have to remember about GR, is that they have to pay for the catalogs, merchanise, employees, building, etc. etc. etc. and they do a reasonable price at staying lower than you would think. But with a smaller company the savings can be passed along to the clients and the ownsers still turn a profit.

 

Hey Unkle John.. well your store sounds cool. Do you have a link you can share? I actually prefer second-hand stuff over new stuff. Best way to recycle is finding uses for something that still has life left in it. I used to resell on ebay about 5 years back. I've found some awesome vintage dresses and such at some thrift stores and resold them. Its fun and gives people the chance to buy something unique.

 

Sure Free2Fly, the addy is: www.paisleydays.com

I have to appoligise for two things, one the website. I am finnishing up the new look to the site and getting the shopping cart program installed. So for now, if you see something you like, you have to email us. Trust me the new upgrade will make the site flow better and easier to shop.
The second thing is that the info about Gypsy Rose I posted was suppose to be quoated from a conversation I was in. I must not have paid close attention to what i was doing and when i pasted it in there, I pasted over what I mentioned about it being not my words. ...That didn't make sense did it? Ohwell, I am going back to correct what I posted.

 

compared to what? hell its alot cheaper than buying a patchwork pants from someone who DIY and is selling it for $100+... now thats over priced

 

well, it really depends on how you look at it.

$50 to Gypsy Rose for patchwork pants (for example) that i know very little of the production of ~ where they were made, how much the workers are paid, etc. Or i give $65 or so to ingrid of ingridpants.com for an awesome pair of pants that will last much longer and know that all of that money is going to support her and her family.

shoot, just look at some of the handmade clothing in this forum. you can not match the quality of the work that some of these girls put out with anything you can find in a gypsy rose catalog.

 

It's even cheaper to make it yourself

 

Hey Unkle John... lookin at your site now.. love it that you've got the Vintage&Used section, you do have great prices there. I'll keep it bookmarked

 

Excellent F2F, We are constantly looking for stuff to put on there and if you have anything you can't find, give me a shout and we'll keep our eyes open for ya down here.

Peace.

 

i dont just support GR.. i like the quality of their clothes.. they are durable.. i dont know what makes you think that their pants arent as durable as someone who does them themselfs... i just buy patchwork that i like.. wether its GR... Ixchel... or independent... clothes are clothes.. if i like what i see.. i'll wear it.. the independents i buy clothes from.. i know their background as well as GR or Ixchel... all i know is that they got something that i want and will pay for.. and thats all that matters..