Several eagerly awaited minutes later he presented me with his handcrafted, perfectly fit hat. I watched as his nibble fingers finessed the perfect pinch in the ribbon’s bow and was in awe of how he gracefully applied heat to the hat as he stretched it back and fourth on the hat form. I fingered through samples and spools of ribbon that would make my new hat uniquely mine, and after landing on my favorite, my hat was fit, and my ribbon was cut. This was indeed going to be the highlight of my trip!Īntique shop, tucked away in the heart of Old San Juan.Īfter an appropriate time of perusing the selection of hats ranging from $40 to $400, a young man who turned out to be an expert milliner, gently guided me to the Panama Hats where he popped a chapeau on my cabeza! I’m not sure if it was the romance of the atmosphere or the fact that this guy was so proficient at his trade that he could eyeball my melon and instantly know the perfect shape of hat, brim style, and size, but I looked in the mirror and what I saw was a beautiful hat person! Every color and pattern of handwoven wide ribbon was housed on giant wooden spools attached to the walls. In the center of the 600 square foot store sets a workbench scattered with very old, very used millinery tools, hat forms, and heavy shears. Thousands of handwoven unfinished hats lined the store’s wooden shelving along with hand carved statues depicting religious figures, and those beyond-old books you were smelling. Can you detect the presence of very old atrophying leather bound books? Everything you just pictured was only a morsel of what the authentic ambiance of Olé is like. Close your eyes, imagine yourself in 1950’s Puerto Rico, now expand your chest and breathe in the smell of fresh moist straw, just a hint of earthy tobacco from a cigar a leathery old man is puffing on. When I finally crossed the threshold into Mecca, I instantly knew that every time I walked out of my flip flops and dodged the call of “hey pretty lady” on this journey was so worth it. Finally, snuggled completely inconspicuously between a haberdashery of this-and-that shops selling painted Old San Juan sea shells, and “My friends went to Puerto Rico and I all I got was this tee-shirt” tee-shirts, was Olé!! My tipster left out the details of what goods the shop sold, but told me only that it would quite possibly be the highlight of my trip! So as I wandered up and down the cobblestones of this historic city, along with cruise shippers, and rows and rows of uniquely painted “tourist trappy” souvenir shops, I began to wonder if just experiencing the history and architecture was really the aim of my friend’s suggested treasure hunt. I was sent to look for a little shop called Olé.
Unexpectedly, my life long internal turmoil over whether to hat or not to hat came to an apex whilst in Old San Juan…Ī tip from a friend who is a native of the lush tropical island lead me to wander the streets of Old San Juan, which in and of itself is a whole other world. Likewise with the now popular fedora, the juxtaposition between hipster, and preppy confuses me and I can’t decide if I really love the look or loathe it.
PERUVIAN CONNECTION PC
PC chose to lose a good customer over a $90 credit.I would never consider myself a “hat person.” Although I love the look of dramatic floppies on ultra feminine ladies, the idea of hiding under a wide brim and overly exaggerated sunglasses is fascinatingly mysterious to me, and I can never seem to pull the trigger. Sent back the item, $460 sweater along with $1000 dollars of other items that were still unworn and with in the return period.
Can you imagine the horror, requesting a credit on a sale item that was recently purchased, instead of returning and reordering, and doing it not once, but twice in a fifteen year period. I was told there was a note that I had requested this once before about 2 years ago. I was spoken to like I was some sort of criminal and chastised like a child. I asked for the credit, instead of shipping item back and reordering, lot of hassle on both sides and not environmentally conscious either. Still had 2 days left on 30 day refund, tags still on item. I wanted an credit on an item I purchased that had gone on sale.
My biggest complaint is with customer service. I have shopped PC 15 years, I am a good, loyal customer and spent a lot of money over the years. I do agree with other reviewers that the quality on certain Peruvian connection items has diminished and their overall prices have increased.
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