Carbon Carmel — Local services in Carmel-by-the-Sea

I tend to purchase James Perse clothing while traveling due to it’s practical and comfortable nature. I find that under packing allows for shopping at the destination. I found this comfortable, welcoming store and spent quite a bit of time looking around. Staff was friendly and informative. I found a fun collection of brands from which to choose and ended up selecting from their James Perse offerings. I was surprised to discover that this store is relatively new; it sure felt as if had been here in Carmel for years. I’ll certainly return when I next visit Carmel.

Four years later:

I stop by this store when visiting here annually. I usually find something for myself and a few pieces for my daughter because she is a smaller, more common, size. I find fun clothing that I don't see at stores near home and I'm pleased to be able to see and touch fabrics, avoiding the disappointment I've experienced when purchasing on line. I do not treasure being bombarded by overbearing sales staff and this place is comfortable, allowing me to explore while they answer questions regarding brand sizing. Among favorites items at this store are the Carbon brand tee shirts which, amazingly, are long enough for my 6'7" husband. Each visit we are able to purchase a couple new colors. The fabric is substantial and...

My husband and I visited last week. The clothes there seem awesome, and the sales guy seemed to be eager to help us.

One of the pairs of pants had two price tags on it and normally the lower tag price is honored for the confusion, but they said that the price was indeed the higher one and that the store did not believe in sales. My husband liked the pants enough that we decided to go ahead and purchase them.

The sunglasses did not have any price tags on them, I inquired about the price and was quoted $185. Since that price seemed steep, I decided to think about it and would check the website.

When I checked the website later, not only was the pair of sunglasses listed as $135 instead of $185, but the pair of pants was on sale online 25% off. When I went to the original manufacturer website for the sunglasses, they are listed 20% off the $135 price as well.

This store is new, and I'm sure that Ocean Ave retail space costs a pretty penny, but be aware that the same store sells items for 20-30% off if you purchase online vs. in-store. They refuse to price match, and I wonder if it's because the sales people are commissions-based.

The three stars is for the inability to price match and the lack of transparency, NOT for the quality of clothing/items sold at...

It was a nice store with an array of higher-quality brands and products, however, I am extremely disappointed with their lack of transparency regarding their return policy.

If you’re an out of town shopper like me, beware! Returns are for store credit only. I tried to return an item a few hours later and they would not make an exception, even given that I was on my way to the airport.

No where in the store did they have signs regarding their No Refund policy, nor did they mention it at checkout. For a store selling such luxury items, you’d hope they’d offer more flexibility to their customers who are willing to pay a...