The Collection — Local services in Carmel-by-the-Sea

This shop is truly a find. Please take the time to explore all the amazing pieces The Collection's store owner, Sharlene, has curated. I had a friend bring me in to shop with her, and on that day I was definitely "not buying". I'm not kidding you but hours later, Sharlene coaxing me to try on knit after knit that I would never have thought could flatter my body, I left with several pieces. Sharlene swore to me that the knits are forgiving and do not need to be "babied" in terms of care. She's right! Let her show you how to wear them, handle them, wash them...you will become as big a fan as I am. NOW, 1.5 years later, I own about 20 of her Aida Ley pieces: hand made knits from a range of colors, all Italian yarns, some even from Missoni...I'm like a kid in a candy store when i visit here.

Be sure to check out her "Commando" line of underpinning garments - she has the BEST basics (must haves for every wardrobe)!

Also, Sharlene has one-of-a-kind designer finds she makes available. This makes frequenting her curated store a must as these "finds" sell quickly and cannot be re-ordered.

Lastly, for those of you with a "bolder" flare, her one of a kind painted jeans and tee's will appeal to you or someone you know. I overheard her her the other day discuss commissioning a personalized design for one of her patrons....so if this is for you, be sure to ask Sharlene about the designs she has available you may not see on her floor, or what she can create specifically for you.

Lastly, Sharlene is running The Collection on her own - a self made woman with limited staff and resources. I personally like to support women in business and have tremendous respect and empathy for how difficult it is to be successful. Sharlene may be helping a customer or running an operational aspect of The Collection when you visit so be patient if she's tied up. Don't leave! Let your curiosity lead you through the store. Be sure to engage Sharlene in conversation...say "hello" and let ask her about her vision. You'll soon learn so much about The Collection she curates and about her - it will be fun! Oh, I almost forgot to add the best part, Sharlene knows people's bodies. She suggested articles of clothing I thought I would never wear...they made me feel beautiful. I love...

If I could, I would put zero stars. I never even stepped foot in this store and it was one of the worst customer experiences I’ve ever been on the receiving end of. I was in Carmel for the weekend for a friends wedding. After a walk on the beach we were walking up ocean avenue and ran into another friend also in town attending the wedding. We stopped to say hello and have a 5 minute catch up/small talk when a woman comes out of the front door of The Collection and says “are you enjoying hanging out in front of my store?” We were all in a bit of shock as we were standing on the sidewalk which, when I last checked, was public space. We apologized and explained we had ran into a friend who we stopped to say hello to. She continued to accost us as though we were intentionally loitering in front of her empty store. She continued to rudely say things like “it sure looks like you’re trying to not look like you’re hanging out in front of my store” - we still aren’t quite sure what she was accusing us of. She even at one point said to my friend “look at his face, he looks like he’s trying to not be hanging out in front of my store”. We were all gobsmacked to say the least. She then proceeds to go back in her store, close the door, AND LOCK IT. One of the rudest encounters from a complete stranger I have ever been involved with. Clearly, the lovely and welcoming customer service explains why the store had zero customers. Also, if you don’t want anyone to “hang out” outside your store, why is there a bench? Best of luck if you decide to enter the doors, but this is a business I will never...

Horrible experience. My mother and I are in Carmel for a nice mother-daughter trip and went into the store to check out things in the window. The woman was okay at first but then another customer was in the store with their dog and we had ours with us. The second salesperson gave us the stink eye and said "I hope your dog is okay because there is another dog here". Well duh, I wouldn't have gone inside if my dog was misbehaving. We browsed a bit and were totally ignored by the sales people. THEN, as we were walking out, the first sales person said, very snottily "Oh, you're still here". Where else would we be? She was standing by the front door and since neither my mother nor I have mastered the art of walking through walls, it was the dumbest thing. Snotty, rude owner and salesperson. She also asked us (probably because we were not dressed to the nines) if we had just come from the beach but it was snotty, like we didn't look very...