Dos Carolinas

THE WORST RETAIL EXPERIENCE AND CUSTOMER SERVICE! I bought a gift card from the San Antonio store for my husband's August birthday. While in Houston in mid-September, we went into the Houston location where he selected the fabric, embroidery, etc. and was measured for a custom shirt. We were told it would take up to 8 weeks. When the shirt arrived in mid-October the fit was too tight. Because we live in the Austin area we took the shirt to the San Antonio store on October 25th where they agreed the fit was wrong so they re-measured for a new shirt. We were told it would take about 3 weeks for the new shirt. In mid-December I called the San Antonio store to ask about the shirt as we'd heard nothing, I was told that they didn't have any information as we were supposed to have taken the shirt back to the Houston store since that's where we had originally ordered it. I told the manager that we were not told that when we went for the re-measure/order and that I was so frustrated by this entire experience that no longer wanted the shirt, that I wanted $ back on the gift card so he could just buy one off the rack. She offered to call the factory and I told her that was fine but I do not want the shirt, regardless of the status. A few minutes later the HOUSTON store called to say the shirt was ready for pick up! I called the San Antonio manager back and she apologized but said this was not something she could help with. The next morning I phoned the Houston store to speak with the manager, Ruth Chow, who told me the shirt was mailed yesterday to our home. I asked her how long the shirt had been sitting there if it was ready to go and the conversation devolved from there. During our conversation she kept talking over me and at once point said, "Lady, ...". I asked, "Did you just call me 'lady'?". She replied, "Whatever, let's just move on." I told her that I was too upset to finish the conversation and that she was terribly rude and this was terrible customer service. DO NOT BUY A CUSTOM SHIRT FROM THE HOUSTON STORE - YOU WILL BE DISAPPOINTED WITH THE SHIRT AND THE STAFF!! UNPROFESSIONAL AND RUDE. This was supposed to be a special gift and it has turned into a stressful situation all around.

The sales people here and the shirts are exceptional. This was the first time I had visited Dos Carolinas and am so glad I found the shop. Plus the staff here were very helpful when I needed assistance in providing information about parking on the street near their shop. Will definitely come back.

This review is from an experience from Q4 2020 but I haven't had to time to write it. My mom purchased a shirt for me there and it was the wrong color. I decided to go to the store to see if I could exchange it for a different color. The clerk asked me for mother's info so look up the receipt (since I didn't have the original one). They asked for her name number and email to look it up. Knowing my mother I knew she wouldn't divulge any information to a retail store upon purchase because she hates spam and basically always refuses to give out that kind of information. The shirt was unworn with the tag still on it and wouldn't accommodate an even exchange due to not being able to find the purchase. Mind you, the shirt I wanted was $10 cheaper than the one I had. I ended up keeping the shirt and I get complements all the time. The clerk was a nice lady but the owner has a snooty attitude. She's not rude per say, but you can tell she holds her nose high. Here's a little advice. Yes, your store is in River Oaks and you get lots of affluent clientele, but try and be a little more humble. The quality of the shirts are great and the puppy in the store is adorable.

Awful service. I convinced my husband to drive all the way to San Antonio to find a perfect shirt for a beach wedding 2 weeks ago. He made a purchase and JUST order a monogram... no alteration...no adjustment. They promise to delivery to our home in Corpus Christi on Thursday due to our international travel plans for the wedding. The order was never delivered... finally they gave him an "UPS tracking number" number never found in the UPS system. Is Saturday night and there is no shirt delivered. We are very disappointed with the lack of costumer service and frustrated due to last minute rush to find another outfit for the wedding. Driving to San Antonio to find another shirt... very angry...

Poor communication. Shirts a week late and no one told me until I was there to pick them up on the day they told me they would arrive. Picked up a week later. Clerk was rude and shirts weren’t pressed. Crazy to spend so much on such beautiful shirts and feel so bad about the service when it’s all over.

I have purchased shirts from here for years. I ordered CUSTOM shirts for Thanksgiving on Oct. 7th and was told 4-6 weeks. I called a week before Thanksgiving (and past the 6 week mark) and they said they would be in the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. I called again on Wednesday when I never heard from them and was told they were NOT in and would NOT be in. The owner then told me, "I never knew these were for Thanksgiving." So, despite being OVER the 4-6 week time frame it didn't matter. The owner is actually a very unfriendly person and you should know that if you do order (their shirts are beautiful) that if you need them for a special occasion then you should allow for more time despite what you are told.

I ordered a custom guayabera right after Christmas at Dos Carolinas. They informed me that it would take 6-8 weeks for it to be ready. This was a very important timeline as I needed it for spring break. The women that was helping me knew I needed it before spring break and promised that it would be ready. One week before I left for my trip I called and asked about it, they said they would check and call me back. I did not receive a phone call back. I called the store again later that week and they finally admitted that they had "computer problems" and "mixed up my order". I went to the store after that phone call and was wondering if I could borrow a shirt off the rack for the mistakes that had been made. I was meet with a very rude store attendant that did not want to help at all. I was very frustrated at their lack of professionalism. The shirts they make are good but their attitude and timelines are truly awful.

Ordered a custom guayabera for my wedding next month and it came out terrific. Gave them enough time to handle the customization and everything is as desired. Probably the best fitting shirt I have ever bought. The quality is exceptional and I recommend this place as long as you have a realistic timeframe for getting a custom guayabera done and taken care of. RD

THE WORST RETAIL EXPERIENCE AND CUSTOMER SERVICE! I bought a gift card from the San Antonio store for my husband's August birthday. While in Houston in mid-September, we went into the Houston location where he selected the fabric, embroidery, etc. and was measured for a custom shirt. We were told it would take up to 8 weeks. When the shirt arrived in mid-October the fit was too tight. Because we live in the Austin area we took the shirt to the San Antonio store on October 25th where they agreed the fit was wrong so they re-measured for a new shirt. We were told it would take about 3 weeks for the new shirt. In mid-December I called the San Antonio store to ask about the shirt as we'd heard nothing, I was told that they didn't have any information as we were supposed to have taken the shirt back to the Houston store since that's where we had originally ordered it. I told the manager that we were not told that when we went for the re-measure/order and that I was so frustrated by this entire experience that no longer wanted the shirt, that I wanted $ back on the gift card so he could just buy one off the rack. She offered to call the factory and I told her that was fine but I do not want the shirt, regardless of the status. A few minutes later the HOUSTON store called to say the shirt was ready for pick up! I called the San Antonio manager back and she apologized but said this was not something she could help with. The next morning I phoned the Houston store to speak with the manager, Ruth Chow, who told me the shirt was mailed yesterday to our home. I asked her how long the shirt had been sitting there if it was ready to go and the conversation devolved from there. During our conversation she kept talking over me and at once point said, "Lady, ...". I asked, "Did you just call me 'lady'?". She replied, "Whatever, let's just move on." I told her that I was too upset to finish the conversation and that she was terribly rude and this was terrible customer service. DO NOT BUY A CUSTOM SHIRT FROM THE HOUSTON STORE - YOU WILL BE DISAPPOINTED WITH THE SHIRT AND THE STAFF!! UNPROFESSIONAL AND RUDE. This was supposed to be a special gift and it has turned into a stressful situation all around.

I had a custom guayabera made here for a not small sum of $. The guayabera fit perfect and well made. The disappointing part came on delivery: not ironed!! Looked like they just pulled from a box. I had to get it professionally ironed as they only iron and the factory, then ship in a truck with other stuff. No wearable on delivery after paying a considerable sum of $. Disappointed!!! They blew it at the end. Tacky!!!

Small store, great selection. Plan to spend some money but their clothes are high quality and they have a variety of styles and patterns to select from.

Ordered a shirt for my husband in June 2021. In September we called to find out if it was ready, as we had not heard from them. Apparently, they had not even put in the order. When we called, the sales person was rude -- no apology. We received a terse text saying they would 'start' making the shirt - 3 months after we ordered it. Given that they lost the order, I am not sure we will even receive what we ordered. Terrible business, can't imagine how they pay the rent.

In 2018, my wife gave me two custom made guayaberas from Dos Carolinas for my birthday. Her father who was born and raised in Havana, Cuba used to wear guayaberas and she wanted me to start wearing them. For three years, I enjoyed wearing them for only special occasions, but recently I noticed the fabric was deteriorating in several places. When I met with the store manager, who was standoffish and haughty, she asked me what I wanted to do about it. Before I could answer her, she had called the owner who said they would give me 20% off two new shirts at today's prices. I thought it would be more palatable if I were to pay for one new shirt and get the other less expensive shirt at no additional charge. They disagreed! Evidently, their $300+ custom shirts only last three years and they have no interest in repeat business!

This review is complimentary of AIDA who was very helpful in making the difficult decisions for a custom tailored guayabera. Aida has a calming demeanor, which made for a pleasant experience while choosing fabric and thread color. Her customer service oriented personality exudes the truest of what a representative of a unique brand should present to the customer.

What a beautiful and quaint little boutique. I had a great time designing my very own guayabera! I can't wait to see it. Thank you Irene for all your patience and help, you're amazing!

I have been a customer of Dos Carolinas for over four years. I have purchased 16 shirts to date and love them all. Guayaberas, the official dress shirt of Latin America, are extremely practical for Houston. They look nice, they are comfortable, and much cooler than traditional dress shirts. Traditional dress shirts are based upon the fashions of 19th century London and Aberdeen; guayaberas are based upon the fashions of tropical Latin America. Which is better for sub-tropical Houston? The staff at Dos Carolinas are extremely helpful and knowledgeable about their product and deliverys have always been timely. I highly recommend Dos Carolinas and the wearing of guayaberas! Also, Olaf, the resident dog at Dos Carolinas, is worth going to see regardless if you need to get a shirt.

Caroline, the owner, provides the absolute WORST customer service I have EVER experienced in my life. Vincent Ford makes custom guayaberas so I will never be buying from Dos Carolinas again. Not only that, but she sent an incredibly rude and inappropriate note to my sister after she messed up her order and had waited for A YEAR to receive it. Absolutely shocking. I will tell everyone I know what an awful experience we've had. If I could give zero stars, I would.

The garments from this shop are NOT handmade. While I have never ordered a men's shirt, I did attempt to purchase a dress earlier this summer. When it arrived, the sizing was totally wrong. After several phone conversations with the VERY rude manager, and very professional owner in San Antonio, it was explained to me that the dresses are not custom or handmade. If the dress does not fit, then it is up to the customer to take the dress elsewhere for alterations. My deposit for the "custom dress" was refunded fully. The owner told me that "....we are really a men's house...." To which I asked, "...why are you offering dresses that really don't fit....?" Her response was,"because people want them." Caveat emptor (for dresses from Dos Carolina).

I am having a bit of a casual wedding. My groom hates suits, and I am getting married in July in the Middle East, in the blazing heat. Solution? Cool, short sleeve linen shirts. I had a hard time finding really nice guayaberas online that were not made with cheap polyester material. Then I stumbled onto Do Carolinas. I loved working with them to create a customized shirt. I got a custom sized one for the groom, and three other standard ones. The total for the four shirts was $930 - pricey. However, it was more than worth it for two reasons. One, the quality was outstanding. I got well finished shirts, made with really good quality material. Nothing was overlooked. The shirts are gorgeous. Secondly, there was a misunderstanding with the sizes on two of the shirts, that I didn't discover until about 3 weeks before the wedding. Although both of us were sort of at fault, I did authorize the final order. Dos Carolina were more than gracious and TOOK THE SHIRTS BACK. Not only that, they made me two extra shirts in about 3 days and shipped them to me in time for the wedding. Who does that anymore? Dos Carolinas. They gave me no hassle about and were more than understanding during the process. For this level of customer service, and this alone, it is worth paying a premium. Plus - made in the USA. Can't be beat, people.

Great shirts. They'll make anything you want custom from their many fabric. If you are lucky enough to walk in when Caroline is in town then talk to her and you'll have a great time.

Very good shirts, ordered a custom shirt that is great. Really quality guayabera, but the staff is unbelievably and unnecessarily rude. The managers behavior and attitude almost caused me to leave the store and walk away. She was rude at every opportunity and ungrateful for the opportunity to get a new custom shirt order from a new customer. I would caution dealing with this woman before spending $240 on a custom shirt and being treated horribly. Very disappointing. Will update my review on receipt of the new shirt in late May.

Awesome shirts and service. Don't wait - it takes about two months for a custom shirt.