I have a love/hate relationship with this extremely adorable boutique. I love the ambience, the clothing, the shoes, and the fact that so much offered is made in the USA. I like that they take pride in being a unique downtown boutique, not a chain. If you've ever been to Francesca's, it's very similar, but smaller and a wider variety of clothes. I have many, many items from Karisma, and I love all of them. I'm sure I'll continue shopping here, BUT I do have a few issues. These issues have brought the rating from 5 stars to 3.
I've shopped here many times, and the most recent trip was my only negative experience. I went with my sister-in-law and her 18-month-old son. Now, having no kids of my own, I completely understand that no one is required to oooh and aaah at every kid. HOWEVER, nor is it acceptable to be outright rude to the person/people taking a small, non-crying child shopping. Yes, the small stroller was a little awkward in the cramped store, so she parked it up front, out of the way. And yes, it can be annoying to want a shopping day and then see a baby in your favorite store. But I held him, talked with him, shopped successfully whilst holding him. Not once did he grab anything, get put on the floor, or cry/scream/throw a tantrum. He did get a bit whiney at not being able to get down, but I immediately distracted him, and on one occasion took him outside (the door was propped open on a nice day) to look at the cars and flowers. Essentially, I noticed that the shoppers and staff seemed unusually stiff towards us. I thought I was being paranoid, but his mother noticed it too. We were return customers, with a well-kept child who was not misbehaving. Get over it. The baby didn't make anyone leave. In fact, together, she and I spent over $200 (mostly my stuff). I'm just very put off by the attitudes of the staff that day.
Otherwise, my complaints are small. I'd say the items in general are anywhere from $10-30 overpriced, no good sales. They post all new items on Facebook so things can sell out in an hour. I know they've got to make money, but give others a chance!
Other than that one big issue and the smaller stuff, it's a pretty place with adorable clothes.
WARNING: I'm speaking from personal experience, fuller figured women may find it difficult to fit into much here. Especially if, like me, your chest is large. I've lost weight and can fit into most of their Large sizes with a smaller DD chest. They don't really carry XL in much. read more