don't buy anything from the online store because if you want to return it you have to wait months for the refund. absolutely ridiculous

Been shopping there for over 20 years! I have everything i have bought from them. They are easy to mix and match Quality is excellent and last forever! read more

Max Mara is a classic brand. You cannot go wrong with any of their items. Their iconic coats, especially, go up in price every year and you can always consign them for what you originally paid if you ever choose (although the most popular Max Mara coats rarely hit the consignment market as the people who purchase them tend to keep them). Net-net: Great investment on staple pieces. My low rating is for the sales associates here. Every time I've come in, they have been overly aggressive and so painfully obviously hungry for a commission. They will also tell you you're wrong to have certain preferences when it's so clear they just want to close a deal. For example, if they don't have an item that you're looking for in stock, instead of offering to track it down, they'll instead try to sell you something else and tell you what you originally wanted isn't as cute, desirable, etc. in an overtly cheesy and pushy way. Look, I get it: Everyone has to hit their quota. But, I'm a big shopper and the hard sell is not effective on people like me who have a strong sense of our desired aesthetic, especially when it's so embarrassingly evident what they're trying to do. Good sales associates are able to read individual clients and tailor their selling approach to each client. The sales associates here are also either dishonest, at worst, or ignorant, at best. I was searching for a Teddy in a size small and they provided me with inaccurate information thrice in one interaction: 1) They told me they only had one coat in this size in the country, and that I can't order it online because it's sold out everywhere so I'd better purchase this coat then and there! I pulled up my phone and searched the Max Mara website. The coat was there for immediate online purchase in my size; 2) She then told me that just because it says it's available on the website doesn't necessarily mean I can buy it online. That wasn't true. I looked at other items that were sold out and clearly marked as such on the website, showing the online store *does** denote sold-out and clearance items; 3) She then told me that it would probably take 30-90 days to receive the coat if I made the purchase online because the website doesn't accurately reflect inventory. I showed her the website guaranteeing items ordered before a certain date would be received before Christmas (3 weeks away). The whole interaction was slimy. What's worse, they know me here because I've purchase several pieces at this boutique so you'd think they'd work on nurturing a long-term relationship versus a quick sale. I would've purchased that coat in the store had I felt like the sales associate had taken my best interests in consideration. A Max Mara coat runs well into the thousands of dollars so rushing a sale isn't good for the store or client. A sales associate worth her weight is optimizing for the lifetime value of a client, i.e., what the client will spend over their lifetime based on positive experiences with the brand; the sales associate wants the client to be ecstatic about every purchase and have no buyer's remorse. Anyway, I bought that coat online as soon as I left the store (I should receive my coat in 5-7 business days), and this sales associate lost out on what could've been a very easy sell. Finally, an administrative note: The boutique has a no-returns policy. However, if you buy items online, there is a 14-day return window (new and unworn, with tags stattached, obviously, which is more than fair and reasonable). This inconsistent policy seems like an oversight or poorly thought-out. I don't often return anything I purchase but having the peace of mind of knowing I can change my mind if I take the item home and it looks different on me helps a ton in getting over the mental hurdle of making such large purchases--and I'm sure I'm not alone in this. I'm guessing a return policy like the one offered online might actually help the brick-and-mortar store move more inventory in the long run. read more

The Sportmax line is the best: chic, sporty, beautifully tailored and stunning. This is my favorite place to buy clothes in SF. Max Mara's coats are the best too. You will wear them forever. They last a long time, the fabric is amazing -- no matter how many trips to the dry cleaner, it looks as if you bought it yesterday. Service: perfect. I have a "personal shopper" at Max Mara and all I do is call her and tell her I am stopping by. She knows my size and my style. Even if I drop in by chance, their staff manages to pull together the clothes that fit me in just 15 minutes! read more

DO NOT SHOP HERE! I had a completely miserable experience here trying to return a pair of shoes. All is well if they are selling you something, but try to return it and the Twilight Zone kicks in. I had the male store manager waiving my receipt at me because I was not happy with an unworn pair of shoes I had bought 10 days prior in their New York Madison Ave. store (I kid you not, and I had spent a fortune at both stores recently) Really? Really?? I get 10x better and more courteous service at the Gap buying my kids clothes. I am shocked they are still in business. Do yourself a favor and shop at Neimans or Nordstrom instead. btw, service at the Madison Ave store is amazing so skip SF and go to NYC if you have to! I was interested to see that a few other customers had had similar experiences-think there is a trend here! And if you look at the "positive" reviews, seems like these aren't really purchasers, just people who "stopped by." Granted I will do neither again. read more

Just stopped by to check out the store. Even though I didn't buy anything the salespeople are SUPER nice and they really want to serve you better. However, the price will destroy your budget. Really nice Italian clothing but price is outrages.. I'm giving 5 stars because of their product quality and customer service. read more

I love Max Mara coats- I have three alpaca...and one cashmere blend that I purchased on a whim last season. Immediately after purchshing the coat I was having buyers remorse because it just didn't fit exactly the way I wanted it to. The sleeves were a bit too short for me. The following week I visited the store for a refund and it was out of the question- so was a store credit. I will probably buy another Max Mara coat, but not from the store. I'm out $2800 and stuck with a beautiful coat that I will never wear because the arms arren't right for me. Be smarter than I was and know their return policy ( no returns) before you buy!!! read more

Beautiful yet expensive clothes. Terrible service. Over the years, I have gone there to find great designs, but I have finally had it with the people who work there. I had a problem with a piece I bought there (when I unwrapped it, there was a mark on it), and when I brought it to the store's attention, they accused me of making the stain myself...with the tag's still on the garment and still wrapped up. Sorry, but I don't spend thousands of dollars over the years at a store to have them tell me that I am a liar. read more

Beautiful, budget destroying Italian fashion. This is place I go every two years to buy the $1000 suit I wear to every important meeting for the next two years. The clothes are just in a different league, the kind of garments that look so good and fit so well that you wonder why The Gap bothers to exist. Then you see the price tags, and remember why you usually shop at The Gap and not at Max Mara. But even if you can only afford one incredible, silky, overpriced t-shirt, it will be your most favorite, most flattering, most stylish item for years to come. Also this is just about the only place in SF to buy clothes if you want to look good (i.e. non-American) upon arrival in Roma or Milano. read more

BEWARE OF THIS STORE. I had an awful experience at this store. the saleslady selected an orange jacket she thought would go with what i had described to her i wanted to wear it with, so i purchased it that day and took it home to check it out with the item in my closet but it looked horrible. So within 24 hours i returned it to the store with all the tags and receipts and never worn, and they refused to take it back and credit my credit card! i spoke with the manager and he said that was their policy: "Didn't you read the fine print on the receipt we gave you?" he said. i said no and that i had never heard of such a thing--i shop at YSL and Neiman's and never has this ever happened. i was shocked. Never again will i shop at Max Mara. Buyer beware. it takes 10 happy customers to make up for 1 unhappy one, you would think in a recession they would care more about the customer. read more

The best Italian fabrics and suits/coats always come at a premium. Max Mara offers the quality of Loro Piano but less the expense. Thus, no need to elaborate further on the exceptional quality of their apparel. The staff are fun, attentive, and loyal, thus dont take out any grievance about the store policy which they do not determine on the staff. Be an intelligent shopper and ask about return policies before buying. I have frequented the Max Maras in Paris and Milan ...the service doesn't get any better than San Francisco. read more

Beautiful clothes, and fantastic service. George is the best salesperson I've dealt with in a long time. Phenomenal follow-up and creative ideas on putting outfits together that I wouldn't even think of. Feel like I don't need to shop anywhere else. read more

I love Max Mara for 10 years. Some brands' fashion taste would fade over the years. But Max Mara always keeps its edge. It's simple but elegant with high quality. Although expensive for just a piece of top, it does last for a long time and always easy to mix match with other clothes. You will never regret the $$ you spent on this brand. read more

Very, very bad experience! My wife and I were visiting San Francisco for her birthday. We stopped by Max Mara to look at boots. My wife found a pair she liked but they didn't have the color she wanted in her size so the "stylist" (aka sales person) offered to order the boots and send them to our home address in Washington, DC. The boots arrived a week and half later in the wrong size! My wife took them to the Tysons Corner store to return them for credit on her credit card. They told her that was against store policy. She called the San Francisco store and they refused to acknowledge that they sent the wrong size. No return for credit even if they send the wrong merchandise!!!! Incredible!!!!! We will never, never do business with Max Mara again. read more

I had never purchased Max Mara in the United States, but only in Roma and Vienna. However, when I saw the new limited edition Jane sunglasses, I decided to order them. The Max Mara in San Francisco was one of only two places in the US that was selling them. I called, ordered, and within the week they were delivered. The sales associates to whom I spoke were fantastic - awesome. Helpful, polite, and gracious. This was the best online service I have used in the recent past, and (of course) the sunglasses are spectacular - exactly what I wanted. Thank you (again) Max Mara! read more

DO NOT SHOP HERE! I wish I had read the other reviews before shopping here. I bought a $2,800 coat which was unreturnable eight days later. Why? Because I wore it out of the store. I explained that I had only worn it for the 15 minute walk back to my office, but their policy was unmovable. I explained that I would like to shop there again, but if they showed no flexibility that wasn't going to be possible. The very high on herself assistant store manager Elena Curnyn explained to me that they cared so much about their customers and stood by their merchandise so much that they would not allow an exchange. No way would she extend a courtesy and recognize that I could have just as easily spent those 15 wearable minutes in the store. I will NEVER shop there again. And frankly, in this day and age when high end stores like this depend on customer satisfaction for repeat business, I find it apauling that they so cavalierly through away business like this. At that price point I expect more. Shame on them. read more