The Survey Shakedown

Published Feb 20 2020 in Cherry Velvet, Cherry Velvet Dresses, customer feedback, Dresses, pricing, prints, sizing, survey, what's new

As many of you know (almost 300 of you in fact!), we asked you, our wonderful customers to do a survey.  We wanted to know what you think, so we can better provide you with the frocks that will most delight you. Thank you so much for your participation.  We have a lot of fun and interesting statistics to share!

First of all, congratulations to the 13.6% of you that's part of the "Cherry Velvet Collector’s" Club. You've got yourselves more than 10 different dresses of ours over the years! 

And thank you to all who have responded our survey from far and wide. We even had a respondent all the way from... Russia!? Spasibo! (That's "Thank you" in Russian 😊 )

Here's something we found out about your style preferences: 60% of you are all for short or cap sleeves. Over 70% like their skirt right below the knee. And about 70% like your skirts either full or A-line, with many of you requesting very full or straight skirts. It’s clear to us that many of you enjoy a very balanced fashion - not too much and not too little!

And finally, the juicy stuff:

Our most popular prints are, by far, the florals and the polka dots. These timeless classics have been remixed in many ways over the years, and we always make sure to bring them back! We currently have many of those available, including the Doris in Black & Red Polka Dot or the Chrissy in Bird of Paradise for example.

Here are some hot takes from what you requested.

1 - Cats Rule and Dogs Drool

Not by a lot, but cats still definitely took the lead here: Cats got 23% preference, and dogs only got 14%. It's nothing to bark at, but it's certainly the cat's meow to hear!

2 - You really looooooove Space

With an incredibly high amount of mentions – between stars, space, and galaxy, we have just about 20 specific requests for Space themes. Don’t worry, ladies, we’ll keep them coming (out of this world)!

3 - You want Dinosaurs, Books, Music, and Geometric Prints

What does that say about our audience?

Maybe you're a math-loving brainy bunch, with a palaeontology hobby, erudite music training, who love spending time in libraries familiarizing yourselves with the classics of English literature!

We're not sure we can find a print specifically with all those factors in at once (what a print it would be, huh?), but we hear you! We'll make sure to incorporate (or perhaps already did... mua-ha-ha!) these very hotly requested themes into our next seasons. Stay tuned!

And the most unexpected requests were...

Krakens and Yetis.

Nothing against them, but those prints might be hard to find!

 Q&A

On our Survey, you also had the chance to tell us anything you like, and it was so delightful to hear your feedback and concerns. Most of the comments were so sweet - we were smiling all day reading them!

We’d also like to answer a couple of the more frequently asked questions here. Although we’ve addressed some of these before, we’re more than happy to revisit them.

• Manufacturing issues (slight fit inaccuracies)

All our garments are handmade, very carefully by local seamstresses here in metro Vancouver. As such, we can often deliver a much higher standard of quality than clothing manufactured overseas. There can, however, be some small variations from seamstress to seamstress. No different than getting your latte from different baristas There is also the off chance that a garment can get the wrong size label. While it is RARE to see a manufacturing flaw, they do happen, so please inform us immediately so we can fix that for you. 

• Limited sizing

All our dresses are limited edition runs; if you love a style, you may want to grab it in your size quick. We enjoy knowing that as each limited run sells, our clients will have the satisfaction of knowing they are one of a few to own that special print.

As much as our mission statement is to provide amazing dresses so you can be lovely and stunning at ANY size, it is not always possible to have every print in every size. Running a fashion business that produces ethically poses some unique challenges that brands which manufacture overseas won’t face. Costs can often be prohibitive, and there are minimum quotas and specific requirements when it comes to placing orders. In general, we try to have a broad selection of sizes. We do, however, occasionally opt to produce fewer in certain sizes or skip them altogether for these reasons.

• What’s up with the pricing?

The pricing reflects much more than just the fact that most of our dresses come in limited edition availability. Our frocks are ethically manufactured in the same city as our headquarters, Vancouver BC, Canada. Wages in Canada are much higher than other countries and our minimum wages are very much on the rise (which is a good thing for workers!)  Our production does not rely on certain “more affordable” options, we choose the best quality zippers and fabrics we can get our hands on. It’s ethical production, and that's how we've chosen to function. We strongly believe this is a necessary step for the fashion industry. We want no part in the suffering of workers in unsafe conditions. Although our garments may take more saving up for, we 100% stand behind the fact that they are worth it.

We always love to hear your feedback, please feel free to write us and tell us what you think!

XOX Cherry Velvet

P.S. Hope to see you this weekend at our Warehouse Sale / Studio Shop:

Friday Feb 21 from 2-7 pm

Saturday Feb 22 from 11-5 pm

@1635 Powell Street, Vancouver BC