STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

Just give him the benefit of the doubt, until he calls back.  What I find very strange is him saying there is no way possible it could have happened, yet he personally did not handle the item, so how is he supposed to know? 

If he does come back and say that they did not cause the problem, do not relent.  Insist they compensate you; by the way IMHO I don't think you are entitled to the full cost of the garment after two years.  If I were in his shoes I would refund the cost of the repair and re-emburse you at least $50, but not the full amount since it is so old (as far as clothes go).  But, who knows how he will handle it.

i'd ask to speak to the seamstress personally.  when the guy calls you back tell him since he didn't handle the item, you want to speak to the person that did.  explain it's an irreplaceable item (i might throw in the word vintage as opposed to 2 years old), and there is NO WAY it was like that when you brought it in.  Don't use phrases like "i would've noticed" because that gives them an out, instead stick to your point:  it wasn't like that when you gave it to them. 

talk to the seamstress, in person if possible.  also, is there any way to fix the shirt or is it a total loss?  what material is it?

He was supposed to call me today, but by 6:40, 20 minutes before they close, he hadn't called me.  So, I called him.  He said he didn't get a chance to talk to the seamstress, but whatever, he would just pay for it (and yes, he said "whatever").  He asked how much it was and I told him it was over $100 but I'd had it for over a year, so whatever he thinks is fair.  I have a coat there so I guess I will find out what he will give me when I pick it up. 

I still don't think I would go back there again (but I won't tell him that).  I just don't feel like I trust him and his store anymore.  I don't like how he originally told me it couldn't have happened there (and he really didn't veer away from that when I spoke to him today.  He just said, whatever, we'll pay for it.  He never apologized or anything.).  I would never accuse his store of doing something they didn't do so that was a real slap in the face.  I've been going there for a few years and aside from a few re-dos where they didn't get a stain completely out, I've never complained about a thing.  I'm honestly more upset that he is acting like it didn't happen there than the fact that I lost a shirt that I love.  I think if when it first happened, he said, "I'm sorry.  Next dry cleaning order is on me." (which would be about $40)I would have felt better about it.  I would have just thought to myself, "well, that shirt had a good, long run.  Mistakes happen" because I have always found the man to be very nice before.  I am just so, so upset that he reacted the way he did.

Esquiress, I don't know what the material is called.  It is a really delicate, almost sheer, flowy material.  It may involve silk.  I'm not sure though-the drycleaner still has the shirt so I can't check.  I really don't think it can be fixed.  I wish I could explain it better, but it is cream with rose and brown flowers and in some areas the rose and brown parts are pulled into the cream part causing lines going across the whole shirt.