It’s rare, at least in the era of online shopping, that you can haggle for what you want. Sure, in the resale world this is common, but not for new, full-priced items, especially if they’re super-expensive to begin with. Deals are another thing entirely, because brands set these prices, not consumers. If someone wished the jacket they wanted was 50 percent off, not 35, they couldn’t email the brand demanding a discount. It just doesn’t work that way.
Now, however, Himel Bros is putting the ball in the shoppers court. For its Ready-to-Wear collection, which comprises leather jackets already made in a few, if not just one or two, sizes, you can now “Make an Offer.”
Instead of clicking “Add to Cart” and ordering the jacket for the price they’re asking, you can opt to “Make an Offer,” which prompts a pop-up window where you can, well, make your offer. There are no restrictions on the price you put and there’s a place to leave a note, but don’t expect just any offer to be accepted.
Himel Bros jackets are expensive for a reason, even if others don’t get it. “It’s a common question here at Himel HQ —perhaps the most frequently asked of all,” says CEO and Founder David Himel of why they’re priced so high. The brand specializes in jackets that are handmade in Toronto, Canada by a team of well-paid Canadian workers using the finest materials available: leather from the Shinki, Horween and Victoria tanneries, 100-percent cotton American thread and NOS (New Old Stock) zippers from the 1930s, ’40s and ’50s.
Himel cares about offering his workers a living wage and putting out high-quality designs. He’s been a leather jacket junkie since the ’90s, when he ran his own vintage shopped. He blogged about jackets in the early 2000s and founded his eponymous brand in 2007 to almost immediate success. Now, for those who’ve held out because the prices have always been too high, now’s your chance to take your shot. Sure, you might get rejected… or you could end up getting a jacket for half off. Who’s to say?
How to Haggle for a Himel Bros Jacket
CourtesyHimel Bros Avro (Size 42)
Full-Price: $2,650
Competitive Offer:$2,385 (10% OFF)
Fair Offer: $2,120 (20% OFF)
Low Ball: $1,855 (30% OFF)
