This couch should not be empty in May.
On Monday, May 18, Governor Baker held a press conference in which he revealed his long-awaited, much-ballyhooed, four-phased preliminary plans for reopening the Commonwealth’s economy. Governor Baker and his proxies reported they will release industry-specific guidelines on opening dates, safety protocols, procedures, and best practices; astonishingly, few of these details (i.e., those pertaining to retail) were made available today, with the small exception that during Phase 1, retailers could reopen for remote fulfillment and curbside pickup, effective May 25. As a customer-focused service-oriented clothing store and tailor shop, Main Street Formals primarily falls into Phase 2, meaning the earliest we will be permitted to host customers inside our shop is June 8.
Considering the paucity of information released to us thus far, we do not know much. We do not know if June 8 is written in stone. We do not know whether we will be permitted to accept walk-ins, or if we’ll be operating by appointment. We do not know if we’ll be wearing business suits or Hazmat suits. (But rest assured, if we are compelled to wear Hazmat suits, ours will fit better than our competitors’. ) Furthermore, without explicit new guidance on the relaxing of the size limitations on gatherings (presumed to stand at 10), it seems likely that most/all social events planned in the near future (up to Phases 3 and/or 4) will be postponed or canceled, and so for the foreseeable future, Main Street Formals will continue to follow the following policies:
RENTAL ORDERS: We will issue 100% refunds on all rental orders canceled as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. Please contact us by email as soon as possible if your event has been postponed to a later date. We do not accept cancellations and/or order changes by phone, for we require written documentation for posterity.
RETAIL ORDERS: If you ordered any retail clothing and wish to postpone your order for a later date, please contact us by email as soon as possible. If you are canceling a retail order, we may issue a refund on your deposit, but that decision will be made at our discretion on a case-by-case determination. If the garment has already been tailored, there will be no refund, as the garment is permanently custom-tailored to you and cannot be resold.
ALTERATIONS: If we have some of your clothing, or a tailored suit waiting to be picked out, we will endeavor to reconnect you with your clothing after May 25 in a manner that comports with the governor’s order. As always, the best way to contact us is by email.
These policies are subject to revision as the situation evolves. Please continue to visit this page or our social media feeds for more information as it becomes available.
