Confessions of a St. John addict-- Here are some tips I have picked up over the years, caring for my substantial St. John wardrobe!!

Repairing Moth Holes:  St. John provides as a service to its customers the repair of holes caused by moths (or other catastrophes).  You should not try to fix the hole yourself or pay a dry cleaner to do it.  It is not likely that such a repair will result in a virtually undetectable weave.  St. John, however, will repair the hole perfectly, regardless of color, age or type of knit.  To take advantage of this service, you must bring in the garment, newly dry cleaned, to a St. John Boutique, or St. John department of a department store (you may find these on the St. John website).  The charge for this service is $25.00 per hole, with the garment returned to the store (if you want it mailed to you, you may have to pay a shipping charge).  If you are listing an item that has been repaired by St. John, you should disclose it, even if the repair is virtually unnoticeable.

Replacing Buttons:  If your garment is missing one or more buttons, St. John will replace the missing buttons at no charge (and give you an extra one, too), if the garment retailed during the last five years.  To take advantage of this service, you must bring the garment, newly dry cleaned, to a St. John Boutique or department, and pay a shipping charge (about $15.00). 

Hems & Alterations:  It is always best, when purchasing a St. John garment from a boutique, department or company store, to have St. John do the hems or alterations.  Keep in mind, however, that St. John will not alter a garment if it results in a substantially changed design.  For example, they will not hem a long skirt into a knee length skirt.  For those hems and alterations, or for purchases made on e-bay, you should instruct your seamstress to weave in the hem and seams, as St. John does.  This might cost a little extra, but it is worth the investment.  And if your seamstress does not know how, find another seamstress! 

Substitute for Dry Cleaning:  While I would never try any substitute for dry cleaning my St. John jackets, skirts or slacks, I have found a wonderful money-saving substitute for dry cleaning my St. John shells.  The product is Eucalan, which can be found at knitting stores and on knitting product websites.  You can soak the shells in water and Eucalan (follow the instructions) and save the dry cleaning bills.