Episode 6: The Price

Dear female readers,

The other day, I was doing my shopping. I was standing in front of a punnet of tomatoes. €8 for tomatoes.
I looked at them for a long time. At that price, I almost wanted to ask if they had been raised outdoors. And then I thought that, deep down, we're all doing the same thing. We look at a price and we ask ourselves the question: Is it really worth the price? »

So I thought it would be interesting to do the same exercise with a Ginette pieceLet's take our Boy shirt. It costs €149 including tax. When you see that price, you might think Ginette was pocketing €149. If only…

The reality is a little different. Before I could even touch a euro, 20% already goes to VAT, taxes and dutiesThe state is always served first. On that point, it never misses its appointment.

Then come the 30% dedicated to productionAnd that's probably my favorite part. Behind those 30% are the hours spent imagining the piece, the prototypes, the fittings, the adjustments, and all those little details that we sometimes change ten times before saying to ourselves, "That's it."

There's also the choice of fabrics. I spend a lot of time with my suppliers in Paris, touching the materials, comparing the drapes, and searching for beautiful natural fibers. My goal is simple: that your shirt will still look just as good in five years.

And then there's our Parisian workshop. A family business where 6 female mechanics work (That's what they're called in the business.), who make each of your pieces. With each order, you help to sustain these jobs and preserve French manufacturing, which is unfortunately becoming increasingly rare..

Then come the 15% dedicated to photo shoots and communicationBecause a shirt doesn't sell itself. You have to organize the photoshoots, take the photos, shoot the videos, answer your messages, prepare the newsletters (hi 👋), keep Instagram and the website active… In short, make Ginette known.

Then come the 25% allocated to salaries and operationsBehind a brand, there's also the rent, Pauline, the showroom, the website, the accountant, the software, the insurance, the electricity, the boxes, the tissue paper, the thank-you cards, and the delivery costs.approximately €8 per parcelAnd all that... tax-free, of course. It would be far too easy otherwise!

And then there is left 10% marginThis margin isn't used to buy myself a handbag every month. It's used to produce the next collections, invest, absorb unexpected expenses, replace a computer that decides to die on a Monday morning… in short, to allow Ginette to keep moving forward. And then, in good months, to pay myself a salary.

I'm not telling you all this to say that our items aren't expensive. Nor am I trying to make you feel guilty. I simply thought it would be interesting to show you what's behind a price tag.

Because today, when you buy a Ginette piece, you're not just buying a garment. You are choosing French manufacturing, natural materials, a Parisian workshop, 6 seamstresses, a small, passionate team, and a company that strives, every day, to manufacture differently..

Yes, €149 is a significant amount. I, too, think carefully before making a purchase. But I hope that after reading this newsletter, you might look at that price tag with a slightly different perspective.

Well… I'll leave you now. I'm going back to check on my tomatoes. You never know, with a bit of luck, they might finally be on sale!

And finally, I'll see you in September for a new season of Manon Papote.

Enjoy your vacation!

Manon