YouLookFab Forum » Topic: Where do you go for Alterations?

YouLookFab Forum » Topic: Where do you go for Alterations? https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/where-do-you-go-for-alterations Style Advice for Fashion Lovers en-US Sun, 19 Apr 2026 03:53:40 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 <![CDATA[Search]]> q https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/search.php Maya on "Where do you go for Alterations?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/where-do-you-go-for-alterations#post-129855 Mon, 01 Mar 2010 15:22:38 +0000 Maya 129855@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Farhenry, that tailor hemmed my pants too short and charged $20 for it at a discount! I let it go because she fixed an otherwise unwearable shirt for mr but I never went back. I thought the whole point of adding darts was for people who are big in one place and skinny in another! Ele on "Where do you go for Alterations?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/where-do-you-go-for-alterations#post-129780 Mon, 01 Mar 2010 07:10:05 +0000 Ele 129780@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I do it all myself- from simple jobs like hemming to more involved things like removing waistbands to take in waists, or hemming something that had a lined vent, whatever. It was even easier when I was at school because I had access to industrial machines 24/7. My new home machine is pretty good though- it can even handle denim! These days, the only thing I won't attempt myself is knits, you do need a specialty machine for that. If I need knits altered, I'll send them to my Mum's tailor back home, who works out of her basement. (Obviously happens very rarely- I'm not in the habit of mailing things trans-Atlantic for alterations!) fathenry on "Where do you go for Alterations?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/where-do-you-go-for-alterations#post-129766 Mon, 01 Mar 2010 06:30:20 +0000 fathenry 129766@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Thanks Kari, Bellevue is easy for me so I may give them a try. Thanks everyone! Kari on "Where do you go for Alterations?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/where-do-you-go-for-alterations#post-129730 Mon, 01 Mar 2010 05:02:35 +0000 Kari 129730@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ My mom very kindly used to do this for me, but denim was too hard - it would pop the thread on her sewing machine and would therefore come out looking funky (not her fault at all, just because of the weight of the fabric.) So I started taking jeans to the second variety of tailors on your list. Since I know you're in Seattle, I go to a little shop on Main Street in downtown Bellevue - Soho Alterations & Tailoring - and their prices are pretty reasonable. The last time I had denim hemmed, it was $10 to have a "straight" hem and $15 for an "original" hem. (Of course, now that I'm typing this, their website seems to be down - I hope they are still in business.) Jenava on "Where do you go for Alterations?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/where-do-you-go-for-alterations#post-129729 Mon, 01 Mar 2010 04:52:16 +0000 Jenava 129729@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I go to a little old Italian lady in Seattle. Her prices are obscenely low. I don't think she's raised them in 20 years! She does a great job most of the time, but she is quite slow since she gets a lot of business. She mostly does men's suits, so an odd waist band is pretty simple for her. This might be why she doesn't charge much. (-: shana on "Where do you go for Alterations?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/where-do-you-go-for-alterations#post-129683 Mon, 01 Mar 2010 03:17:14 +0000 shana 129683@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I have yet to find a tailor that I can really trust. I have tried all of the local places - the dry cleaners charge $15 and I wouldn't trust them to do more than a simple hem. A local formal wear/tuxedo shop charged me $25 to hem jeans (not original hem!) - they did a good job but the pricing seemed a little outrageous. Last summer I had a local tailor hem a knit shirt for me - it was atrocious and the hemline was all uneven and she had the nerve to charge me $20 for it (yeah, I'm a wimp, I should have refused to pay especially since I asked several times if she felt comfortable with the material). Anyway, I have some bigger items & jobs that I have been holding onto for literally years because I cannot find the right person to do it. I can't sew for the life of me and though I have contemplated trying to learn, frankly, I have zero interest! fathenry on "Where do you go for Alterations?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/where-do-you-go-for-alterations#post-129668 Mon, 01 Mar 2010 03:06:49 +0000 fathenry 129668@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Kristine, thanks so much for the kind offer to teach me how to stitch. I seriously question my skills and ability to do this. I think Bella would like to learn though? There does seem to be a huge range of prices. Melllls i live in a suburb of Seattle so I have access to more than the dry cleaner but it seems really hard to find a seamstress. I get the feeling that the last tailor I went to was on the high end, but she did do a nice job. Isabel, thank you for the good ideas, I will take your suggestions! Maya, that is so frustrating, I can't believe a good tailor would say that to you, I don't think it was YOU that was the problem, if that makes sense!! elpgal on "Where do you go for Alterations?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/where-do-you-go-for-alterations#post-129617 Mon, 01 Mar 2010 01:30:46 +0000 elpgal 129617@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I am in the DC area and hemming pants costs around $10 here. I usually get it done at the men's tailor in the mall or at the dry-cleaners. They pin the pants themselves. I have not had much luck with hemming shirts. They charged me $15 and did a pretty shoddy job and blamed it on the material. bella on "Where do you go for Alterations?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/where-do-you-go-for-alterations#post-129614 Mon, 01 Mar 2010 01:23:18 +0000 bella 129614@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I hem my own pants using stitch witchery. I find it super easy. Altering skirts (particularly A-line) seems like a bigger job, so I haven't attempted it at all. I want to learn invisible stitching by hand. Has anybody seen an online tutorial? taylor on "Where do you go for Alterations?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/where-do-you-go-for-alterations#post-129609 Mon, 01 Mar 2010 01:16:33 +0000 taylor 129609@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I can do simple alterations at home. It is rare for something off the rack to fit and I am very picky how my clothes fit so I alter all my skirts, and take in some of my pants, but I am awful at hem's on anything so I just don't do them I have a tailor who is great and charges me 10 dollars to hem a skirt or pair of pants. My gal isn't attatched to a dry cleaner either:) Mellllls on "Where do you go for Alterations?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/where-do-you-go-for-alterations#post-129608 Mon, 01 Mar 2010 01:15:15 +0000 Mellllls 129608@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Fathenry, where do you live? In the U.S. I've lived in the suberbs, a big city, and a small city and I've really found that tailoring prices very much vary. My mom does my hemming and does tucks for my waist. I take any suits and dresses to a tailor (and not one attached to a dry cleaner). Maya on "Where do you go for Alterations?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/where-do-you-go-for-alterations#post-129606 Mon, 01 Mar 2010 01:11:07 +0000 Maya 129606@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ This is a major point of frustration for me as I haven't yet found a competent tailor. I had one woman tell me that it was impossible to add darts to a shirt because I was "too big" on top and "too skinny" on the bottom. As I mentioned before, my hems always mysteriously end up shorter than what we seem to agree on. It makes no difference whether I go to the dry cleaner or the "expert" so I just save my money. I don't know how to sew, nor do I have a sewing machine, and I can't hand sew to save my soul. As I said in previous posts, I am the anti-Martha Stewart. Domestic tasks just do not agree with me. I have learned by now that things have to fit me off the rack, other than simple hemming. If it requires being taken in or adjusted in any other way, I let it go. Isabel on "Where do you go for Alterations?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/where-do-you-go-for-alterations#post-129602 Mon, 01 Mar 2010 01:03:51 +0000 Isabel 129602@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I always build in the cost of tailoring when considering an outfit. My seamstress charges about $8 too, for a hem, only about $5 for putting darts in the waistband. She is incredibly reasonable and very, very good at what she does. Big cities are more expensive, but $25 for a hem, seems outrageous - my friend pays $12.50 in Boston for that. I would suggest four things : call a nice local store or boutique and ask who they recommend their clients too. ( I found a fantastic shoe repair person this way. ) Or call a bridal shop and ask if the seamstress does outside work. Many do for reasonable prices since the alterations are not as complicated. Pinch pennies on things like hems, which are pretty straightforward and pay a little more for the better tailoring on things like princess seams or more than darts in a waist band. Try to find a men's tailor. They are usually cheaper than a woman's - so if one of your local stores does men's suits, ask who tailors them. Suits and men's pants are always altered. ( Our local JC penney has a man's tailor on site and he is willing to do women's hems and sleeves for a very good price.) chewyspaghetti on "Where do you go for Alterations?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/where-do-you-go-for-alterations#post-129530 Sun, 28 Feb 2010 21:59:36 +0000 chewyspaghetti 129530@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I can sew, I just prefer not to . My tailor only charges $8 for pant hemming, so I just take it all to her. Dawn on "Where do you go for Alterations?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/where-do-you-go-for-alterations#post-129527 Sun, 28 Feb 2010 21:55:48 +0000 Dawn 129527@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I bring some stuff home to my mum to get altered. This is generally easy stuff such as shortening straps and a couple of quick repairs on hemlines. My mum is quite good at stuff like this but she lives a five hour bus journey away from me so I don't see her frequently enough to rely on her services. Some small repairs on coats and other dry clean items get fixed by the dry cleaner for an insignificant charge, often €2/3. Again, this is stuff like tiny repairs. I prefer to go to a professional seamstress for everything else. I have gone to the same company for nearly five years and they always do a great job, and the only time I have had any issue with their work was when they didn't take in one strap on my grey waistcoat. They took it in within 20 minutes and didn't charge me for the alteration. With these seamstresses- shortening a skirt is €15, small alterations such as turning up blazer sleeves is often less than €10, and larger alterations such as altering waistbands on skirts and other major structural alterations costs between €20 and €50. I really need to buy my own sewing machine. It would be so handy for smaller repairs and hemming skirts. rute on "Where do you go for Alterations?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/where-do-you-go-for-alterations#post-129488 Sun, 28 Feb 2010 21:14:10 +0000 rute 129488@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I buy many pieces at "El Corte Ingles" (a big spanish store that has all good labels and designers in one place but also less expensive clothes) and they offer all the alterations needed, their taylors are amazing! I have already asked for complicated alterations and everything came out perfectly! The other pieces I buy at Zara, Massimo Dutti and I pay a small amount and they hem the pieces. Kristine on "Where do you go for Alterations?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/where-do-you-go-for-alterations#post-129486 Sun, 28 Feb 2010 21:09:06 +0000 Kristine 129486@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I've been sewing for years so I do alterations myself. I have a machine, but I do all hemming by hand (because it's easier to do an invisible stitch). Hemming is pretty simple, especially if your material isn't not slippery or smooth (like silk, jersey, etc.). I'd be happy to share some basic instructions if you'd like to try. fathenry on "Where do you go for Alterations?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/where-do-you-go-for-alterations#post-129478 Sun, 28 Feb 2010 21:00:55 +0000 fathenry 129478@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I'm curious what the average cost of alterations is and where you take your clothes? I've experienced two extremes: 1) take pants to cleaners, asked to have them hemmed down one inch. no measuring or pinning involved. results variable, cost $5. 2) the specialty tailor that has you try on everything with correct shoes, pins and measures. cost is $25 to take down and replace hem on jeans, $20 to hem up a full skirt by three inches, $20 to take in the waist on a pair of jeans. I'm curious what others do when it comes to tailoring? I'm thinking of worn clothes, not new clothes at the tailor at nordstrom. How many of you ladies can do this kind of tailoring yourself?