Tailor woes: or why I hate having anything altered - YouLookFab Forum

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Tailor woes: or why I hate having anything altered

shiny

Veteran

I took the dress below in to have it tapered just a bit, per Angie's recommendation. I took it to a highly recommended tailor. I explained exactly what I wanted. He pinned it, and said "I know exactly what you want. It'll be perfect."

I came back in to get the dress, tried it on, and realized he tapered it all the way up -- he took it in at the hips and at the waist, not just below the hips, which is all I wanted! The dress fit just perfectly in the waist and the hips.

This was only 3 days later. I did not gain any weight in that time. It was so tight, you could see every lump and bulge. It was hoochy tight. It was so tight, I could not even SIT in the dress!

I complained... and he said "no worries, we'll take it out in the waist and hips." I was near tears because I feared that letting out would not get it back to its original contours. But what can you do, right?

So, it is probably wearable now... but I dunno. The pic below is the "before." When DH gets home this weekend, I'll try on the "after." The puzzling thing is, it doesn't even seem to be tapered at the bottom now either. I will not go back again. Because of what happened next...

To make it up to me, he also offered to hem jeans for me for free, and as a rush job. "We want you to be happy and be a regular customer." This is the place that does all the alterations for our local National Jeans Company, so I figured, they can't screw that one up. So I gave him my jeans, he pinned them for flats. I got them back the day before my NYC trip, had no time to try them on in the store. Checked the hem, looked good. Rushed home. Put them on....... and they were long. Really long. They are TOO LONG for my tallest heels!!! They've definitely been hemmed... but ... WTF? I cannot figure that one out. They aren't ruined; I can still have them shortened. But still.... ?

If anyone in Boston area can recommend a reliable tailor, please let me know. This is the second bad experience I have had... and it's why I avoid alterations as much as possible...

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18 replies

Latest reply was from biscuitsmom

shiny

Veteran

I should add, when I came to pick up the jeans, a young lady was in the shop, having a dress altered. The tailor had pinned it way too tight. Hoochy tight. This young lady could certainly pull off hoochy tight if she wanted. But she was hemming and hawing over it. Finally I piped and said: "Can you sit? Do the sit-down test!"

The tailor shot me the Evil Eye and said, "She can't do that, the pins will hurt her." I rolled my eyes and gave the young lady a look. She sat down. She could not sit. It was too tight. She took the pins out and said, "I don't think it needs altering afterall."

So there was that... at least I helped someone else avoid the same tragedy.

Anonymous

Oh, Shiny. I want to sit down and cry with you. That's awful. Hoochy tight is not good... EVER! Glad you saved someone else from that dreadful fate. As for the pants, I can't imagine how he could mess something like that up. You need a new tailor!

shiny

Veteran

... still venting... so mad when I think about it....

I really wanted this dress to NOT be body con at all... that's what I liked about this dress! I don't mind more body con dresses, there's a place in my life for that, but I have enough body con black dresses already. I liked how this one draped and skimmed just perfectly.. it was really comfortable to sit in... I thought it was more on the conservative side, that it would be perfect for wearing to work... it was a replacement for a ATL ponte knit sheath that was more form fitting. It is 3-season wool and has very little stretch. It is not meant to be form fitting.

ARGH!!!!

Diana

Veteran

Oy. I'm sorry. I wish I had a good recommendation for a Boston tailor - I am pretty sure that whatever wedding dress I get will have to be altered and I am scared to death of letting anyone do it! I am SERIOUSLY tempted to fly it to CA and have my mom do it, but I'm not sure how long it will take to do all the tailoring.
If you don't mind my asking, which tailor was this? I want to avoid them! (You can PM me if you prefer).

FWIW, I pin most of my garments myself at home. ESPECIALLY pants. I never let them do it for me. Plus I don't want to bring extra shoes with me to the tailor.

I do try to do simple alterations myself these days. Am experimenting with jeans hems. I did a black pair (with black stitching, so they don't really show) by hand (I don't have a sewing machine) and it looks decent so I might try to do my new Joe's bootcuts myself too. I think if it's less than 2" that you need to get rid of, you don't have to cut the fabric so it's easier.

Aziraphale

Veteran

I'm so sorry to hear about this! Hopefully the tailor can fix it, and then I wouldn't go back to him a second time.

I think what you need to do is hunt down the right one. I'm petite like you, and I'm always trotting back and forth to the tailor. I've been there so often that they greet me by name and ask after my children. I've only once had an alteration I was unhappy with, and it wasn't their fault; the material was so thick that I couldn't tell about the shape when it was pinned. And they agreed that it wasn't right, and happily fixed it for me. It's just the alterationist in the local mall, so nothing fancy, and there are actually several women who do the work. They all seem to be Eastern European. (The one I know best, Kate, is from Russia, and she explained that back home, all women learn how to sew because their choices are so limited, and they all want to look good in their clothes).

So anyway, I would keep looking for a good tailor. They do exist! And perfectly-fitting clothes are so important, especially for petites.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

What a story!!!

Well, both stories, really.

It sounds as if this tailor is not as good as his reputation. AT ALL.

shiny

Veteran

You'd think a female tailor might be better, more sensitive to what works on a female figure. But the first tailor I tried was female, and she screwed everything up too. Shortened coat sleeves too short. And it wasn't ready when she said it would be (said one week, took three weeks??). And she was also rude like the tailor Nazi or something.

I'm kicking myself because I do know how to sew. I just don't enjoy it, and I find it really difficult to pin my own self. I also hate, hate, hate doing hems! It's my least favorite sewing task. But this dress alteration... I could have done that myself!! I could have taken my favorite pencil skirt, and used that as a guideline. It was such a simple, easy alteration... how in the world it got so screwed up... I do not know! The guy did not even pin it in the hips and waist.. and yet he took it in there?

rae

(website)

Veteran

Oh, I'm SO sorry! That is just beyond bizarre... how does this person have such high recs? If it is still not right, maybe he can give you money to take it somewhere else to have fixed? :T

Anonymous

Tailoring is difficult. I usually have to go back and forth with them as to how I want things done. We eventually get it right. You might want to pass by the tailor and go at it again.You might need several back and forths. ((HUGS)). I know, it is frustrating.

pil

Veteran

How very frustrating. You'd think in somplace like Boston it would be easy to find a skilled tailor.

krishnidoux

Veteran

I am so sorry for you! This is simply awful. If the dress isn't right, I would go back. He didn't follow your instructions (since he took it in higher). Is there a Better Business Bureau in you region?

milehighstyle (Linda)

Veteran

I feel your pain, Shiny. I often have to go back for readjustments (free) at the place I use. Sometimes they take in too much, even though it is pinned exactly where I want it. They get it right eventually, though, and are very nice about it. There is one skirt, though - even though I brought it back to have let out after they took it in too much, I still have to be at my absolutely unbloated slimmest to wear it (and how often does that happen?). The fabric is a bit delicate so after two alterations they were afriad to mess with it any more.

April

Veteran

Oh, Shiny -- that's terrible.

My mother and I have a deal worked out for later this month. I'm flying in to organize her study (it's become a giant hoard) while she does all my tailoring.

And let me tell you, if anything like this happens, she's fired.

Kim

Veteran

Shiny, if you can so, pick up a dress form from Amazon like I did. You can get ones that adjust to your size (Singer I think) and then you can pin it up on the dummy instead of on yourself. I know exactly what you mean about pinning on yourself! LOL

I spent about $100.00 on mine and even drove down to the U.S. to pick her up and bring her across the border, but she's been the best money I've spent in a long time! I don't *love* sewing either, and especially altering things, but to get what I want I'm willing to go slow and just do it....

If I were to do it again I'd spend a little more ($150.00) and get the dress form that is adjustable and also allows you to try pants on it. Mine has the post right up the middle so I can only do dresses and skirts on the bottom. Tops and jeans are my main alteration so not a big problem for me, but it would have been nice to have the option.

Here's the one I'm thinking of that would allow for pants alterations and hemming too.

http://www.amazon.com/Dritz-Do.....dress+form
You can even make her your exact height so that hemming is easier to mark.

Sorry to hear about your tailoring woes. Very frustrating!

Ann in New England

I am with you! I had a big event this week and needed the sleeves on a new jacket shortened. It was a rush job, but they said no problem. They pinned the sleeves to the right length. My husband had to pick up the jacket before they closed. When I went to put it on the next morning, the sleeves were too short -- I'm hoping people think it's supposed to be 3/4 sleeves, because it is close to that. I don't know if they can be re-done to the proper length. Very unhappy.

Mochi

Veteran

WTH, Shiny. That's crazy. And I was going to ask you about recs for tailors, as I'm willing to travel a bit for someone really good. (It's tough being petite....) Back to the drawing board! But seriously, that can't stand. I would (ideally) ask them to just eat the cost of the dress, if you can find another one.

rachylou

Veteran

Oh, what a buggrit! Guy sounds a bit creepy...

p.s. I didn't know you get a dress form for as little as $100!

biscuitsmom

Veteran

(((hugs))) Hope you get it straightened out!