Dress alterations

Questions people ask

Do you alter dresses?

Yes. Hems, waists, straps and shoulders, bust and bodice through the side and princess seams, linings and zips are all ordinary work here, and most of it takes two to three days. Bring the dress, the shoes and the underwear you will wear with it, because all three change where the garment sits. Try the dress on rather than leaving it over the counter: work pinned on you is work that fits, and work done to a measurement matches the measurement instead.

What should I bring to a dress fitting?

The dress, the shoes and the underwear you intend to wear with it. A fitting done without them is a fitting done against a guess, and a hem pinned over the wrong heel height is a hem that has to be done twice. Try it on rather than leaving it over the counter. Allow time to put it on properly rather than arriving five minutes before closing, particularly for anything with a zip at the back or a structured bodice.

Can you alter silk, chiffon or lace?

Yes, and it is slower work, not out of caution for its own sake: these cloths mark, and a needle hole in silk does not close. Beading comes off by hand before the seam moves, and goes back after. Name the fabric when you ask about timing — cotton and beaded chiffon are not the same job sharing a name. These cloths change the answer completely rather than adding a day to it.

Can a dress be taken in or let out?

Taken in, usually by one to two sizes. Let out only as far as the seam allowance the maker left, which varies enormously between garments and can be checked in about a minute by turning it inside out. Taking in is always the easier direction. A heavily boned or beaded bodice limits what can be moved without rebuilding it, which is why the answer for a structured dress is often different from the answer for a simple one.

How long does a dress alteration take?

Two to three days for most jobs; ask whether a simple job can be done sooner. Beading, linings and several jobs on one garment all add time. If you have a date, say what it is when you bring the dress in rather than at the end. Several jobs on one dress are done in order rather than at once, so three small changes take longer than one big one. Say what the dress is made of.

Do you do wedding dresses?

Yes, on their own timetable: two fittings, the first about three weeks before the day, and both done with you wearing the dress. A wedding dress hangs differently on a body than on a hanger, and that difference is the entire job. Three weeks before the day is deliberate rather than cautious: a dress altered months ahead is altered to a body that may have changed by the wedding.

Can you shorten a dress with a lining?

Yes. A lined hem means two hems rather than one and the lining is set slightly shorter so it does not show, which is why a lined dress takes longer than an unlined one. It is ordinary work, just not quick work. Say that it is lined when you first ask, so the timing you are given is the real one.

What does a dress alteration cost?

It depends on the job. Bring the dress in or send a photograph on WhatsApp, and you get a number before any work starts. A figure quoted on the garment in front of someone is a real one; a figure quoted from a description can move once the dress is on the table.