Selecting the best Wedding Gown Seamstress for your alterations and tailoring

Congratulations!  You are getting married and you have your gown.  Most wedding gowns will need Bridal gown alterations with a nip here, a tuck there and probably a hem and bustle.  How do you find someone who will make your gown fit perfect and has the experience and skills to work with your precious gown?

You have several options

• Local Seamstress/Tailor with an established storefront business - This is our recommended option.  Pick an experienced seamstress with many years of experience in wedding gown alterations.  We are happy to provide Free consultation on your wedding gown and discuss the alterations and any changes needed.  This is a good way to get to know us and for us to get to know you. So, we can make your gown uniquely YOU and will be perfect on your wedding day
• Bridal Shops - Sure they should have experienced seamstresses, but usually have a very high mark-up and you will probably spend much more on your alterations than you would with an independent seamstress
• Seamstress working out of her home - Buyer beware of people working out of their home.  Chances are that they are not a legitimate licensed business.  This means they probably don't have insurance and if something goes wrong YOU are the one holding the bag and will need to figure out how to get your gown fixed or replaced.  Also, they are probably not paying taxes and working "under the table".  If they are discovered they will be shut down and all materials and Dresses will be confiscated, again leaving you out in the cold.  Do you really want to risk it with your wedding gown?
• A friend or family member (Obviously, the cheapest and if they have the skills and desire this is a great way to save on your budget.  Some pitfalls here could be putting pressure on a loved one to get this done in time and they may not be used to working on wedding gowns and the  complexities on how wedding gowns are made)
• Bridal Salons - Many bridal salons have in-house seamstresses that will have the right skills to work on wedding gowns.  However, they usually cost 50-100% MORE than a local seamstress.  They have a huge markup and employ seamstresses with varying levels of skill.  Alterations for many bridal shops earn more money that selling the dresses, so in some cases you will pay more for alterations than you did for the dress.  They don't usually advise you when you pick a dress that will require extensive alterations in the hopes that they will make much more money on the alterations. 

Alterations Inc. has more than 25 years of experience doing Wedding gown alterations and tailoring.  We also provide custom wedding gown design.  Custom Gowns from Alterations Inc. are surprisingly reasonable and then you don't have to worry about the cost of alterations because it is custom made to your body.  We can work with your design and ideas to make you your one of a kind Wedding Gown.

www.alterationsinc.com
alterationsinc@gmail.com

17037 N. 43rd Ave Suite A10
Glendale, AZ 85308
602-439-0052

Clothing alterations and tailoring costs - How are they determined

As you may know alterations depend on the type of work, skill set and how long a certain alteration/tailoring job is going to take to complete.  Alterations Inc has been in business for 26 years and employ 4 full time seamstresses.  

Alterations Inc prices are based on the difficulty of the work, hence needing the more experienced seamstress who makes more money and costs more for difficult tasks.  We also have to factor in the other costs relating to providing these services and just to do business, like sewing machines and maintenance, supplies (threads, zippers, snaps, needles, etc), electricity, rent, insurance and much more. 

Seamstress and tailor alterations pricing have to cover your costs.  In the current economy and with clothing made so cheaply overseas there are many people that do not want to spend more money on alterations then they spent on the garment in the first place.  And then there are others that buy from consignment stores for just a few dollars  and spend much money to alter and have that custom fit.  Pricing really needs to be determined by your own circumstances.

Alterations Inc like many other tailors and seamstresses have determined what we need to earn per hour to be profitable.  So if we say we need $30 per hour to make a profit, we determine how long it will take to complete an alteration and base the cost on that hourly rate.  You also have to include in that time and cost, the cost of any supplies needed like zippers, snaps and any prep time as well as the time needed to fit the garment to your body.  All this is factored into the cost of the alterations.  Most people don't realize that the fitting is part of the alterations, setting up the machines keeping them in good working condition, etc.

Compare tailoring and alterations with having your hair done at a salon or having your car repaired.  Most people don't question or think twice about spending hundreds of dollars for these services.

Does this make sense to you?  I hope it helps.

Creating your own style

Alterations Inc has so much fun working with creative people that are looking to create their signature style.  Just recently we were blessed with a creative Harley biker who wanted to create a unique jacket.  And when we were done it was amazing, unique and he just loved it.  He gets so many compliments on his jacket people are constantly asking where he got it.  Of course, it was his unique design and we were thrilled to make it happen for him. 

How did we do it?  We started with a standard denim jacket.  We used leather to embellish the sides, back and arms and of course the Harley patch on the back. 

Unleash your creative side and make something that is uniquely YOURS?

www.alterationsinc.com

alterationsinc@gmail.com

Alterations and tailoring - How much do they cost?

So many people wonder, why do alterations cost so much?  And having been in business for over 25 years this questions comes up at least once a day, usually more.  The simple answer is that it takes time, experience, supplies, electricity and you can't forget the time that is taken to have your garments fitted to your body. It is all about the time it takes to make the alterations, do the fittings, supplies like zippers, machines and skill of the tailor or seamstress.

Most tailors and seamstresses base their prices on time and add in cost of supplies. We base our price on an hourly rate.  We employ seamstresses with varying skill sets and experience.  Tailors that do the simpler tasks like hems and mending have a lower hourly rate and the cost of the alterations will be less money.   Tailors or seamstresses that work on more difficult items have a higher hourly rate so the cost will be more. 

If you are having your wedding gown altered wouldn't you want someone that specializes in this type of work?   Or would you prefer to take your chances with someone less experienced? Well, sometimes a bargain is not a bargain.  If they make a mistake it could be a disaster and ruin the gown or require the bride to find someone who can fix the mess and spend more money again.