Brought three dresses here two weeks ago to get altered. I just opened the bag while packing for a vacation wedding and realized one of the dresses still has all of the pins in it. It was not altered at all. I paid almost $600, so this is extremely disappointing and completely unacceptable. Now I’m left scrambling right before my trip. Would not recommend based on this experience.
I went to Michelle at Tailoress to get my mom’s 1980s wedding dress turned into a corset and pants for my own wedding. I was quoted at $1150 for the full job. This was at the top of my budget, which I communicated. I came back several times over the course of 6 months to try on different elements of the garment in progress, and the staff were all lovely to work with. There were some small adjustments made to the original plan- an elastic added here, a button there, a different direction on a pleat. During these fittings, I was never told that these minor changes were outside of the original scope of work, and would therefore cost extra. As no one communicated a change in price during these fittings, I believed that I was right to assume that the changes being made were within the original scope of work/quote. Near the end of the alteration process, I realized that the pants needed some additional modifications, and they were re-sewn inside out to remove a satin sheen, with a layer of organza added. I told the tailors that I expected this to cost extra/go beyond the original price that I had been quoted. I was not given a price, but I estimated that it would add an extra ~$500 to the original quote. When I returned to pick up my completed garment. I was presented with a bill totaling $2800 -- nearly triple the original price that I had been quoted. I was shocked. Throughout the alteration process, I was never once told that the changes being made would add an additional $1650 to my bill. If I had known that these charges were being added, I would have foregone several changes, or abandoned the alteration process entirely and opted to buy something new. When I approached Michelle about the discrepancy, she acknowledged the lack of communication but suggested that I should be grateful for the hours she had not billed for. Tailoress is a skilled tailor and they did a beautiful work. Nevertheless, the complete lack of communication and transparency around the cost of their services, and the lack of accountability after the fact, left me feeling taken advantage of. It’s basic professionalism to be in touch with a customer to seek consent before completing work that will cost said customer substantial money. While the garment I will wear at my wedding has lovely sentimental value, I was extremely disappointed by my experience with Tailoress, and I regret using them for alterations. If I had known that I would be spending close to 3k, I would have bought something. It’s not fair to surprise customers in this way, while holding sentimental and time-sensitive garments that clients will have a hard time abandoning. I see other reviews that show similar experiences with Tailores, which I wish I had seen. If you have a special garment that you’d like altered, I would suggest taking it to another business that will be honest and considerate of your budget.
I take any nice piece of clothing I have to this place. They've altered and mended many pieces of vintage clothing for me over the years. The work they do is top quality!
Things started off well here when I came in last year, but unfortunately my experience has left me with a bad taste in my mouth. I ordered my wedding dress off Etsy and needed to send the seamstress my measurements. The dress had quite a few elements so it required a few extra measurements, which I had been having trouble getting at other tailors. Tailoress did charge me $25 for the measurements (the other places were free) but I felt like they did a thorough job and so was happy to pay for the right measurements (though they didn't tell me that before they started measuring...something that turned out to be a reoccurring theme). When my dress arrived I went back to Tailoress to get the adjustments done. I just walked in without making an appointment, but since they did have availability at the time they kindly took me in, even though this really is the kind of thing you should set up an appointment for. Much like other people mentioned, the woman working with me FaceTimed the owner to get her opinion on the dress and what needed to be done. This didn't phase me in the moment because I figured a wedding dress is a bit more complex and I appreciated they were willing to defer to someone with more expertise before forging ahead with design decisions. Because the dress had been custom made to my measurements, I didn't think it would need a ton of alterations, and they originally quoted me about $400, which is about what I was expecting as I know wedding dress alterations come at a premium. However, it seemed like every time I showed up (I think it took close to 5 fittings total) they would suggest more changes, which I would agree to, not realizing that literally everything they were suggesting was an additional charge. I'm all for people charging for their labour, but it would be nice to have some more transparency about how those charges are determined. It did start to feel like they charged me for opening a pair of scissors, and then added another fee to close them. They touched base about the pricing once during the process, but also by that time what are you supposed to do? Your garment is half-torn apart and you're in a time crunch because your wedding is coming up. By the time it came time to pay the original quote had more than doubled (and kind of negated the cost savings of getting my dress off Etsy...) Other than pricing, I wish they had a better set up for change rooms. The way the curtains close made me feel like I was always on the verge of flashing someone and there wasn't a ton of space to maneuver when pulling on shapewear and bulky garments. I didn't have the worst experience here (some of the other reviews make me feel like I was lucky, but I can also totally see how they occurred), and ultimately, I don't think I trust them enough to ever come back.
I rarely leave negative reviews, but I need to share my unacceptable experience with this business. I left my dress for a simple bust alteration to make the neckline more modest for my graduation and paid a $50 deposit on a $150 quote. When I returned more than two weeks later to try on the dress, the alteration wasn’t done as requested. After two tailors consulted with me and then with their boss via FaceTime to get her input, they asked me to leave for 30 minutes and come back while they pinned the dress to show me how it would look. When I came back, I had to try on the dress again so they could show me the changes with the pins in place. I agreed to the proposed look based on how it appeared during that fitting, but they never told me the final price. Later, they quoted me $386, more than double the original quote and more than the value of the dress. I refused to pay and chose to take back my original dress since the woman clearly said no cutting or sewing had been done. Despite this, the store charged me $260 for “time spent in the store,” a fee never disclosed upfront or explained as a “fitting” or “time” fee. This surprise charge is unfair and likely illegal under Canadian consumer laws that require all mandatory fees to be clearly disclosed. I negotiated and refused to pay the $260, but I still had to pay the original $150 just to get my dress back, which still had random patches added “to see” how it would look. This left me frustrated and disappointed, especially so close to my graduation. I strongly warn others about this business due to poor communication, lack of transparency, and questionable pricing practices.
Tailoress were the only tailors in town able to complete alterations for both my formal outfits in less than a week! I am blown away by the quality of their work and so thankful!
Michelle and her team did an incredible job on two pieces: an expensive designer swimsuit and a delicate silk bustier from the 80s. Michelle spent lots of time with me taking me through her thinking and the best way to alter the pieces. The team is also incredibly responsive by email. Well worth the price and the timeline was as expected — they were even willing to get the items to me sooner when an emergency came up. They did a wonderful job and I’ve found my new favourite tailor in the city. Michelle is so talented and creative! Thank you so much to the team.
Tailoress is a Canadian Tailor based in Toronto, Ontario. Tailoress is located at 339 Roncesvalles Ave, Toronto, ON M6R 2M8, Canada.
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