Tailoring

[moominmolly]

Have you ever had clothing tailored to you? (Have you ever had clothing tailored to you not for your own wedding?

[Poll #1633871]

...Also, if you have lots of experience with this, can you recommend a tailor to me? :)

Comments

[aroraborealis.livejournal.com]

I've had a couple of things tailored by a fellow near my office, and I've been super happy with him, though I have no idea how his prices compare to the general market -- the convenience has outweighed the benefit of shopping around:

http://www.yelp.com/biz/bostonian-tailoring-boston

[weegoddess.livejournal.com]

It doesn't count if I do/did it myself, right?

(that's actually how I taught myself to sew; I would get hand-me-downs from my cousin and had to alter the clothes to fit me decently)

[coffeechica.livejournal.com]

This exactly! (and I love your matching userpic) :-D

[veek.livejournal.com]

Not in this country, though. :)

[moominmolly.livejournal.com]

Heh. I had an awesome tailor once! In Maine. While it's closer than halfway-around-the-world, still? Not very convenient.

I think my shape is stable enough for now that I'm finally going to get some stuff done. Woo!

[sinboy.livejournal.com]

Sadly, the tailors in question are in Shanghai and Singapore.

[metagnat.livejournal.com]

Does making your own clothes to fit you count? I guess not, since you're asking for advice about tailors.

[moominmolly.livejournal.com]

It doesn't count for the purposes of recommending me a tailor, but it does count as AWESOME. Also it counts for clicking the button.

I've only ever really made clothes for strange/costume purposes for myself, so I didn't consider it an option. My mom made clothes, though.

[inahandbasket]

Jack, just outside Porter Sq. (right near Zing pizza).
Guy is awesome, friendly, and ridiculously good at what he does.
I have a pile of shirts I need to get over there with, come to think of it...

[moominmolly.livejournal.com]

Hey me too! Also, that's totally convenient for me. Hmmm...

[arachne8x.livejournal.com]

Did I inspire you?

[moominmolly.livejournal.com]

Yes!

[sparkymonster.livejournal.com]

Jane Bonbon made me TWO fitted glorious dresses
http://www.etsy.com/shop/janebonbon

But sadly she's ill and not sewing right now.

I've also heard good things about
http://www.etsy.com/shop/myblackdress

[mickeymao.livejournal.com]

I like the woman at Queen Dress Maker in Watertown (on Belmont St, just beyond Star Market as you leave Cambridge). She has very low rates and is super-friendly, has a thick Russian accent and calls everyone "sweetie".

I also liked Jack in Porter Square, though I seem to remember him being more expensive.

[geekpixie.livejournal.com]

I've mostly done my own tailoring, or had it done for costuming, so I can't recommend anyone specifically local, sadly. I should though, I have a few pants to be hemmed (which really, I could do)..perhaps a to do for today while I am WFH...

[geekpixie.livejournal.com]

This all reminds me that I promised my man I'd make him some vests. I should get my sewing machine out of storage :)

[nex0s.livejournal.com]

Not in your area, sadly. I know some amazing and wonderful tailors in NYC so if you come for a visit I could send you to them ;)

N.

[beah.livejournal.com]

Depending on what you need done, I recommend your local dry cleaner. Or for that matter, mine, at Grace Cleaners in Medford Square. She always does our hems and buttons and pockets and other easy things we're too lazy to do ourselves, but she has also done more significant work, like taking pants in at the waist so they still fit over my hips but don't gap. I also had a tailor in Newton (convenient to me then, but not to you or me now, I suspect) re-line my fancy long winter coat.

[harimad.livejournal.com]

Waists are relatively easy, as tailoring goes.

[dbang.livejournal.com]

I'm cos.

I order my bras from a place that custom makes them to order: Decent Exposures. I've ordered from them many times.

But I don't know if that counts as "tailoring" and is of course unhelpful to you in finding a tailor for normal clothes.

[vito-excalibur.livejournal.com]

Everyone says to do this but it's expensive and people are rude in my experience. >:( And how do you find someone who you know won't ruin your new clothes?

When I bought my suit (not for wedding, just for having a nice suit) they tailored it there and it was the most comfortable outfit I owned. I wanted to sleep in it. I wish it were easier to get stuff tailored.

[harimad.livejournal.com]

See above for how I test out a new tailor.

I agree that good tailoring can be expensive. I have not found tailors to be rude as a group. I can think of all sorts of reasons for this, including geographic-based cultural differences and what type/brand/price clothing one is bringing in.

[dolohov.livejournal.com]

I've been experimenting lately with ordering (semi-?)custom tailored shirts online. I just got two from Blank Label: I picked the fabric from a short list, selected collar, cuff, placket, and pocket style, had the option of changing button color or adding a monogram, then provided measurements. They only do mens' shirts right now, though (although you might be able to specify measurements in that style so as to produce something that will suffice).

[mzrowan.livejournal.com]

Oh, when you said "tailored", I thought you meant "made from scratch for you". My mom made me a couple of dresses in high school (including my formal (aka "prom") dress: picture (http://pics.livejournal.com/mzrowan/pic/00016bw1/g7)), and I commissioned a stupendous outfit from a pro friend for the premiere party for Kink, the tv show I was in.

[chienne-folle.livejournal.com]

Several years ago, I got custom jeans from Lands' End. You send them your measurements and also some verbal qualifications (e.g., "my butt is big in proportion to the rest of my lower body"), and they do something magic with them, then send back jeans that actually fit.

I'm tall, and I'm fat, so I'm hard to buy clothes for, right off the bat. Add in my strange proportions, and NOTHING fits me. Except the Lands' End custom jeans, once upon a time.

Sorry I can't help with local tailors, but clothes that actually FIT are awesome.

P. S.

[chienne-folle.livejournal.com]

You haven't been posting as much as usual, these last few weeks, and I was about to write to you and ask if you were okay. So I'm glad to see you here!

[ukelele.livejournal.com]

...but I *want to*. And once I'm employed I expect to be using one or more of the online tailoring services to, e.g., acquire fitted shirts I can wear.

[youngwilliam.livejournal.com]

I recall hearing a part of a legend from somewhere that the Devil is the master of all trades... (dramatic pause) ...except for tailoring. Old Scratch has to outsource to the fairies for his tailoring.

I'm in the "No, but I've done some minor tailoring of my own clothes" camp; generally hemming pants cuffs and pleating pants waists (and the waists of boxer-shorts. The boxers are generally done in a less professional way than the pants, since I'm of the opinion that if someone is seeing you in your underwear, they're probably past the 'nitpicking about your sewing skills' stage).

[abilouise.livejournal.com]

I like Jack the Tailor in Porter Sq, but even better I like Plymouth Tailor at Downtown Crossing. But I'm not positive he didn't retire.

[keyne.livejournal.com]

Other than the dress my stepmom made for my wedding to obadiah, I've only once had real tailoring (not mending) done -- and that was to adjust the Vera Wang I wore in someone *else's* wedding. I wasn't sure if that counted as "yes" or "no". :)

[artricia.livejournal.com]

My mom rocks with the Singer, if you know what I mean. She used to make clothes for us when we were kids, and made some special event items as I got older (Christmas dance, uncle's wedding, etc.) While she rocks, and lives in Woburn, I'm 90% sure she's not looking for sewing work these days.

She's done it semi-professionally. You might ask at a fabric store near you to see if there are any SAHM types who are in the business.

[artricia.livejournal.com]

Also, etsy might be a possibility. It comes to mind because I've been trying to custom knit my own sweaters with bust darts, and I know you can ask for custom knits there. I bet you could ask for local custom sewing, knitting, etc.

[d3l1r1um.livejournal.com]

Yes (often), but simply because I grew up in the Soviet Union where most of my clothing was either made by my mother, grandmother, or my mother's friend who did it as (IIRC) the sole source of her income out of her home. I think the latter would qualify as "tailored." I think that was the case for most people in one way or another. It was a different world, really.

I have never had anything tailored in the U.S., so I'm afraid I cannot recommend anyone.