how to find a tailor that works for you
finding a good tailor is harder than finding a good man
One of the smartest style decisions I’ve ever made was getting a tailor; it’s completely transformed my relationship with clothing. From something as simple as having a pair of pants hemmed making them the length perfect for my height to completely having a piece altered into something new, it’s given me the power to make clothes do and be what I want. I think it’s the ultimate style cheat code, so hearing a story like this creator had, makes me sad. Long story short, she'd never been to a tailor before so she read reviews online from a few, found a tailor with good ones, and took her clothes there only to have them come back different than she imagined.
And this is a mistake I see a lot from people who are looking for a tailor for the first time. While I think online reviews are good for other things, not so much for a tailor because it’s a deeply subjective service. Someone may want their pants altered one way, but the next person doesn’t, the reviews often lack the services that were given, so there is no way to truly assess the work you want done and you’re reading reviews from tailoring newbies to seasoned vets, so it’s hard to get an honest read.
Finding the perfect (for you) tailor takes a bit of exploration, past picking someone with the highest-rated reviews, so today I’m sharing how to find one that will work for you.
Gather recommendations first, then online reviews. While online reviews are good, recommendations are far better. If you have family and friends who get pieces tailored regularly, start with them. If you don’t; or are looking for more recommendations, ask your local dry cleaner (pro tip: some cleaners offer this service, so be sure to ask) or a sales associate at your favorite store that offers alterations who they recommend. You want to get recommendations from people who professionally deal with clothes day in and day out. Once you gather a list, then check out their online reviews.
Go in for a meet and greet. Before you drop off anything to be altered, you need to meet and ask questions. How long have they been in business? What alteration services do they offer? What are the prices for various services? What's their turnaround time? Do they have examples of their work? Can they walk you through their process? It may feel a bit weird and slightly imitating, but you're contracting them for a service, so you wanna be sure of what to expect upfront.
Give them a test run. I don't recommend taking that actual thing you want to be tailored before you give the prospective tailor a test run with something inexpensive. You wanna see if they listen to your wants but most importantly, if they're balancing your wants with their expert opinion. They are the expert, you are not and a good tailor will offer suggestions and tell you if what you want done will mess with the integrity of the garment, if the look you want to achieve won’t look good, or if what you want done is worth the money. They should guide you but never try to change your mind.
Assess the vibe. This is super important because this is a very personal working relationship, and you want to be sure you have a base level of comfort talking to them that can grow over time. Did you feel comfortable talking with them? Did you feel unheard or rushed during the appointment? Did they offer feedback about your desire constructively? Are they giving suggestions? Are they asking you 100 times if you’re sure about this and that? My tailors and I (yes, I have two because I'm fancy lol) have a great working relationship. They know what I like, give me feedback, and aren't afraid to tell me if what I want done is not feasible in general or specifically for them. Communication and honesty are key; if you don’t feel you can do or get that effectively, they aren’t the tailor for you.
Check out their final work. Does it look the way you requested? Did it cost what was quoted? Did the turnaround time match what was given? Does the work look neat and clean?
I know these are a lot of steps, especially when you just wanna get something done, but tailoring is a highly personal experience that’s best evaluated in person, so taking a few extra steps will ensure you can have your clothes altered the way you want and avoid costly redos or having a piece ruined.
Shanna