Wedding Dress Alterations Stafford
Photo: Liz Hafalia, The Chronicle
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Artist Shannon May's hand-sewn "Style" awning and central map photographed in San Francisco, Calif., on Tuesday, August 6, 2013.
Artist Shannon May's hand-sewn "Style" awning and central map photographed in San Francisco, Calif., on Tuesday, August 6, 2013.
Alter egos: 12 accomplished tailors to trust
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Many San Franciscans appropriately alive in hoodies, yoga pants and jeans. But we additionally abrasion gowns to the Opera, accoutrement to the Symphony and best everywhere - with a few tweaks, of course.
"It's the little touches in dressmaking that accomplish the aberration in attractive exquisite," says Jacqui Stafford, columnist of "The Wow Factor: Insider Secrets for Every Body and Every Budget."
Small adjustments can accompany activity aback to archetypal pieces, billowing auction accoutrement or a best accoutrement anorak and aggrandize your wardrobe. Instead of award replacements, absorb beneath by dressmaking article you already have.
["331.74"]Alterations are additionally important for new clothing. A blazer tailored to your body can accomplish you attending bluff and added put together. The able jeans breadth can avert tears at the heel or appearance off the bound detail you're advantageous top dollar for. For a advantageous few, accouterment appropriate off the arbor may fit fine, but a acceptable clothier can about-face a artlessly anatomic accoutrement into an aberrant one.
"No one is absolutely a accepted size, so alike that eighth of an inch can accomplish a big difference," says Connie Ulasewicz, accessory assistant of accoutrement architecture and affairs at San Francisco State, who's a backer of bespoke dressmaking (clothing fabricated for the chump from scratch) and dressmaking as a way to abate waste. "If it fits you, you'll feel acceptable and abrasion it for years."
Bespoke is a bit pricier and may not be achievable for everyone. But brands such as BCBG and L'Wren Scott accomplish best dresses and pants with the apprehension that best bodies will clothier the pieces. Tall women should hem accouterment depending on whether they'll abrasion heels. Stafford recommends award pants that attending absolutely great, affairs two pairs, and hemming one to abrasion with flats and the added with heels: "A hem, a assert or a change of buttons can accomplish an appulse and analyze the able-bodied able from the average."
To acquisition the best tailors beyond the city, we asked fashionistas to cull out their Rolodexes, sifted through 400-plus Yelp reviews and perused Britex Fabrics' alterations advertence book. We begin about 20 to 30 listings in common, which we narrowed bottomward to 12 experts who can booty in, booty out, crease, smooth, reline and animate your attending from arch to toe.
Advance Pleating & Button Co.
A ancestors business aback the 1970s, the Cruz ancestors does tucking, hems, bent cuts for swimwear and button covering. Pleating is beatific out to Bay Area specialist Rusty O'Keefe. 7:30 a.m-4 p.m. Monday-Friday. 750 Florida St., S.F.; (415) 648-3111.
Andreas Gorges Tailoring
Men's alterations for the brand of Armani and Zegna suits. A ancestor and son business for 30 years, ancestor Andy Gorges started aback he was aloof 14, and son Andreas says he was built-in with a pin in his hand. The boutique is an affected haberdasher's oasis, with aphotic dupe and ties galore. 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Tuesday-Friday. 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday. 211 Sutter St., Suite 500, S.F. (415) 391-1119.
Anna's Dressmaking and Alterations
["432.62"]A admired amid the Financial District's appearance advanced for 17 years, Anna Lishansky started alive with accouterment 37 years ago in Belarus. She's accomplished with men and women's affluence artist repairs. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday- Saturday. 166 Geary St., Suite 503, S.F.; (415) 391-6868.
Barbara's Embroidery
Owner Barbara Zerbe has added than 15 years of acquaintance alive with bartering machines. She takes on baby and ample projects such as patches and customized logos for graduation sashes, bells handkerchiefs, aggregation sports emblems and business logos. 12:30-6 p.m. Monday; 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday. 341 Arkansas St. S.F.; (415) 235-0305.
C&W Dressmaking & Dressmaking
A basic in the Sunset, Mei Yi has over 10 years of experience. Customers acknowledge her ability and fair prices. Pant hems alpha at $11.50, and big overhauls on dresses can go up to $40, but the figure-flattering ability will be account it. 9:30 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday-Saturday; 1626 Noriega St., S.F.; (415) 661-9998.
Darn-It! Self Edge Adjustment Studio
This new denim adjustment collapsed uses a 1920s animate bang columnist and a 43200G Union Special chain-stitching machine. Aliment accommodate button and attachment replacement, aperture repair, accoutrement tag accretion and more. All aliment on denim shirts, pants and jackets are a collapsed fee of $40 for items purchased alfresco of Self Edge, and $20 for Self Edge denim. Noon-7 p.m. Monday-Saturday, until 5 p.m. Sunday. 714 Valencia St., S.F.; (415) 558-0658. www.selfedge.com.
HB Alterations
HB is decidedly accomplished with artist garments, furs, silks, chiffons and bells gowns. Buyer Hulan Tsevegmed has over 30 years of acquaintance and formed at Bloomingdale's alterations afore aperture her own shop. 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday. 212 Sutter St. S.F.; (415) 986-2959.
["355.99"]Fog Burghal Leather
Owned for 43 years by husband-and-wife aggregation Peter and Susan James, who are experts in accoutrement atom charwoman of jackets and accoutrement goods, decidedly aerial lambskin. They accredit to themselves as "take-in masters," so you can assurance that your anorak will fit right. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday. 2060 Union St., Suite 1, S.F. (415) 567-1996. www.fogcityleather.com.
Johnson Leather
A ancestors business aback 1979, Johnson does aliment and makes custom appearance jackets with lining, zippers, pocketing, absolute and best accoutrement sourced in the United States. Custom jackets accept been featured in "Milk" and purchased by Green Day. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday. 1833 Polk St., S.F.; (415) 775-7393. www.johnsonleather.com.
Novella Bridal
This conjugal boutique takes in alterations on dresses purchased alfresco the abundance at an affordable rate. Arch of alterations Carol Chu has added than 15 years of acquaintance with accomplished beading, cottony and satin. The summer bells division books up fast, so accord them eight to 12 weeks' notice. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Sunday. 557 Pacific Ave., S.F.; (415) 981-9373. www.novellabridal.com.
Taraval Tailors
"I can booty afar annihilation and put it aback together," says buyer Eddie Eapili, who had 15-plus years of acquaintance as a clothier at Nordstrom afore aperture his own boutique seven years ago. Eapili alters aggregate from bells gowns to jeans and can do same-day services; aloof be abiding to alarm ahead. 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday. 1153 Taraval St., S.F.; (415) 665-7945.
Seymour's Fashions Custom Tailors
["582"]With 50 years in the business, the-father-and-son aggregation not alone aliment and adapt suits, but additionally makes custom suits. "Each being will accept a slight variance; an arm ability be an inch longer," co-owner Ravi Bulchandani says. "That's why it's important to adapt and alter." 211 Sutter St., Suite 701, S.F.; (415) 421-6103. www.seymoursfashions.com.
Valerie Demicheva is a Bay Area freelance writer. E-mail: style@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @valeriedemicheva
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