Can anyone recommend a good tailor who does alterations, especially on women's clothing (suits and dresses) and especially in our general neighbohood? (Though I'd go further afield in Center City for someone really good.)

I'd been taking simple alterations like hems to two different local dry cleaners, but they've both screwed up on occasion, and I need some more complicated alterations to clothes I'd rather not ruin.

Thanks in advance!

ETA: I see that Joseph's on 20th was included in the Best of Philly, but the only two reviews on CitySearch are very negative. Does anyone have any feedback about him? Older posts here also recommend Royal Custom Tailor on Juniper, but I was wondering is anyone's been there lately.

I can't tell you where a good tailor is in SWCC, but I can tell you that I had two suits tailored in the last year--One at the Dry Cleaner on 22nd and South and the other at Joseph's on 20th Street. I don't recommend the drycleaner as I had it taken in but they didn't make the necessary adjustments to the shoulders and now I have to have it taken in again or else look like a big shouldered goon from the eighties.

Joseph's did an excellent job on the other suit, though. I don't remember how much it cost, but it seemed reasonable at the time.

Yes; said dry cleaner is the one that I don't 100% trust with more complicated jobs. Thanks for the feedback on Joseph.

Depends. "Said dry cleaner" did a workmanlike job at removing two sizes' worth of fabric from a pair of crepe slacks when I lost significant weight a couple years back, although the alterations lady couldn't salvage the side-seam pockets for me.

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That's good to hear; thanks. They've done quite a few simple hems for me over the years, but they also royally messed up a dress. I have an expensive suit and dress that need more extensive work, and I'd rather get the best tailoring I can afford.

I took some suit pants to the dry cleaners on 22nd and south about 2 years ago and they botched the pants up so much (waist was tailored way too tightly and cuffs too high up on my leg) that I had to throw them out. I haven't been back for alterations although I do take my dry cleaning there.

Not directly applicable to your situation, but I used Joseph's to repair a rip in a leather cushion and he did a great job at a reasonable price. It may be a little difficult to communicate with them since their English is limited (they're Korean I believe), but they've been in business for a while so they know their stuff. Reviews from the Center City PhillyBlog section seem generally positive.

Update for any future searchers:

I ended up taking two jackets and a skirt to Royal Custom Tailor on South Juniper and was very pleased with their work. I wouldn't say they were cheap, but I was okay with paying for excellent work and feel like I got it. Pretty extensive tailoring and alterations to the jackets and some minor alterations to the skirt came to $130, but the work is very fine. The formerly bulky suit jackets picked up at Nordstrom Rack now fit like they're custom made. Everything was ready when they said it would be, and the gentleman who helped me (not sure of his name, but I think it's Mr. Cheng?) was kind and knowledgeable. His English is heavily accented, but here wasn't too much of a language barrier. The shop itself is very clean.

The only "however" leads me to a slight warning: check your items before you leave the shop! I was in the middle of a busy day and my husband was parked outside, so when I picked my three items up I didn't look at them too carefully; the tailor assured me that I should try everything on at home and bring them back if there were any problems. It wasn't until later that night that I noticed that one of them was actually not my jacket -- it was a similar one, but a different size and brand. I called the shop five minutes before closing time, they were very apologetic, and Mr. Cheng came to my house first thing the next morning to exchange my jacket for the one I'd been given by mistake, so no harm done (not to me at least). But I had been warned by another Royal Custom customer about the same thing happening, so it was apparently not an isolated incident. Obviously I should have checked everything before I left the shop, but be aware that these little mix-ups have happened more than once.

But overall, I was pleased and would recommend them. They do custom suits as well, but that's quite a bit out of my price range!

I'm a really good Taylor




Sorry, but it had to be said.

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Boo yah

I'm the customer who warned Zannebar. I agree with everything she said about the workmanship and the cleanliness of the shop, but I'm surprised they went out of their way to get her jacket back.

It appears that Mr. Cheng makes a habit of giving away one customer's clothing to another. He gave my dress (that I was to wear to a wedding) to another customer and then told her that she had to return it. She was pissed and refused to do so in a timely manner. Meanwhile, I'm freaking out, since I have nothing else appropriate to wear. When the dress was returned a couple days later, it turns out the alternations hadn't even been done. And he had the dress for 2+ weeks! I made a small scene, resulting in my hem being completed in 20 minutes.

After all that, the work was free (and well done), but I'll still look for another tailor. I can't take the drama!