Awful, arrogant service. Don't waste your time. Seems from the other negative experiences that the common thread is that they're both rude, with anger issues. All of his regulars were kissing his a** to get average service; it was unhealthily saccharine. They said they were so busy so busy so busy it would take 4 weeks, apparently a common excuse for them. Even still, they wanted me to do two separate appointments for a simple pair of pants, treating it overly carefully as if this was a wedding dress. All I asked for was a hem and for the waist to be taken out 1 inch which would've meant then that my pants would have been ready in eight weeks? So, I asked to take out the pants and do the hem together, but he acted like this was sacrilegious, getting upset. I had called first and the woman picked up without even saying hello, she was talking to other people, finally she said they had 8 people out the door but couldn't give me an estimate of how much time it would take if I showed up, and she wouldn't accept an appointment. Rude. Ok fine, she was not good with customers, sometimes that happens, people have bad days, but the reputation made me give it a try anyway. My mistake, I should have judged by the dismissive phone call. The reputation of this place is not deserved. But I guess they don't need the business, so they think they don't have to treat their customers with respect. read more

This tailor came highly recommended, but neither the service nor quality reflected the praise. I needed a pair of pants tailored (waist taken in + hemmed). Despite my clear instructions, they were hemmed too short. I asked for 30" and they were hemmed to 29.25" (this was the original measurement they had taken, I requested it to be changed and made sure they confirmed). It's also worth noting that one of the back belt loops was already coming undone when I picked them up for the first time, and they did not tighten the buttons like I had requested (and again, I had made them confirm they would do this). The owner was rather adamant about my being in the wrong. Apparently they measure differently than everyone else, because he had to stretch the pants and measure from the full crotch seam (instead of under). Even then, he was still a 1/8" shy of 30. I included a picture from another local tailor with the proper measurements. I forgot to mention, the first time I came back with the pants, he measured 29.5", now it is 30??? He looked at me incredulously and asked if I was really making such a big deal over 1/8". He also said that the length looks fine on me. I honestly couldn't believe it, I asked for a specific length and they did not deliver. It's like a barber cutting your hair too short and telling you it still looks good, except pants don't grow back. I had also brought a pair of denim that had been hemmed by a local store that they do a lot of work for. Somehow he measured them identical in inseam length, getting them at 30" despite them being 30.5" (I have the work order to prove it). It seems to me he was manipulating the measurements to hide the mistake. I was not offered any refund, and had to settle for them letting out the pants more (this will result in a crease on my $400 pants). Even if he was not, he was incredibly passive aggressive and borderline disrespectful (angrily folding up both my pants and slamming them on the counter). This seems to be in line with some other reviews I've read. I wish I had seen those before I committed such a large amount of money. 3 separate issues and rude service when I confronted them about it. This is my first ever yelp review, I have never had such a disrespectful and poor experience that I felt the need to leave one. I highly recommend you take your business elsewhere. read more

Advanced European Tailoring - the proper way to measure inseam - Sewing & Alterations Near Me - Berkeley, California

This is the best place for alterations! SUPER knowledgeable and always do amazing work. I have had many items altered here and the work is always amazing. Good prices and great service. I recommend this spot to all my friends. Only drawback is hours are tough for me to drop off and pickup since I work during the times they're open. read more

Such professional service from Zoltan! I am really happy with the end product. They were busy but completed the work within the week time frame given. And since it was a simple job, I was only charged $15. This is my new go-to for tailoring. Highly rec! read more

Advanced European Tailoring - Excellent work fixing a hole in my dress! Good as new! - Sewing & Alterations Near Me - Berkeley, California

This is difficult, because he's skilled, but he's dishonest. So, if you operate on his terms, you'll have a GREAT experience, but if there's a disagreement, he will NOT relent, even when he's wrong. I paid an extra fee for RUSH services on 4/25 to try to get my garment by 4/30, because I was flying out of town the night of that day. He STRESSED for me to give him my phone number so he would be able to let me know when my garment was complete. He NEVER called. Fine. So, the day of the flight, I head to the shop, and find that it is closed for personal reasons. I have to buy a completely new garment now. I call him the VERY next day (while out of town), multiple times, and still, he wouldn't pick up. I left messages. Nothing. And still no call from him. Finally, once I get back from out of town, I visit his shop, and he tells me that he finished the day before his shop was closed. HE NEVER CALLED TO INFORM ME OF THIS. NOR DID HE RETURN ANY OF MY CALLS. Not only that, but he didn't even suggest some form of rebate because of the inconvenience it caused me. (Yes, I understand, his mother died, but YOU ARE RUNNING A BUSINESS WITH OTHER PEOPLE'S MONEY). So, if you have plenty of time on your hands, follow the other reviews, but if you do not AVOID HIM. read more

This is long overdue, as I've been going to Advanced European Tailoring for at least a decade now. But I saw some one-star reviews here and felt the need to defend my guy. I am, like, OCD-level particular about my clothing and how it fits, and Zoltan is the only tailor I've come to trust with alterations. For me, he's done everything from simple hems on jeans to shortening the sleeves on leather jackets to making a custom jacket (basically, I had two jackets and I asked him to "Frankenstein" them together--a pretty tall order!), so I have a wide breadth of experience with his services. I've never been unhappy with his work (always perfection) or the length of time it's taken him to complete something (if it was going to take a while due to the complication of the project, he's always told me that straight-up). Plus, I've found that he's always up on current styles and trends, so there's never any awkward explaining to do when you want your pants "stacked" or you want your shirt to be "cropped, " etc. etc. My only tiny gripe is, now that I don't live a few blocks away from the shop, their limited business hours are a bit challenging. This has led me to occasionally hit up other tailors out of convenience, and I have regretted it each and every time. I've learned my lesson and will only ever take my clothes to Zoltan! read more

beautiful craftsmanship super friendly and sweet owners would love to do business again

I think this is the best tailor in the East Bay! I recommend highly, and plan to go there for my future tailoring needs.

I moved an hour away and I still drive back to Berkeley just for Zoltan's work! Zoltan is a master tailor. He's done alterations for my designer work uniforms for several years now, and everything fits like a glove after he's done. Super nice guy and fair prices too. Highly recommend! read more

Be careful, they took over 1 1/2 month to finish my first jacket. I gave them the benefit of doubt as they come over like nice people at first. My second jacket took over 2 1/2 months. The woman was rude when i got the jacket finally and the man seemed embarressed but also did not say anything and charged me the full price. No idea what's going on with them but better look for another tailor. read more

This guy is a joke. I dropped off a simple alteration and after 2 and a half months he was still giving me some song and dance of why he didn't finish the job. I told him I'll find someone else to do the job and he just about threw my garment at me and got totally hostile. This guy needs a lesson in time management and anger management. read more

Went in to have my pants tailored a couple months ago. They were very quick and helpful since it was my first time there! I came a few days later to try them on, and they fit very well! I just wish they were open on weekends :( read more

Been going here for about a decade. Always impressed with the quality of craftsmanship and the pride they take in their work.

Very talented people here who are detail-oriented and comfortable with high quality fabrics. I used to work at a very high end clothing store in Larkspur, and if any of the fabrics were damaged in shipping, we would always take them here (at the old Oxford location, but same folks). Turn around is pretty quick. Ive always told them to take their time which ends up being 1-1.5 week before pickup. Everything I've brought to Advanced European Tailoring is done well, and they are honest about whether or not something is worth repair, which I really appreciate. I will say that parking is a little tricky/limited, so if you're in a time crunch, plan ahead. For reference, these are the things I've had tailored/repaired: -bridesmaid dresses -vintage denim -antique tribal vest -dress pants -suede midi skirt -vintage sequined vest read more

I did a walk-in to see if they could advise me on whether or not it was worth repairing my leather jacket. Let's just say: above and beyond. I not only got sage advice, but a rich lesson in what to look for in a replacement. SUPER-nice!! read more

I've been going to Zoltan for alterations for three years now. He's adjusted the sleeve length of jackets, hemmed pants, adjusted the waist of pants, fixed broken zippers, and patched up holes in clothes for me. I've gotten more than a dozen alterations done here and every experience has been perfect so far. PARKING: Street parking only, but I usually park at Berkeley Bowl right across the street. SPEED: He's always done within a week. SERVICE: Zoltan is always friendly, kind, and realistic about the kind of alterations he can do. If the garment can't be altered (or if it's a risky alteration), he's always honest and has also recommended other places that can do the service. He's also easy to reach and communicate with. VALUE: The price is reasonable and fair, especially for the area and the quality of service. I've had nothing but amazing service by Zoltan and he's helped me create some of my favorite garments to wear now. I've always felt that he treated my clothing with care, and he's all-around super pleasant to work with. I'd recommend him to anyone! read more

Zoltan and his team are incredible. I bought a suit second-hand from a designer that makes exceptionally unique, complicated, and well-made suits -- Abasi Rosborough. The pants were probably 2 sizes too large, and the jacket needed to be taken in as well. Both are constructed with very atypical, ergonomic paneling, and the jacket has proper horsehair canvassing -- so NOT an easy job. I figured it was a long-shot and told Zoltan it was okay if he ultimately decided he couldn't do it. Instead, he seemed to totally light up by the challenge. As he fitted me, he kept talking about how interesting the suit was and how much he looked forward to taking it apart and reworking it. When I tried the suit on after picking it up, I was blown away: it fits perfectly. My girlfriend was totally flabbergasted -- turns out she'd assumed I would just have to get rid of the suit, and couldn't believe how good I looked. Thank you for the incredible work and my new favorite suit, Zoltan! read more

Advanced European Tailoring - Abasi Rosborough suit - Sewing & Alterations Near Me - Berkeley, California

See all

I brought my thick real leather jacket in for an alteration, reading horror stories from other places where the leather is destroyed from people working on it that don't know the proper technique, and was reversed in my anxiety and fear, lol! My jacket turned out immaculate, fit me perfectly and I couldn't tell that it had been tailored even (no visible signs of it), other than that it now fit me the way I wanted it to. Zoltan is a master at his craft! He has earned my trust :) read more

I brought many pieces of clothes to have them altered and I was always very happy with the results. Service was always completed on time. Highly recommended!! read more

They are the best at what they do. Thank you Zoltan. Thay altered a few leather jackets for me. I was very happy with their work. Keep up the good work read more

I took a pair of jeans here that I needed to have the waist taken in on. They turned out perfectly and the turn around time was great. I would recommend. read more

Zoltan saved my favorite cashmere sweater! He is also an excellent and well-trained tailor.

This is a family run business that I have been devoted to come for all my clothing alterations for over 20 years. Someone referred me to them, initially. Also, it turns out I have acquaintances that also come here. They have stayed true to the quality of work and the kindness to their customers. This the reason for my devotion. read more

Top notch, meticulous, resourceful, and friendly. I'm so happy with this business. Thank you!! read more

When I saw that someone had read my review for Advanced European Tailoring today I was very curious, because they had closed many years ago in Trumpetvine Court and I hadn't realized they had just moved. Reading the recent reviews I see that they are now located on Adeline and are still doing the amazing work they did for me in 2007. I don't know when my next need for alterations will be, but I do know where I'm going when I need a piece of clothing altered. read more

Fantastic quality and service. Zoltan told me just where to find a unique piece of hardware for my overalls and fixed them very quickly. Highly recommend! read more

When I tried the jeans on, the length was longer on the inner leg than the outer leg. Now I have to go somewhere else to get them fixed. What a nightmare this place is. read more

Advanced European Tailoring did such a great job on my leather jacket. Service was top notch, communicated throughout the process. Very nice owner. I'm very very pleased with the work and will be going back in the future. Thanks again. Timothy read more

Great work and care for my leather jacket and accommodated my need to add some extra snaps to my jacket.

I think of Zoltan as "our community tailor." But in truth that's underselling his skill. Shirts, pants, suits, a down winter coat (!) and even the occasional lost button: he handles everything with grace, and the results are plainly, obviously awesome. I won't go to another tailor until he moves or retires. -- UPDATE August 2019 Zoltan has moved -- note his NEW ADDRESS: 2808 Adeline #4. read more

I come here when I need pants hemmed, and they do a great job. They know exactly what length would look good and then make it happen.

I've been to AET several times over the years for tailoring jobs big and small. The work quality is always excellent, and Zoltan is a pleasure to work with. read more

I brought in a skirt to be copied, along with the measurements. The tailor kept saying he would make the waist smaller, which I objected to each time. Turns out I was correct, and the waist does not fit properly. Maybe in several years time, the elastic will be stretched out enough to be comfortable. I took the next job to another tailor, who charged exactly one-half the price, did work of the same quality or better, and the waist fits perfectly. Double the money, lower to quality! I won't go back. read more

The only guy I trust!! Because the ratio of my waist vs. my butt vs. my hips is so different, nearly no jeans/pants fit me properly. I've brought two pairs of jeans here to get them tightened to my waist. Almost all of my outfits are VINTAGE and RARE, which I treasure and love. The tailor (sorry, I forget his name!! :((he's Bulgarian and the main guy!) does such a fantastic job tailoring my pants that I'm not sure where he takes the extra fabric from because it looks so seamless and neat. I brought my beloved vintage pair of dark green Levis that I hadn't worn in years because they didn't fit my waist any more; I was apprehensive at first because I didn't believe someone could reconstruct such strong duty fabric to make it smaller, but he did an incredible job!! strongly suggest. read more

This tailor is amazing. Extremely professional. A fair price. But more than this, this tailor really does an amazing job. He is a true artist at his craft an excellent workmanship. read more

Great & friendly tailor with excellent attention to detail. Will definitely be returning for all my tailoring needs!

They are wonderful! Dedicated and honest in what they can and cannot do. Have gone foe a number of tailoring needs and they clearly k ow what they are doing. read more

Zoltan is patient, kind, expert, and memorable. Everyone I know who loves AET has a great Zoltan story. It's because he cares and delivers. Plus, he remembers everything I've told him about my life and follows up with me whenever I return. He's even fixed all the botched tailor jobs I got from others in the area before I found him! Don't call, just go. You'll be overjoyed with the results. read more

I can't BELIEVE I haven't writen about Adanced European Tailoring sooner!! Sadness :-( Nonetheless, I too will add my opinion to my fellow yelpers that this place is fantastic. For my 7 years in Berkeley during school and beyond before crash landing in SF, I took everything that needed any sort of outside care to them. My stylish jeans always turned out great and my coats and cashmere were well cared for. Zoli and Pugi are very attentive, patient, remember your name if you're as much of a mess as I am, and always always had everything hemmed perfect if not better. After a run with too short hems at other places, I finally found a place that knew what I meant when I said, "not too short, but not too long...just so I don't step on them, but they need to look good in 4 inch heels". Any other tailor's head would have spun off of its axis, but they simply smile and pin away without a care in the world. They also do leather work for cheap which is nice. (My new ridiculous purse needs some TLC as I managed to thrash it in the first week I had it. Dummy I am!) I take my stuff to them even though I am in SF, if that tells you how much I adore them!! read more

You will not find a better tailor anywhere other than right here! Best hand's down. I am amazed and in awe at how exceptional these tailors are. I wholeheartedly recommend this business. read more