Quality takes time, and Al's is the best quality tailoring you will find anywhere. I have brought Al 4 suits I bought new and skipped whoever the store had to do the tailoring, and he was able to fix a terrible tailoring job done by a major suit store. He also did an amazing job removing the pleats from a pair of suit pants I had on a suit for a wedding but all the groomsmen were doing flat front pants, not pleated so I had to get it done to match them all. Got the suit to him 4 weeks before the wedding and picked it up a week ahead of time. I would never go anywhere else. read more

Solid work, and Al's a comedian! One thing: call ahead to make sure he's there. He takes breaks!

Excellent work shortening multiple pairs of pants, suit, and sport coats. Old world tailoring by a nice fellow! Family run business.

Good service, even if a bit disorganized. Al and his wife are terrific. We've used Al for many years to hem pants, adjust pant waists, etc... He does a very nice job. read more

Al is a professional, kind, quick, and a very good tailor! He has hemmed many suits and pants for me. His wife also did a wonderful job on a long gown for me. I am grateful to have Al's in my neighborhood! read more

Al is about as traditional as they come, and I couldn't ask for a better tailor. He is polite and friendly, and his work is thorough. He listens to what you want, and makes suggestions about style, shape, sizing, etc. He has worked on many of my suits over the years, and, whether the alterations were simple or complicated, I have never been disappointed. Obviously turn-around times vary, but for most things I have dropped off, it has usually take about a week or two. Having a good tailor is as important as having a good mechanic, and I can't recommend Al enough. read more

Al's the absolute best, I wouldn't trust anyone else. He did my husband's suit for our wedding and he looked fantastic, and he does a great job with women's suits as well. So lucky that we have him in our neighborhood! read more

Al's Tailoring - Suit - Sewing & Alterations Near Me - Newton, Massachusetts

Huge ripoff, took my business elsewhere. As soon as they learned that the alterations would be for a wedding, I could tell they were going to drive up the price. I'm glad I heeded some of the other reviews about this. $150 to simply shorten a non-pleated bridesmaid dress by 1-2 inches is absurd and unreasonable. For reference, a tailor in NYC charged $110 to shorten a similar dress AND make adjustments to the top half of the dress, and this place wanted more for a simple hemming "because there are two layers" they claimed. You can get this done elsewhere for less than half that price. read more

Al was super nice/professional! I brought in a sofa cushion with a broken zipper and Al was able to fix it up in no time for a very fair price read more

Would not go back. Would not recommend to anyone. Brought in my pants Monday, told them I needed pants hemmed by Friday. Charged me $30 a pair for a single layer pant hem, absolutely ripped me off. Showed up Friday to pick up pants, pants were not even started. No apology. They told me to come back in an hour, I gave them three hours. Came back and pants STILL were not done, had to wait for them to remove stitching, iron, and package the pants. Still no apology for the inconvenience. $60, cash only by the way which shows you the type of people they are, I paid for pants that were not finished on time and craftsmanship was subpar. Unreliable, owners seem to not care about customer service (unless it's people they are friends and family with). People on yelp call this "old school", but its just bad, shady, sad business for somewhere in Newton in 2023. read more

Al's Tailoring is exceptional. Efficient and excellent service. They are reopen after the Covid shut down and ready to take care of any tailoring needs! Highly recommend. read more

Slow, overpriced, ruse, lied to my face... I brought a bridesmaid dress here for a very simple hem (two layers of fabric) and strap shortening. She asked if it was for a wedding and i said yes which I immediately regretted. She quoted me $100 which seemed outrageous but I haven't had a dress tailored in this area so I let it go. It took well over a month before I heard back from them, with just two weeks until the wedding (which they knew as they had asked the date and when I needed it by). They called on a Saturday with two weeks until the wedding saying I needed to come get the dress this week because they were going away. Fairly annoying as I was away that weekend and they close at six during the week, making it really hard to get there on a week day if you work a regular 9-6 job. I already had plans every night that week, cancelled plans to get there by 530 and they had gone home early. Left work during my lunch break the next day to get the dress. They were snippy about having called me a full week ago and when I pointed out that they had given very little noticed she lied and told me she had called multiple times. I said didn't have their numbers saved so I wouldn't know that because they didn't leave a message, and she snippily told me she had. At this point I was pretty pissed. Fine you forgot to call, but don't lie to my face. I went home and went through my call log, voice mails, and all my deleted messages. They had called me one time, just like I said. Having asked around and realized that $100 was in fact pretty bad price for two hems and strap shortening, I asked how the prices broke down (ie $30 older hem per fabric layer or whatever). She acted extremely insulted and told me the price was "for the whole dress" which makes no sense, so I asked her again how much specifically was the hem vs the straps (thinking maybe she misunderstood me) and she snapped that I had agreed to the price when I came in. Ok, I'm not trying to short you, I'm asking a simple question. I went to hand her my credit card and again got snapped at that "we told you when you came in we don't take cards." That's fine, but there's literally no reason to snap at a paying customer. Believe it or not, you are not at the center of my life and I didn't memorize the conversation we had over six weeks ago. On top of all this, while the dress looks fine, it's not the quality you'd expect for this price. The hem looks totally fine from the outside, but the inside of the hem is raw. Usually at this price point they'd see the edge of the fabric then sew the actual hem so it looks very clean on the inside. It was also wrinkled and I had to request they steam it for me which took even more of my lunch break and you'd think would have been done already. Would not go back here. read more

Over-priced tailoring that returns your garments damaged and leaves you with awful customer service. In the past year, I've gotten nearly a dozen dresses altered at Al's and have paid close to $1000 at this point. Most of my experiences have been fine: quick, quality work. They're over-priced, but I've been happy to support a small family owned business, especially during Covid. However after my last experience, I will not be going back and would never recommend them again. I bought a new dress that needed to be hemmed about 1in for a wedding and brought it to Al's. After they pinned and marked it, they quoted me $100 for the job, which is way overpriced to begin with. Once they returned the dress back to me, I noticed a clear staple puncture with a resulting pull down the right front chest. It's very apparent and the brand new dress, while now the right length, is very noticeably damaged. Something I now can neither wear nor return. When I brought it back to Al's for a refund, I was affronted by both owners, both denying they could have caused the damage. They were dismissive and rude, and first accused me of damaging it myself and then denied they attached a tag to the garment directly, which I watched Al remove when I picked it up. Their defense proceeded to become contradictory, saying things like "we would've noticed the damage on the dress" yet "the damage is barely noticeable, you can still wear it", as well as pointing to a sign on the wall saying "we aren't responsible for manufacturing damage" while again arguing they would've noticed if it was damaged when I brought it in to begin with, implying I damaged it when I brought it home and therefore it's not a manufacturing defect. They refused to refund my $100 and instead gave me $10, which simultaneously implies that they acknowledge it's not a manufacturing defect but aren't willing to pay for the damages. They told me trust goes both ways and they don't trust I'm not scamming them, while acknowledging that I've been a very loyal customer this past year and we've never had an issue. They called me a liar and told me I was overreacting when I said I wouldn't be back. Mistakes happen, and while it's obviously damaged from the way they attached the tailoring tag to my garment, I still would have gone back had they treated me with respect. The $90 they saved by not refunding my money cost them a loyal custom who pays $1000 on tailoring a year. For a service industry, their customer service is nonexistent. I will not be going back and truly do not recommend them. read more

Al's delivers great work in a timely fashion. I know about this place because my mom has been coming here for a while. Recently I had a blazer altered here and they did such an amazing job. I'm petite, and after he was done it was really flattering and you couldn't tell he had shortened the sleeves. Plus the prices can't be beat! I don't think I'll be going anywhere else. Side story: Al and my mom chat about how weird America is, which is kind of adorable. They were talking about how everyone works late, and then goes home to microwave their dinner and eat in front of the TV. (In Italy and Taiwan you go to the market every day and then relax outside in the evening). read more

at first i thought to myself this guy was the right guy for a hem, 10 bucks, old school Italian like gepetto and he even had what i thought was his mom chained up in the back doing alterations, however, now that i am sitting here with the draft hitting my ankles i have realized he hemmed my pants to short!!!!! come to think of it, i think hes done this with several pairs! dammit! what was even worse is that it took him 3 weeks to to a hem, unworthy of any yelp recommendations. that is all. read more

Been here twice and both times Al (and his sister that works with him) were exceptionally speedy, fair and kind. A pants hem was done in just a few hours and they added buttons to my suit pants for suspenders by the next morning. HIGHLY recommend ! read more

Fast and affordable! Got my boyfriend's suit tailored here in one day--he did a wonderful job!

Great quality! Great price! Hometown feel. The ladies at Al's were wonderful. I brought in a Lilly Pulitzer maxi dress I absolutely adore! (Of which I paid way to much for but couldn't live without) but the dress was almost 8-10 inches too long. I was worried about hemming it for fear that it would then be too short to wear wth heels and too long to wear with sandals but the ladies were amazing. I brought in an average pair of heels and she hemmed to the middle of the heel and then added an inch for length to be safe. The dress came out perfect! I can wear with sandals, flip-flops, or 2-3" heels. Can't give enough praise. Will be a return customer! read more

Al has been a tailor for many years and I rely on him to understand the cut of clothing and how to hem. I have had the opposite experience than the previous reviewer - he looks at the hem and gets it right where it belongs - one does have to pay attention to the shoes being worn to get it right. Also, the lady in the back helping with the tailoring has been there for a while and does skilled work. Turn around time is usually a week. read more

Al is a great tailor. He's an expert in suits. Him and Linna do a fantastic job at everything from a hem on jeans to a formal gown. They are happy to try again if anything is not 100% how you wanted it. read more

I honestly didn't think that he would understand what I wanted-- the suit I brought in was way too big for me and I wanted to see if it was possible to bring it in. To my surprise a week later I came back and it fits me like a glove. Fantastic workmanship and great service! read more

Al and his wife are just the nicest people. I was fed up with my previous tailor due to the low quality of work, and selected Al's based on other's Yelp reviews. I'm so glad that I found this place! Al takes the time to understand what you need done to your items. I brought him a lace dress that I needed hemmed and after trying it on, he informed me that he would probably not be able to keep the scalloped hem at the bottom due to the intricate lace of the dress. I said that was fine. I returned to pick up my dress a few days later and lo and behold, Al had found a way to keep the scalloped hem and still shorten the dress! He does excellent quality work, and the prices and turn around time are reasonable. I will be taking all my tailoring needs here from now on. read more

Al did an amazing job on my suit and a pair of pants. He is a kind and gentle person who takes the time to do it right. He is honest and accountable, and offered me a guarantee that if I'm unsatisfied in the future he will make alterations for free. I know I will be coming back. read more

I have been to Al's three times over the last 6 months and Al has disappointed me each time. The first time I brought jeans in to be hemmed. Easy enough, right? I was a little surprised he needed a week to do it, but it was no big deal. I picked the jeans up a week later, went home to put them on and was shocked that I couldn't even get my foot through the cuff opening. I brought them back the next day and learned that somehow Al assumed I wanted the legs tapered. Al took my perfectly good straight leg jeans and turned them into hipster skinny jeans. He needed another week to fix them and was apologetic about the mistake, so I figured it was a fluke. Strike one. My second visit I brought him a suit I needed for an event 6 days away. I told him I needed it in 6 days. Six days. No problem at all, he said. Plenty of time. Six days later, I left work early to get the suit before he closed. After shuffling around in the back for a while, he came out to tell me the suit wasn't finished. In fact, he hadn't even started working it. He told me to come back in a few days, but I reminded him that I needed the suit for early the next morning. He asked me to come pick it up very early the next morning and I agreed. He called me about 20 minutes later as I was walking through my front door to tell me the suit was done and I had to come pick it up now because he wanted to go home. He apologized profusely and charged me full price. Strike two. Most recently, I brought Al a suit, a tuxedo, and a pair of jeans. Again, he was about to close by the time I got there to pick up, so I took the items and went home to try them on. It didn't take long to notice that the pant legs on the suit and tux were uneven. One leg was almost an inch shorter than the other and not hemmed in a straight line. The other pair of pants wasn't as bad but had the same issues. I am not in the business, but it is reasonable to assume this is a tailor's bread and butter. It doesn't get much more straightforward than a no-cuff hem. I called and left a message that I needed to bring the suits back. How could I let this happen again? I paid him $100 to mess up the hem job on a $1,500 suit and an $800 tuxedo. His hours are hard to make during the week (and he seems to close down early some days), his shop is cash only, and out of 5 items I brought him only 1 was done correctly the first time. Strike three. The more I thought about this, the more I realized I needed a new tailor. Sorry Al, I will not be returning and can't recommend your services. On the plus side, Al and his wife are very nice and Al used to be a tailor for Burberry. read more

I finally contacted Al the tailor today (6/20/2013), after his shop being closed for two days, and he informed me that my suit's minor alterations (cuffs and hem of the pants) is not done. I told him that he assured me that it would be done, at the latest, by the 19th. Given that his tailoring shop was closed, I was surprised that today the 20th my suit's alterations are not done yet, as I gave him my suit over 3 weeks ago... I told him that I need it today, as I'm leaving town tomorrow morning. He promised to have it ready by 3 PM. I hope that he doesn't do a substandard job... Definitely, not worth $50...cash by the way because he doesn't take credit cards... read more

Every man needs a great tailor - Al's mine. Classic, no-fuss, get it done right the first time. I've tried a number of tailors over the years, and he's up there with all of them - and, has great prices. Extra points for keeping a box of candy under the counter for my kids (so, they look forward to dad's visits to get his suits, err, "let out just a little"). I won't be going anywhere else, ever, unless I move out of state. read more

The reviews are right. Al, if you're reading this, you're simply wonderful. Likes of your kind are rare, and i wish you good health, long life, great tailoring and many laughs. Keep doing the great work. read more

Are you swimming in your new blazer? Wish you looked slim in that blazer? Maybe you're not sure it's too big or too small. When Al is done tailoring you will look like a model. Whether its a new or old garment he will make you look your best! I'm a big fan of Al's work. You can not beat his prices. Al provides suggests how much to cut or take in, yet he is open to feedback. If the hem is too short or not short enough Al will correct it until its right. Get ready for an old school Italian tailoring experience! read more

I just picked up my sweaters yesterday that needed new zippers and when I'd tried on my sweater which is about 20 years old (old school baby), Al had not only gave me a new zipper but he patched up my little holes I had on the sweater. He also cleaned my sweaters for me. Extra services that were included in the price. What not to love? He also had hemmed my jeans for $10 each and it came out perfect. Why do some people complain about the long waiting period? Your stuff is not the only one in there. read more

The service was so impressive that I felt compelled to write my first ever yelp review. I'm a busy medical student who ended up with a large torn back seam on my white coat which I need every day. I called Al who offered to stitch it up same-day. When I arrived he immediately went to work and spent ~10 minutes making the repair. I can hardly see where the tear had been. To top it all off, Al insisted that the service was free of charge. I've learned that you need to appreciate the little things when practicing medicine and people like Al are the ones who keep me going when things get tough. Needless to say, I know where I'll be going for any future tailoring needs. Thanks Al! read more

What a nice guy and an excellent tailor. Reasonable prices too. When you find a place like this you don't go anywhere else. Al will be my tailor until I die or move out of state. read more

Overpriced. They charged me $30 to hem the pants on a jumpsuit. He claimed that it was a "suit" and charged me the price for a suit alteration, even though the only work I had done was hemming of the pants. And it took 10 days. Won't go back here. read more

Very disappointed - $30/shirt with no arm adjustment only body and left the shirts long even though I told him to bring them up a 1/2"

Al did a fabulous job tailoring my husbands tux for our wedding. We waited until the last minute and he was able to quickly turn the tux around and his prices were reasonable. He was kind and efficient and my husbands tux looked amazing! Thank you! read more

Why would you take your ill fitting pants anywhere else besides an old school Italian tailor and his wife who've been doing this stuff since WWII? Plus, Al's prices are good and he's quick. Love. read more

Al was recommended to me by my aunt and uncle, they love his work! My son was given a tux that was too big and Al was hesitant because it was really a well made suit, he didn't want to ruin it but he worked wonders! The tux was perfect! I also brought In My daughter's dress and need it by Thanksgiving which is next week and they promise it would be done before that! Al and his wife were very kind, I would never be hesitant about bring anything to them! read more

Al is a delight and does quality work. Very happy with having a suit tailored recently.

Me, my wife, mother, realtivves, friends and work associates all go to Al's Tailoring on Watertown Street in Newton, MA. We have been going there for 20+ yearss. It is like visiting a family home. Al's sisters work in the back as seamstresses and they all do a "phenomenol" job. I cannot recommend him enough. The work is pretty much always done as requested. If it is not exactly perfect, they will redo it to your liking for no additional charge. My only concern is that if I continue to recommend him, they will get swamped with too much business. Nice poroblem, huh? I have noticed that people are "coming & going" more and more like going thru a turnstyle every single time I go in to drop off or pick up items. I hope Al and his sisters contine to enjoy good health for another 30+ years. I really don't know where I would take all my stuff to be tailored if they were no longer around. Bravo to Al Cuppola & family! read more

This is only my second YELP review ever. But I have to say something, because I absolutely ADORE Al and Al's Tailoring. I'm a woman, and I was nervous about bringing any tailor I didn't know a men's suit. But Al didn't bat an eye. He was kind, and friendly, and knew exactly what he was doing. And, not only that, but he was quick! He had an entire suit altered for me in 4 days! His prices are amazing (he charged me $50 for the entire thing... I've paid nearly 4x that for a tailor in Boston). I've since taken 2 other suits to him, with great results and great turnaround. I couldn't be happier with Al, and I will continue to take all of my stuff to him indefinitely! read more

Al is such a nice guy, and a great tailor. He does a great job repairing my work pants that I have owned for over a decade, making sure they are still in great shape (they're Banana Republic, really beautiful, and comfortable, so why buy new ones?) He also repaired a diaper bag that my son ripped off the zipper from. I would highly recommend Al for all of your tailoring needs. He is an expert tailor, reasonably priced, and conveniently located in downtown Nonantum. read more