Sylvia is a top notch seamstress. I went in to get a formal dress hemmed, and she noticed an area that was a little too big on me, altered it a bit, and now the dress is perfect. She is very talented. read more

First of all, she is terribly rude and inflexible about when you can go to her dark and creepy apartment. Then, she demanded upfront payment of over $500. I can see why she wants to be paid upfront, because she ruined my dress. STAY AWAY read more

Concerning. Scary, tbh. Read carefully through the many posted YELP reviews; there's a nefarious pattern. If you're lucky, you might have a positive experience with Sylvia, who appears to be a talented seamstress. Someone who is adept at psych and/or ethical business practices is likely to see why all potential customers need to proceed with extreme caution. YELP asked me to rate and discuss my experience (I did not volunteer, nor take the initiative). Having decades of experience in customer service, I treated owner Sylvia in a kind, courteous, professional manner. However, the lengthy responses I received from her in return contained multiple alarming "red flags." Unwise to ignore red flags. The upside is I not only dodged a potentially irreparable wedding gown tragedy, but I saved an estimated $800 (a 90% discount) because I "ran" so far, to an adept humble trusted tailor, a 30-minute drive from Marin, where affluent victims are much harder to come by . . . Virtually impossible to put a price on the feeling of being victimized, abused, or treated unfairly. Wiser to try to live without regret by making wiser choices to start with. read more

I am finally writing this review after my wedding.. I had a terrible experience getting my wedding dress altered by Sylvia. The store I purchased my dress at recommended this tailor, and she had great reviews, so when she said it would cost THOUSANDS of dollars to alter my dress, I figured she was the best in the business and would make my dress perfect. Unfortunately, this was not the case, and I left almost every fitting in tears. I am very small chested, and needed the top taken in (the dress was strapless and there was gapping literally showing my lady parts). She said this was not possible due to the piping of the dress, unless I wanted to pay another couple thousands of dollars. She said it's "couture" and said she could only sew in some little pads. She also claimed there was no way to bustle the dress. My dress was beautiful with a VERY long train, but since it apparently was not an option to bustle it, she suggested I don't even wear it to cocktail hour, reception, etc since it'll be hard to walk in.. and let me say my dress was expensive and I was 100% planning to wear it to cocktail hour and part of the reception before changing into my party dress for dancing. She finally agreed to add a fingerlet for me to hold it up, and made me overpay even more money for this small addition. We agreed that she would hem the dress. This would cost around $3k.. she said due to the inner material being "SO" difficult to tailor lol. I went in for my third fitting and the dress was too long, I was literally tripping over the front and I walked in my heels. She then proceeded to tell me how I don't know how to walk in a gown and I need to kick the front out as I walk. And if I wanted her to hem it any more, I would have to pay MORE money. At this point, about a month before my wedding day, I decided to take my dress home and be done with this relationship. I drove home in tears, not knowing what to do since I had already paid her so much money to alter my dress.. but I knew I would not be comfortable wearing it on my wedding day with the top gapping, falling down, and tripping over the front of the dress. Luckily, I found a DIFFERENT incredible tailor in SF who was able to hem the front of the dress as needed AND he even was able to take in the top - he also reinforced the back buttons so I could bustle it after the ceremony. This cost a total of around $1k (reminder: Sylvia charged me $3k for not even hemming the dress enough). I picked up my dress 6 days before my wedding, and am so grateful I took it to a different tailor. If anyone asked me what the worst, most stressful part of wedding planning was, I would immediately say working with Sylvia for my dress alterations. She was constantly negative, complaining about all her issues and how heavy my dress was, and never once asked me any details about my upcoming wedding. She said how any other place will charge just as much if not more, convincing me that $3k to hem my dress was a "deal", and that I would need to make a decision ASAP if I wanted to work with her. She also made me pay around $150 for the initial consolation, which made me feel more pressured to work with her. Altering your wedding dress should be such an exciting experience, and I truly dreaded each fitting I had with Sylvia.. I felt pressured from the start working with her.. TO ANY FUTURE BRIDES: listen to your gut, and PLEASE get more than one consultation!!! read more

Sylvia is an absolute LEGEND! Sylvia has such incredible knowledge of fashion and the construction of how real garments are supposed to be made. I brought in my wedding dress, a beautiful yet difficult dress to re-construct and with her guidance, the dress turned out better than I could ever imagine. Her eye for detail, her expertise with fabric, understanding of women's bodies and the way the dress is supposed to look, not what "we" think it should look like... is outstanding!!!!! Its hard to have blind faith in someone, especially when it is such a special occasion, but I would never consider anyone else for the task. Sylvia's manner of a fact attitude toward the assignment matched with her caring and warm personality made for the most wonderful and memorable experience. If you have a wedding dress and aim to be the epitome of perfection, working with Sylvia is your only choice. Get on the waitlist, make the time, work through your vision and you will be met with tears of joy the way I did. read more

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Warning: Ignore the 5 star reviews and pay attention to the left-crying, combative, rude energy, ripped off , creepy apartment reviews. I ditto their story and feel like the wedding dress I just demanded back from her unfinished needs an exorcism. Please don't let her get her negativity on you and your dress before your wedding. She will probably be nice to you after she takes deep sighs and tells you how it's your fault, you bought the wrong dress like all the brides these days, it's too heavy, it's going to break her sewing machine, she has to charge double, and a multitude of it's your fault comments. I can't believe I paid $765 (plus a hefty $125 PREPAID consult fee) to have a simple layer shortened and then be told that I have to live with the way the dress looks. I've taken it somewhere else and they happily have told me it will be beautiful when they're done. I called her later that first day and said I was feeling kind of upset , and I said I wanted to come back and revisit it - there was going to be another consult fee. Isn't that part of what we pay for when you hire an Alterations person- Their time and advice? Seems she's only nice to you after she makes you feel bad, that's the only reason I can imagine for the positive reviews. PS my dress smelled like weird perfume when I picked it up (?!) so if you have an allergy to perfume you may want to let her know that! Ick. PPS she charges tax on her Service (which I questioned) , but you're not allowed to write Alterations in the Venmo comment. Kind of suspect. read more

I needed a rush job for my uniform jacket and sleeves. Sylvia was able to finish my alterations in a short period of time, and did an incredible job - looks great. read more

I cannot say enough amazing things about Sylvia at Alterations Avenue! My wedding dress looks absolutely incredible thanks to her work. I had a very intricate, all-lace gown that needed difficult adjustments, and she was extremely detailed in finding the best solutions to make it fit perfectly. Sylvia took the time to really study the dress and explain what was possible, and every suggestion she made was thoughtful and precise. We communicated back and forth throughout the process, and she was always responsive and reassuring. I could truly tell she cared about making my dress perfect for my big day. Even with the challenges of lace, she went above and beyond to make sure every detail was flawless. The end result was beyond my expectations--it fit like a dream and made me feel so confident and beautiful. She truly made all my wedding dress dreams come true! If you are looking for someone who is talented, professional, and passionate about what they do, I cannot recommend Sylvia enough. :) read more

I brought in a pair of pants that needed hemming last minute, and Sylvia still managed to fit me in and do an amazing job. The hem is clean, even, and looks like it was done by the brand itself. Super friendly, professional, and way faster than I expected. Can't thank her enough for saving my outfit in a pinch -- 10/10 would recommend and will definitely be back! read more

I came to Sylvia on a short timeline with a request to hem my (quite expensive) wedding dress. It may seem simple but the bottom of the dress had at least 7 separate panels of tulle with many, many delicate layers. Sylvia took on the challenge and had the dress ready within a week! The hem looked ten times better than it came from the designer. She kept the shape of the design as intended but made the length wearable. Sylvia even came up with a way to store the dress so it was ready to travel for a destination wedding. I didn't even have to steam the dress on arrival! I highly recommend Sylvia for anyone in the North Bay or San Francisco. On top of all of being an expert, Sylvia is a truly lovely person and joy to work with! She is deserving of your trust! read more

Alterations Avenue - Sewing & Alterations Near Me - Larkspur, California

Best tailor around. She's so good at what she does and very friendly. Highly recommend

Sylvia agreed to a last minute alteration for a wedding I am attending and delivered the tailoring ahead of schedule and my suit sits perfectly. You can tell she is a pro the moment you meet her. read more

Sylvia is a true skilled professional. She does extremely fine work and will let you know based on her years of experience and training what will work and won't work. She has a strong personality and reminded me of the Incredibles movie character Edna Mode! I got many compliments on the dress at my event-it fit beautifully and the fabric floated above the floor, hemmed perfectly. Thanks Sylvia-I will definitely be returning for your services! read more

Alterations Avenue - Sewing & Alterations Near Me - Larkspur, California

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Unbelievably professional and timely. And she did a perfect job. A true professional. Honest, timely, and a good price. Thank you Syliva. read more

Never got to use her services because when I called to talk to her about the service she laughed & scoffed at me on the phone. I let her know that it was last minute and that my timeline was a little over a week just to take a little off the bottom of my bridesmaid dress. It wasn't a set service but simply to inquire if she could do it and if she couldn't that would be fine. But to laugh at a potential customer on the phone in front of another client is completely unprofessional. So glad I went with someone else! read more

I found Sylvia through Yelp to alter a formal dress I'm wearing to a wedding in April. As others have mentioned, she does have a strong personality, and you pay a premium for her service. However, I felt like I could trust her with my dress and agreed with her recommendations. The work was done quickly, and I am very happy with the quality of her work. The dress fits perfectly. read more

Unfortunately I felt quite uncomfortable in my consultation. She is abrasive, pushy, and made comments about my body that made me feel awful. I'm sure she can do great work, but I wouldn't return. read more

Sylvia was extremely helpful and responsive in helping me learn more about possibly bringing the waist in for a couple pairs of jeans. While I ultimately decided against doing it, she was very accommodating with scheduling and guidance. read more

Thanks to Sylvia, my wedding dress fit perfectly. It was a complicated alteration that she handled seamlessly. I continue to get compliments about the dress, which was 2 sizes too big when I arrived at Sylvia's. Sylvia was easy to work with and finished the dress in plenty of time for my wedding. read more

Whether you need the best in high-end alterations, custom dressmaking or everyday changes done right, this is the place to come. Sylvia has the old-world skills and taste you just don't find everywhere any more. I had a special occasion dress with a satin skirt and silk top. I loved the dress, but the top just didn't fit me correctly and I was ready to sadly return it. Sylvia brilliantly separated and finished the skirt, pulled a beautiful handmade blouse off her rack, and voilà - a true couture creation! Highly recommended. read more

I have received fantastic, personal service with altering men's jeans and a full suit here. She works hard and has the experience to explain her process and how she can help you look your best. I would highly recommend her to anyone! read more

Sylvia is simply incredible. I had a rush order on getting my wedding dress fitted and she came through in a major way. Her communication was great, she was friendly and reassuring and so helpful. All that aside, Sylvia has an incredible eye for fashion and design and she is candid about what works and what doesn't and can make anything look great, small alterations or even major ones like a wedding dress. Only good things to say about Sylvia! read more

Sylvia hemmed my wedding dress and did a masterful job! I got the dress at a sample sale store and it was about 2-3 sizes too big (see first picture). She took it in and was able to maintain the design even with the tricky floral lace near the zipper on back. She was very communicative throughout the process and provided advice, but didn't push when I expressed my preference. Wedding dress alterations are not cheap, but Sylvia did a fantastic job and I would go back to her again! read more

Alterations Avenue - Sylvia's beautiful work - she took in the sides, shortened the train and the straps and added a bustle. - Sewing & Alterations Near Me - Larkspur, California

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Sylvia is absolutely incredible! She is certainly talented and made my wedding dress an absolute dream! I am beyond grateful for her skills- of course! But I'm beyond grateful for her dedication to her craft and for her kindness. She is an incredible being who shared her energy and time with me when I needed my wedding dress to be what I imagined it to be. I am so thankful! I highly recommend Sylvia for any and all alterations needed. She truly cares and I appreciate her immensely. read more

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I needed last-minute alterations on a purchased tuxedo just days before getting married after my rental fell through. Sylvia made the time to help, doing the work the same day I found her and the tux looked amazing. Her candid and professional demeanor was refreshing and welcome. Simple alterations? Wedding dress or tux changes? Sylvia has it covered. I'm grateful to her for choosing to help a groom in a tough spot. Acts of kindness and grace like this that produce such relief and thanks are rare. read more

Sylvia did an amazing job on my wedding dress. As you can see in the photo, it was a fairly simple dress where fabric and construction were everything and her flawless work made the dress shine. All that needed altering were the straps and train and she made sure that both were done beautifully and quickly; my dress was completed in a less than 2 weeks. She made a french bustle for me (with the understanding that it was more beautiful and would require a bit more work) She also pressed my dress and veil with prices that were in-line with local dry cleaners and although her work in general was on the higher end of my budget, her work is meticulous and she has a lot of attention for detail and the small things. Upon pick up she made sure to properly fit my dress and guide me on how to make it lay correctly. She made suggestions about which undergarments were best and helped me to fit the molded cups I would be wearing on the day. I would highly recommend Sylvia for bridal alterations and alterations in general! read more

Alterations Avenue - Sewing & Alterations Near Me - Larkspur, California

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I trusted Sylvia with two modern wedding dresses worth $4500. She was difficult to work with from the initial appointment. I found her abrasive and rude. She argued with me about the length (I wanted the dresses to graze the floor, she wanted two inches above the floor), the length of the train (too long, she said), the straps (I wanted them to hit center shoulder, she wanted them extra wide), and apparently, the location of my waistline. She rushed me through the initial appointment and pinning, in which I nearly passed out due to the heat in her apartment, and suddenly, she had a handwritten quote and bill in my face, including an additional $80 consultation fee. I so wish I'd just walked out of her apartment then. I knew I'd made a mistake as soon as I left her apartment. I asked her to come back in for another consultation to ease my concerns about what we'd "agreed" on. She was again rude. After initially refusing, she allowed me 30 minutes. I made extremely clear to her that I did NOT want the design of the dresses to change (I.e., the location of the straps, hits at the waist, length of the dress and train) and I was not interested in her changing these style details. I can also corroborate other reviewers' uncomfortable experiences of her aggressively selling her jewelry. Finally, pickup day. She allotted me 20 minutes. I could not believe the result - the dresses do not fit or look good. The bodice of one dress fits so poorly it falls off my body. The other needs to be reconstructed from the waist up. Further, she ignored my other specifications about length and waistline. Even Sylvia herself acknowledged it during pickup and joked that I would need fashion tape to keep the glaring bodice gaps closed. Sylvia left me with a bad taste in my mouth, an expensive alterations bill, and two wedding dresses that don't fit or look good. I asked Sylvia for a partial refund to cover costs of fixing the dress. She sent me a one sentence reply that the "contract had been fulfilled". When I asked for a copy of this contract and my receipt, she stopped responding. How's that for customer service or business integrity? Go to a seamstress that actually cares she has been entrusted with arguably one of the most precious garments a woman will wear in her lifetime. read more

Silvia is the best Seamstress/ Tailor in Marin County. Silvia is professional and always delivers her best work. I bing her my best designer investment pieces to alter. I feel very lucky to get to work with someone of Silvia's caliber and expertise. She has a great work space and a can-do attitude. Thanks Silvia! read more

Sylvia is extremely experienced with precise and detailed hand work for any hi-end alterations. Unfortunately, I too had a terrible experience with her for a pair of pants I asked her to create from scratch. Right from the beginning she was combative on the style I wanted, and generally I felt bullied into making decisions I shouldn't have. Is this her fault? No, I'll own that as I became more and more uncomfortable in her apartment she uses as her salon. She was inflexible and ultimately made my pants far too big. Trying them on when I picked them up I knew, and she knew, they didn't fit but there was zero commitment from Sylvia to making this right. Now, a few weeks later I've asked her again to make right on the pants, and all she did was send back photos of the contract. Extremely unprofessional and quite sad. I would recommend everyone go elsewhere, Sylvia was horrible to work with. read more

Sylvia charged me $260 to hem a dress (not a wedding dress). When I expressed my shock and disbelief that anyone would charge this amount, she got angry and said this was standard. She takes advantage of her customers and I would NEVER recommend her to anyone. read more

Sylvia did an AMAZING job on my wedding dress!! I couldn't have been happier with the end result. She was so professional and detailed, and all her hard work and attention to detail definitely showed in the end-result. She was also a pleasure to work with, and the dress looked gorgeous! read more

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We called Alterations Avenue with a request just before our wedding and were honestly blown away with the level of service and care we received. Sylvia is a master at her craft and was able to alter a pair of pants as well as provide a press on a convenient timetable -- and she was super communicative throughout the process. It's a blessing to have a great tailor right here in our community, and if you live in or near Larkspur I'd highly recommend giving Alterations Avenue a call. We will be contacting Sylvia again in the future for our tailoring needs. read more

While it was not cheap to get my wedding dress altered here, it turned out fitting perfectly and was done very quickly. I was so happy with the end result. read more

I highly suggest you use Sylvia at "Alterations Avenue" in Larkspur. She worked on a pair of precious imported Italian cycling bibs for me. They are made of very complex, high tech material that were sadly, partially damaged in the washing machine. The repair was performed quickly, and the garment is better than the original specs. Sylvia's fees are very fair and I wasn't charged an arm and a leg. It's not easy finding a seamstress to do a high level workmanship. I'm more than pleased. By the way, if you are in the market for a beautiful face mask, during these crazy times, or want to have one on hand in the future, check out her inventory. She's used beautiful materials, they are really nicely made and there are both feminine and masculine designs. Be sure to have her show them to you. Give her a shot, you'll not be disappointed. read more

Needed to have a bridesmaid dress altered and found Sylvia through Yelp! Despite her busy schedule, she fit me in/ saw me within a week of calling. When I showed up for the appointment and tried the dress on, it took her a couple of minutes to assess the fit and provide a couple options for how to best alter it. She had the dress ready and pressed a few short days later (granted the alterations were fairly minor, adjusting straps, fixing the bust). Would definitely recommend Sylvia, she was great! read more

Sylvia worked her magic on the shortest of timelines (less than a week) to hem my three layer dress and make other minor alterations. Her passion and perfectionism was exactly what I needed. She was very easy to work with and mindful of keeping me safe. I would recommend Sylvia again and again! read more

Alterations Avenue - Sewing & Alterations Near Me - Larkspur, California

I took a bridesmaid dress to Sylvia. I wanted the dress hemmed and that was basically it. Sylvia was rude and abrasive from the start, I found her demeanor unprofessional and frankly it made me uncomfortable - but hey I was already there and so I figured I'd just get the dress tailored and move on. She then quoted me $390 for the dress to be hemmed and cups to be sewn in - $390!! I felt like I was taken advantage of, as I initially told her I didn't want to spend more than $200 - which BTW is more than I should have said for the work that was needed and yet she ended up getting $390 out of me. I left feeling like I was 100% taken advantage of, especially after talking to many friends who have had their dresses tailored at other local shops - I was WAY over quoted for the work that was done. She knew what she was doing too - she railroaded me when I asked her for the price breakout, AND she told me to pay before the work was actually done - that should have been enough of a red flag - but in the moment I caved. She also asked that I not write 'alterations' on the Venmo (she refused my credit card) - so shady. I got my dress back and it looks good, but there's NO WAY that was worth $390 - the dress itself was worth $300. Find another tailor, please do not go here and get taken advantage of like I was. read more

My experience with Sylvia was truly awful. I needed to get some alterations to my wedding dress, nothing major and my dress is very simple. When we sat down to go over the estimate, I was shocked, as I was quoted $775 just to get the dress hemmed. No lace, no beadwork, just a simple hem. It was nearly as much as the dress. When I told her that was more than I wanted to spend she got quite aggressive with me. I wanted to think about it and she told me that I had to pay a $125 consultation fee (none of this was mentioned over the phone when I made the appointment or I would've called around to other places). I felt stuck and swindled. It was really uncomfortable and I didn't know what to do and didn't have time to think. So, we negotiated the price a little and I left. I started crying once I got in the car, as I was so frustrated and it was such a bad feeling. I felt like I got totally taken advantage of. Once I got home I couldn't shake the bad feeling, so I cancelled the alterations a few hours after our appointment. I had to pay a $175 cancellation fee plus an $85 consultation fee. So, I paid her $260 for nothing. At this point I didn't even care, I just wanted my dress back and to be free from her and her bad energy. Beware- she is a scammer and has horrible business practices!! read more

Sylvia really is world class. My wife and her friend found Sylvia after extensive searching. We drove out to Larkspur and met with Sylvia, who is a very friendly and sweet person. After chatting for a couple of minutes and putting us at ease we got down to business. She really listened to my wife's concerns and would interject with her own opinion and was very very helpful because at times my wife can be extremely indecisive. We returned 2 weeks later and we were both in awe over the job Sylvia did. She turned a nice dress into a beautiful/one of a kind masterpiece. I am so thankful we chose Sylvia. It was the best day of my wife and I's life and Sylvia is one of the reasons why. read more

A couple of weeks ago I contacted Sylvia about altering a new suit I had purchased for a special event. Before contacting Sonia I had done some work with Alterations to Go and HATED every aspect of the experience. I was looking for good service, fair prices and someone friendly to work with. Sonia seemed great on the phone so I thought I'd give her a try. I visited a few days later to have measurements done and left the suit for her to get started. The process was comfortable and Sylvia was fun to talk with. I picked the suit up a week later, and the work was superb. I'm not an expert on alterations, but this is now the best fitting suit I've ever had - which was the entire point. I highly recommend Sylvia and her work. read more