Amanda did an absolutely beautiful job with my wedding dress! There was a ton to be done, and she worked with me to fit everything into the timeline, and was very understanding of my crazy schedule. She worked her magic on a particularly complicated bustle job, which she also color-coded super clearly so it was easy to tie up without her help - my planners were admiring it while bustling me, saying that they'd never seen such a nice job before. Amanda is also super chill/calm and down to earth, which was a welcome change from the energy of the bridal dress shop scene and the general wedding planning frenzy. 10/10 would recommend! read more

I found AMadden tailoring through yelp and other reviews to tailor my wedding dress. Even though she was out of town when I emailed, she got back to me within a day and scheduled an appointment. Her office space is in Gowanus so pretty easy to get to and if you drive, there are usually a couple parking spots in front. She comes down to open the door and bring you up to the studio and then you take off your shoes upon entering. She always had a great playlist going which I hum or sing to. She has a great mirror to showcase your dress and showed me both style options for a bustle. I had her add an American bustle and take in the straps a bit and because my wedding was a month away, we scheduled a follow up appointment two weeks out. She color coded the bustle to make it super easy and we had one more try on. With the deposit, it was about $300 total which is on par with what I had done. She tailors other women's clothes as well so I have a feeling I'll be coming back for all my tailoring needs. She does not tailor menswear. read more

Amanda did the alterations for my wedding dress (Amsale Ferren) which has a tulle ballgown style skirt and fitted bodice. While she took her time and did an excellent job with fitting the bodice, the bustle work was subpar. Shortly after my reception began, the metal hooks she sewed into the dress ripped from the fabric and the bustle came completely undone. There are now holes in the tulle and since I could not bustle my dress, I was tripping on it all night. I wrote Amanda an email letting her know about this issue the day after my wedding (in Sept. 2022) to give her a heads up for any future tulle work, and I did not receive any response back. read more

Amanda did an INCREDIBLE job with my elopement dress in November 2020. I already owned a proper wedding dress, and it just didn't feel right for a 5-person elopement. I ended up ordering a white dress from an online retailer and needed help to make it fit well and also make it feel more unique. Amanda had some great suggestions to make the neckline look more delicate, using leftover fabric from my sleeves that she shortened. She also shorted an intricately pleated skirt and extended the slit. The dress ended up looking better than I could have even imagined, and with a very quick turnaround. I'm eternally grateful for Amanda squeezing me into her schedule. My only regret is that I waited so long to write this review! read more

I would recommend Amanda and her team to any bride out there! She made me look beautiful on my big day. I had a ball gown with sleeves and I knew altering the back part of it was going to be a nightmare because of my scoliosis back. Not only do regular clothes not fit me correctly, but my wedding dress didn't fit correctly either, and it was the biggest challenge for them but they did it and they did it perfectly. They customized the back of my dress to fit me like a glove, and not once did she ever make me feel bad about my condition either. I couldn't have been happier, and the price was very reasonable. Not to mention I also came in with a short timespan, but they worked around my schedule via email/phone. I trusted her 100% with my dress from the first appointment and I'm so glad I did. read more

AMadden Tailoring - Before: the biggest problem was the back area. - Sewing & Alterations Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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I'm sure they do beautiful work, but the prices were outrageous. I was quoted $340 for a hem and bust alteration on my rehearsal dinner dress. I took the same dress to another tailor in Manhattan that a friend recommended. They did the exact same work for $90. The dress was admittedly complicated -- 3 layers of delicate silk with a cape -- but the second tailor told me the alterations I had done shouldn't cost more than $140 anywhere. AMadden kept asking me if the dress was for my wedding. I strongly suspect they jacked up the price because it was for my rehearsal dinner. They were totally evasive when I asked them to itemize the quote. Moreover, the shop was muggy and hot, and the staff was cold. They left me standing there in my dress for an uncomfortably long time while they ignored me, and the tailor never even bothered to introduce herself. Very bad experience. Do not recommend. read more

Very reasonably priced, convenient hours - I work 9-5PM in Manhattan and never had an issue getting fitted or picking up my wedding dress. Amanda was quick, diligent, and bustled my dress like a pro for a small fraction of the price of what vendors are charging out there. The bustle was so easy that my husband actually bustled my dress on our wedding night! Amanda took into consideration how the fabric would drape and how it would look once bustled. She also altered and took in a few inches on the back of my dress which was very very detailed and intricate (lace, beading, the whole nine yards). I'm sure it would have cost an arm and a leg elsewhere just because of the amount of work around the fine details and zipper. I've attached a picture of my dress :) I couldn't recommend her enough! read more

AMadden Tailoring - Amanda took in a few inches of lace on the back of my dress as well as bustled it - Sewing & Alterations Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

This is 3 years late... my friend is getting married soon and is looking for a tailor. I would definitely recommend Amanda, professional and gives you her input. read more

AMadden Tailoring - Sewing & Alterations Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Amanda's alterations to my BHLDN (Provonias White) Jensen wedding gown were flawless! The shop is cozy and welcoming, and Amanda made what I've heard can be a fraught part of wedding planning a breeze. She has an eye for detail that I really appreciated, noticing and fixing a small asymmetrical flower on the open lace back at my final fitting. It was a pleasure to visit the shop over the last few months and I seem to always need something altered, so I will definitely be back. I found the quoted price to be completely reasonable, in part because as I said to Amanda "well, I can't do it." In all seriousness it was a form fitting lace dress with 6 layers at the bottom that needed to be taken in at the waist and back/armholes and hemmed; I was happy to pay a local business for a professional and exceptional experience. read more

AMadden Tailoring - Sewing & Alterations Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

FROCKE is Seamless Single Location Storytelling at its Best FROCKE * * * * * (5/5 Stars) Bride played by Dorothy D Costumes by A Madden Tailoring It began as so many stories do: boy meets girl. Boy proposes. Girl finds dress and plans movie-themed wedding. Dress needs adjusting. You know the rest - or you may think you do. Despite the familiar names and faces, this is not your average movie romance. The film opens with a bride-to-be who has a basic problem. Her dress needs altering. The protagonist of our story, a tailor named Amanda, receives the phone call. It seems easy enough - a stitch here, a hem there. The simple yarn starts to spin out of control when the bride begins to lose weight. Amanda knows she can handle this - she's a professional. Then, just when she thinks she has things all sewn up, the plot zig-zags again: Amanda has had to take in the waist so far that the dress no longer fits in other areas, threatening to expose two delicate parts of the bride that she would prefer to keep covered up. With the big day fast approaching, success seems to be hanging by a thread. The tension is thick, and the stakes cannot possibly be any higher. This reviewer is not accustomed to giving away movie endings in her reviews, but this is no ordinary movie. When it seemed there was no solution in sight, our heroine stayed calm, never losing confidence that a resolution was just around the next turn. She applied her trademark resourcefulness, fashioning coverage out of the sleeves, and making newer and even more beautiful sleeves for the bride. Though the story itself is laced with adventure and intrigue, what sets this film apart is that all of the action, including the surprising and ultimately deeply satisfying ending, happens seamlessly within one single location - a simple, well-equipped studio in the Gowanus neighborhood of Brooklyn. In less capable hands, FROCKE would undoubtedly have been memorable for all the wrong reasons, bringing to mind the sensational nudity of films like THE GOWN BUNNY. With Madden's expertise, this story is also blissfully devoid of the tears and hysteria of indie dramedies such as THE HOUSE OF DRESS. FROCKE is an unmissable film of unparalleled quality, which is clearly why critics past and present are grading it so highly. Often, though, the true test of quality comes when the material is released upon the masses. Ultimately, the result of A Madden Tailoring's expertise has earned rave reviews from viewers far and wide, including one notoriously difficult to please segment of the audience: the mother of the bride. read more

AMadden Tailoring - #DialMforMarriage - Sewing & Alterations Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Amanda is amazing! My wedding dress required fairly significant alterations, since my natural waist was higher than the waist on the actual dress. The dress came out absolutely beautifully, despite having had to be taken apart and put back together again--I cried when I tried it on at the final fitting! On top of the great work she did on my dress, Amanda is compassionate. Planning a wedding is an extremely stressful time, and a little kindness from the vendors you go with can a long way. I am beyond pleased with the service I received, and I would recommend AMadden Tailoring to any bride. read more

AMadden Tailoring - The finished product! I'm so happy with the way it came out. - Sewing & Alterations Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

I can't recommend Amanda more. I bought my dress before the pandemic and our wedding was rescheduled to December 2021 which meant I gained a little weight by the time I was getting it tailored and the dress didn't fit as well. Amanda looked at the dress and said "your body isn't the problem, the dress is and I can make it work." From the get-go, she made me feel so comfortable and insisted that I not diet but just let her work her magic. I can't think of a more body-positive tailor than Amanda. Not only did she have a great outlook, but she also worked incredibly hard to find creative solutions for my dress and it turned out exactly how I wanted it. Where most tailors would say it wasn't possible, Amanda used her years of expertise as a tailor and her commitment to detail to find creative solutions to let the dress out and make it fit me like a glove. She priced the process fairly and communicated clearly the entire process. I have also brought other pieces of clothing to her to tailor and love her work. She's friendly, kind, and a pleasure to work with. She also has great COVID-precautions that made me feel safe the entire process. I can't recommend her more. read more

I would give Amanda 100 stars if I could. I love her shop, I love attitude and I love the work she did for me. I had a bridesmaid dress that I really drug my feet on getting altered and I called AMadded on the recommendation of a friend and told them what I needed done. I had an annoyingly busy schedule and they told me, "you know what? We're open until 7p, so just get here when you can and we'll work you in." They also said there may be a rush fee, depending on how much needed to be done. Fair. Well, not only was there no rush fee, but it was all done in about a day, was a VERY reasonable price and now, this awkward bridesmaid dress looks somewhat normal on me. I'll be back for sure! Thank you, thank you, thank you! read more

I picked Amanda based on her great reviews when I should've paid closer attention to the 1-2 star ones. I double checked if she could see me Thursdays as she is normally closed and only after I paid my deposit is when she said she could only see me Thursday evenings--I found it odd she waited till I paid to mention that caveat when we'd emailed several times about Thursdays and my consult and 1st appt I'd asked for morning appts. I figured not a big deal. She had quoted me $600 at my consult and tried to charge me $650. She honored the original price but I caught her annoyance, again not a big deal. I asked the secretary how many appts are average and she said 3-4 but Amanda never said how many I would need until the 2nd when she stated the dress was almost done and I would need 2 more instead of 3 they had put me in for. I thought that strange since she had only taken the dress in to fit my waist so far but I thought I could trust her as a professional. I double checked cups would be sewn in before my next appt because I noticed a few people had issues with the top of the dress fitting. I was assured they would be, but they were not. I put them into my dress & still there was a large gap at the top. She said she couldn't take it in more w/o it being too tight. I asked about strapless bras-she didn't recommend it. I tried to raise my arms, she said I wouldn't be moving that much on my wedding (first dance/hugging?) and I had to stand a certain way (That would made sense if I had to straighten up but I would have to slouch to have it stay flush). My sister (fashion design major) asked if she could go into the bust seams to let it out some and she said very rudely, "That would be very expensive, time consuming and make her look even more flat." Before she said her fee was all-inclusive and she had mentioned going into the seams herself if cups didn't work. There was no appt after me so she basically left me to stress out on how I can get the top to fit while she worked on other garments (We were there close to an hr). My sister stepped in to say it just didn't look right, that's when she tacked in the cups loosely at the bottom which looked better but not enough, and we would've known that sooner if they were in like she said they would. She said she'd move the cups up by my next and last appt. I left uneasy cuz she said I'd be charged for any extra appts so I called to tell her I still felt nervous about the top and wanted try on a strapless bra instead, she said I could come in before my next to try them on-I felt relieved that maybe my experience with her was turning around. It looked better (cups were sewn in at the top) & I told her so. She said blankly "I didn't do anything it's exactly the same." That's when I knew things were going downhill. She may see a lot of brides/dresses but I know mine and what she had worked on. I noted the bustle looked funny (hadn't paid attention b4 since we focused on the top), I asked her for suggestions, she kept saying it was either this American one or French one or threatened no bustle at all (she took it out w/o me agreeing). My sister stepped in to agree and THAT'S when she showed a 1 instead of a 3 point bustle. Someone came for their appt but I couldn't shake the feeling of being brushed off anymore, I asked to stay to think about which to choose and realized I had to talk to her or I'd leave my last appt unsatisfied. I asked can we talk, she headed to the back then stopped in the middle so all could hear. I said I picked her based on her reviews but felt she kept brushing off my concerns, she said she had done all she could for me & I could find someone else. Its 3 weeks before my wedding & wedding season. I gritted my teeth, said no I'd be keeping my appt. She said I always took 1 hr, (once when she didn't sew the cups in), did more work than she charged for (only pinned to show me possible changes), stopped giving tips cuz I only talked to my sisters (she wasn't giving me any that worked), tried to make me feel bad about Thurs appts (she was also seeing others), I told her she shouldn't have said she can do it then & I wasn't having her do it for free. I think that's when it clicked for her. She said she's working 7 days, ect, that she wanted me to be happy & glad that we had this talk. She tried to play me as being dumb/ignorant. I'm a doctor, work full time & planning a wedding myself since my fiance's in the military. Did I tell her my sob story? No, that would've been unprofessional. I was going to give her 2 stars since my dress turned out okay but can't forgive her for causing me so much stress before my wedding-I was literally shaking in anger- she had an excuse/exaggeration/lie for everything(no space to mention it all) I RARELY write bad reviews, I was only compelled 5 years ago when I also felt mislead by Yelp She treated my dress like a nuisance, not a wedding gown. She should change her name to Amadden Alterations NOT Tailoring. read more

I had two pieces altered a few weeks ago. 1 piece is fraying where it was re-sewn. The lining in the same piece wasn't sewn back in. It's was left just hanging inside. There was no attention to detail. I am very disappointed and I have to take it in again. - the cost wasn't cheap, which I don't mind if I get a quality service. I found A Madden because I had a dress hemmed for my engagement party and had a great experience. I have the impression that they prefer to only service wedding gowns. During their busy season, if you're not bringing in a gown you won't get the same detail. read more

5 out of 5: Would recommend. Amanda did a beautiful job on my wedding dress. So much so that my trash the dress photographer declined! Admittedly, the fact that I saw here on Yelp that she had recently altered my exact dress for another woman is the first thing that caught my eye as I browsed the thousands of tailors in the NY area (my nightmare was the extensive lace being ruined), but I soon found her to be competent and personable as well as reasonably priced. She had the dress ready and perfect after one fitting and ready for me to take home in two weeks flat. If I didn't live in the Upper Upper East Side I'd see her more often. read more

AMadden Tailoring - Amanda made this baggy dress fit my curves beautifully. - Sewing & Alterations Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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Quick update: Amanda and I had a total of 8 fittings in about 7 weeks. She was an absolute pleasure to work with and with all of the wedding stress that surrounded me, I looked forward to heading to the salon to try on my dress. Also, I know everyone tells you that you should try and maintain your weight when you purchase a dress, but it is so hard! Running around NYC in the summer heat everyday to meet photographers, calligraphers, venue, etc., got me down 10 pounds less than what I was when I purchased the dress! Amanda had to cut my dress down 2 sizes on the top and 1 size on the bottom. Quite the ordeal. She also added a little lace on the sides of my bust to add a little flair to it and make the dress a little different than others. Trust this woman, she knows what she is doing. Now that the day has came and went (:(((((!!!!), I just wanted to thank Amanda again! My dress was absolutely perfect. My Grandmother who flew in from Puerto Rico is a retired seamstress and when she saw me she just gasped and told me "OMG how beautiful, this dress couldn't fit or look any better on you!" Thank you again, and to my fellow Brides, trust Amanda with your dress, she will be sure to make you stunning. read more

AMadden Tailoring - Sewing & Alterations Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Amanda is pleasant to work with and got the job done at an affordable price. I needed my wedding dress tailored (minor tweaks like straps and dress shortened) and several other places were quoting prices that didn't seem justified for such a simple change. I really can't complain about the service with Amanda, she did a good job on my dress and the 2 appointments I had with her ran smoothly and on time. Plus her shop has a really nice vibe about it. At times, Amanda did seem stressed out, but it was understandable because she had just moved into her new shot space and her wedding was coming up too. read more

When I first picked up my dress, unaltered, and tried it on again, I questioned if I made the right decision on the fit. After the first round of fittings with Amanda I remembered why I fell in love with my dress and was so impressed by the perfect fit and shape to my body that Amanda was able to achieve. Not only that, but she has a close attention to detail and had me come back for extra fittings if she felt something wasn't quite perfect yet. I also purchased my veil and belt/sash from her. For those of you ladies who don't buy everything at the bridal boutique, Amanda has a great selection! Lastly I'll say she is honest and fairly priced. We all know that's hard to come by in the wedding industry so thank you Amanda! read more

AMANDA IS AMAZING. Yelp, I thank you for leading me to this lovely and kind woman who beautifully and thoughtfully tailored my wedding dress. Amanda is so patient, thoughtful, professional and talented, the exact kind of person you want to tailor one of the most important outfits you'll ever wear, like a wedding dress! She really is great to be around and does amazing work. I just got married this May 3rd at the New York Botanical Garden and I was so happy with how well the dress fit, I wanted to sing Amanda's praises. I wore a lace, mermaid, strapless dress that, before I met Amanda, felt like it was going to fall down, was too long and had no bustle for the train, but she made it fit perfectly and created a beautiful bustle so I could dance the night away comfortably! She thoughtfully listened to my desires and concerns and set up more than enough fittings to get the dress to fit just right. She also sells accessories like jewelry and veils at great prices. I got my beautiful cathedral length veil from her. If you have a wedding dress to tailor or anything important for that matter, you cannot go wrong with Amanda. She will do a fantastic job! read more

I cannot say enough wonderful things about my experience with Amanda. She was so incredibly patient and accommodating when dealing with me and my wedding dress shenanigans and worked quickly to make sure I had it on time. I'm absolutely thrilled with the results! She's easy to schedule with and her rates are very reasonable. I recommend her highly and I'll definitely be bringing my other alteration needs to her from now on! read more

I had my wedding dress tailored by Amanda. She did an amazing job, the dress fit like a glove. She also replaced the straps so they were thicker. I was really happy with it and would definitely recommend her. read more

AMadden Tailoring - I could even dance in it! - Sewing & Alterations Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Amanda was great! She was very honest and upfront when the first alterations she did were not up to her usual standards, because she hired someone to help her and they messed it up. She accommodated by taking everything back to fix it and give me a 50% discount on the original price. She also recommended where I can take my suits to get more extensive work done, since it would be better to have it done somewhere that they specialize in men's suits. She could have tried to milk me on this and attempt to do the work and charge me an arm and a leg for it, but rather she was looking out for my best interest. Imagine that? Just on her character and integrity alone I would highly recommend her. read more

Thank you Amanda for making my daughter's wedding day amazing. The work you did on her dress was impeccable. I would highly recommend Amanda for all your tailoring and alteration needs!!! read more

AMadden Tailoring - Chanell looks simply beautiful in an Amanda recreation wedding dress - Sewing & Alterations Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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Not only did Amanda make the entire fitting experience comfortable, she made it comforting. All brides can leave their nervousness at the door when coming to visit Amanda because she is a flawless seamstress with good humor and calm to boot! The second you get your dress book her, because her appointments fill up fast! She is the best hands down! read more

AMadden Tailoring - At The Box in NYC - Sewing & Alterations Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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A was referred to Amanda by a friend who had been married about a year and half before the referral. She did an excellent job with my wedding gown! I was nervous about how much my alterations might cost, because I've heard horror stories about the sticker shock. I felt Amanda's fees were completely reasonable considering the work required, and the importance of having the alterations be impeccable. She added a bustle and took some fabric from the cap sleeves so they sat more on my shoulders instead of sticking out. The other work, that I was nervous about, was removing some of the lace from the back of the dress so it wouldn't bunch up. I was really in love with the lace back and worried that any changes would take away from the look. I'm not sure what I was picturing, but it came out absolutely beautifully! I would definitely recommend Amanda to any bride. read more

Got last minute alterations for a bridesmaid dress and everything was great. Good atmosphere, good work, and good price. Love that she's nearby too. read more

Recently brought a bridesmaid's dress here to be hemmed and they did a great job! Price was reasonable, and much lower than other quotes I received in the area. It was easy to make an appointment and a follow-up to pick up my dress. They were able to get the dress done quickly, which I greatly appreciated. They shop is welcoming and there's a place to sit if you end up having to wait, which luckily I did not. Would definitely recommend AMadden Tailoring to anyone who needs alterations done. read more

I was completely blown away by Amanda's talent and highly recommend her. I entrusted her to two pieces for my wedding last fall: My wedding dress and a vintage cocktail dress that belonged to my Nana, that I was hopeful to wear to a cocktail event before the wedding. I was nervous about the vintage dress: It was covered in delicate lace and was several sizes too large. (A size 16 that needed to be sized 4-6). Amanda had to take the entire thing apart and piece it back together without damaging the lace and removing entire panels of fabric. She didn't bat an eyelash! She also worked within my tight schedule. The result was stunning. Both dresses fit perfectly and I can't imagine anyone else I would have entrusted to taking care of these two special pieces. She is obviously incredibly skilled and passionate about her work. Even if you are not located in Brooklyn, go see her! read more

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They did a great job with my dress. I needed it hemmed, for the back clasp to be reinforced, and for cups to be sewn into the dress. Everything came out beautifully. They were prompt with communication and flexible about setting up appointments. They were also understanding when an uncooperative Subway made me a little late for my first appointment. Would recommend! read more

She's a no BS kind of lady. I normally can roll with that... but with my wedding dress...and when a girl is already extremely stressed about her wedding dress... I feel like a softer touch, more empathy and more tact is needed. She also didn't do a great job communicating what I could expect from the dress, what her next steps were and she didn't tell me how much all this tailoring was going to cost. That said, if you bought a Rebecca Schonevald Dress (which I DO NOT recommend you do) and are trying to get it to fit you, she does have a lot of connections at the company and deep knowledge of the dresses. She also will fit you into her schedule and pull strings for you. I appreciated her effort to try to fix things for me. Things didn't work out for me, but I don't think that was AMadden's fault. Still, my review is mixed and I probably wouldn't recommend a good friend. read more

First, she doesn't even deserve one star but that isn't an option here. Amanda has absolutely no idea on how to tailor a wedding dress!! She butchered my friends very beaded wedding dress. She kept blaming the BRIDE that she lost so much weight, which is why the dress didn't fit each time that she tried it on, when my friend is only about 90 pounds to begin with and she didn't loose anything. Instead of admitting that she didn't know how to work on a dress like that and that she took it in way too much, she just took my friends money and worked on the dress anyway. She even claimed that she had to call her "mentor" in order to learn how to work on the dress. Any professional tailor, doesn't need to call a mentor, they should just know. I've been in fashion for 10 years and I knew exactly what to do the minute I saw the dress. She has a lot of "FASHION" books but no knowledge on how to tailor an intricate garment as well as having no manners for that matter. Very showy and no knowledge to back it up!! She also changes her story a lot. She told my friend to come in for the hem and to attach some beads, go to lunch and when she comes back everything would be done. My friend went back 6 hours later and nothing was done, again. She had the bride go back 7 times, each time worse than the next. She was insulting and yelled at the bride and her mom each time and blamed them for her own incompetence. She definitely overcharged and is just a nasty person. Please, to save future brides, do not go to AMADDEN Tailoring. She has no idea what she's doing. I don't know how all these people that wrote reviews on here, had a great experience with her, unless they are her friends. read more

I have gone back and forth, time and time again about writing this review but recently I have had multiple friends who are getting married ask me about my experience. I even had two friends have their dress shoppes recommend Amanda and after hearing my story decided not to go to her. I felt like it is important to share my experience on a more public platform. I found AMadden Tailoring on Yelp. At the time she had only positive reviews. I went to her about 8 months before my wedding with my grandmother's wedding dress. I was looking to get it significantly altered (train taken off, stains removed, panel added to front). It was a big job and we were ready to work with someone who was up for the task. On our first meeting with Amanda she was lovely, sweet, and friendly. She seemed excited, skilled, and told us that she specialized in remaking vintage clothing. I got the sense that we were going to work together to create my dream dress from my family heirloom. My first red flag was when Amanda said she couldn't sketch. In our initial meeting she did a very basic drawing of how she could imagine the dress to look but I don't believe she worked from that and we never reference it again. I am an actress so I have had multiple experiences working with designers. In my experience when designing a dress you have to first sketch it out then create the dress in muslin then work on the actual fabric. This was not the case with Amanda. I should have taken my dress then and found someone else to work with but I liked Amanda and I trusted that she knew what she was doing. Over the course of the months leading up to the wedding I met with Amanda for fittings. Many times when I would come in it felt like she hadn't made any progress on my dress and I was just re-trying on something that she hadn't worked on since my last fitting. In reading other yelp reviews this is something that others have said. She also was constantly talking about other clients to me or complaining about how stressed out she was. Again, this is a common theme in other reveiws. I found it highly unprofessional but was having a hard time navigating our relationship. I wanted her to like me so she would do a good job on my dress. In retrospect I realize that this was silly- I was paying her for a service and she should have done her job. At times I felt like I was working with a needy, delicate friend instead of someone that I hired to do a job. I remember one time I came in and she told me that she got her first bad yelp review and that she went home and cried all night. I remember feeling like I was there to listen to her problems instead of focusing on my dress and what needed to be done. There are many other things that happened over the course of my time with AMadden Tailoring. When I told her that I still wasn't happy with the dress (2 weeks out from my wedding, she started to cry). She gave me the feedback that people aren't "honest" with her about how they feel in the dress but when you are in the environment of someone who is combative paired with such fragility it is challenging to be honest at the fear of getting a negative reaction. Overall, the dress was fine (it's just a dress after all). I don't look back at pictures of my wedding dress with fond memories or think that I looked beautiful. Whenever I see the dress I think about the emotional torment that I felt every time I went to a fitting. I would not recommend Amanda to anyone but especially anyone that is interested in doing something substantial. I'm sure she can hem skirts and tighten straps just fine. But, this being New York City I'm sure you could find a much more pleasant experience somewhere else. read more

I came to Amanda to alter my wedding dress. My two bridesmaids and mother also had their dresses altered by her as well. I feel bad writing this because Amanda seems like a nice person who knows what she's doing, but she was always tired and overwhelmed at every appointment. For my first 2 fittings she didn't do anything to my dress. I live in another city, so getting to these appointments for no purpose was annoying. My dress didn't require much, just a bustle and cups inserted. She created a french bustle, which looked beautiful but was not easy for anyone to figure out. Amanda explained how to do it to my bridesmaids, but they found it really challenging to figure out the day of. My bustle came undone during the reception and it took 3 girls 30 minutes and a few safety pins during my wedding to figure it out because none of the strings that had to be tied together were labeled. Amanda altered my mothers dress beautifully but kept forgetting to replace a clasp, that was never fixed. There was not much attention paid to detail and I had to remind her of what I wanted done every appointment. One of the bridesmaids dresses was hemmed 2 inches too short and looked awkward. For my wedding dress alterations, her prices are reasonable, but for my bridesmaids to get their dresses hemmed - it was a ridiculous exaggerated price. I chose this seamstress based on good reviews, but I honestly can't recommend this business. I wish I had gone somewhere else. read more

Yes, this place is in that dodgy building under the highway - not the type of place I want to bring my wedding gown. Also Amanda was very cold and aloof which did not bolster my confidence. The combination of those two things caused me to take my business elsewhere and left a bad taste in my mouth. My suggestion would be to improve your customer relations to compensate for your terrible location. read more

Amanda was amazing!!! I got married this past August, and I wanted to change into a reception dress. I'd found a Sue Wong that I loved on Ebay. It was a 1920's inspired sheath/flapper dress completely covered in intricate beading and sequins with a sheer neck and feathers on the bottom. It was stunning!! But before I could get a picture from the seller to verify it was real, someone bought it! I couldn't believe it!!! I spent months trying to find another with no luck. Finally, things were getting down to the wire, and I still hadn't found the dress in my size, or one that I liked better. With no other option, I reached out to the seller and bought the dress one size too big (as from the research I'd done, I learned that they run on the small side). When the dress came in, I tried it on, and it was cute but was in fact a bit too big. It would never do for a dress that's supposed to follow my amazing wedding gown. That's when I found Amanda. Amanda was so friendly and professional. I felt completely confident that she could get the job done. I put the dress on for her. She explained what she would do, and we set up a fitting schedule for the following weeks to keep me on target for when I was supposed to leave NY for my wedding. She even scheduled an extra day for me, just in case there were problems (she didn't want to be booked and not be able to fit me in). The next time I came in, I tried the dress on, and it was perfect. The pattern of the beading was not disturbed, and the dress fit me like a glove! I left the dress there so she could actually remove the pins and sew it up, and the following week, the dress went home with me. I am so grateful to have found Amanda! She really was a life saver. The dress is gorgeous!!! I highly recommend her to anyone!! -Angela read more

I cannot say enough good things about Amanda Madden. For me, the prospect of buying a wedding dress and having it altered was about as appealing as a swim in eel-infested waters. I was not satisfied with the two tailors that the bridal shop referred me to, and it was such a relief to find Amanda through a friendly referral. You can tell that Amanda not only knows her craft, she loves it. She is a seriously talented seamstress and has a great eye for possibilities. She's also knows how to put a jittery bride at ease -- by the end of my first appointment I felt like we had known each other for ages (this is important when you're going to be stripping down to your skivvies in front of someone on a regular basis). Amanda's prices were very reasonable. She hemmed my gown, added cups, let out the seams a bit, and added clever hooks and buttons for a bustle. She even turned the leftover hem fabric into hand-sewn ruched cap sleeves. Another great thing about Amanda is her availability in the evenings. I don't know about everyone else, but I definitely couldn't take three afternoons off of work for dress fittings. She does work out of her home rather than a studio or shop, which I liked but some people might not like. If it is important to you to have a more "bridal" experience you may want to go to a shop. I can't wait to wear my dress in 10 days! read more

I ordered my wedding dress from RK Bridal in mid-December and they gave me an estimated arrival date of 4/27-- just 1 month before my out-of-state wedding. RK refused to offer alteration services to me as the time frame was too tight. After some internet research, I came across Amanda and sent her an email. She responded promptly and assured me that should could get my alterations done in time. I loved that I could reach her by email and that she was responsive-- I'm not much of a phone talker and I like to have written documentation of everything discussed. In March, I realized that RK Bridal had ordered me the wrong sized dress-- 3 sizes too large! This would just add to the alterations that I needed done in a tight window. I was immediately stressed out over this and reached out to Amanda and without skipping a beat she reassured me that this would be no problem for her and that she had done this (successfully) before. I was breathing easy again.. What a life saver. At my first appointment. I found Amanda very laid-back, confident, and reassuring. She booked me for about 5 or 6 appointments leading up to my wedding. Alterations needed on my dress included taking it in a ton, and swapping out a white satin ribbon for a colored satin ribbon (involved removing and reattaching a applique), hem, and a french bustle. I had ordered extra lace with my dress as I wanted a custom matching bolero made. Amanda told me to email her pictures of what I had in mind, she took one measurement, and at my next appointment she had whipped up a custom bolero pattern that she had me try on so she could perfect it to my body. In the end, she also made me a lace trimmed veil with the extra lace. Somewhere around my 3rd or 4th appointment when the dress was fitting me much better, Amanda mentioned that I really didn't need a hem on my dress. It was maybe a centimeter or two too long, but for the amount of money I would save by not having her hem it, it would probably be worth it not to just live with the length as is. I'm all about saving money, so I agreed to forego the hem. All went smoothly up until my last appointment. I was picking up my dress on a Saturday, and catching a flight on Monday for my out-of-state wedding. During my final fitting, we discovered that the dress was far too big around my bust. So big that Amanda said she could not let me leave with my dress looking like that.. it had to be fixed. She also told me that it would take at least 3 days to fix it properly-- However, I was catching a flight in 2 days. She advised that her "quick fix" would not look as professional as a proper fix, but she would do her best. I didn't have a lot of options at that point, and her work had been so great up to that point, that I trusted her. Over the course of the next 3 hours, she worked on my dress in 10 minute increments in between her other appts. By taking it in a little under the arms and adding in a 2nd cup, she was able to get it to the point that I would not be flashing any of my guests. The whole situation was not ideal.. and I believe it could have been prevented. 1.) My cups were not sewn into my dress yet at my 2nd to last appointment. So, I was not able to properly assess at that appointment if the top was fitting just right. I think we may have caught some of the issue had they been sewn in at that time. 2.) Like most brides, I was doing my best to eat right and exercise and lose a few more lbs before my big day. There was a 10 day gap between my last two appointments and resulted in my dress not being as snug as it should have been. Maybe a 5 day span would have been better between those last 2 appointments. The other blip, was that when it came time to settle my balance, I noticed that she had not given me a discount for not having to hem the dress. When I brought it up to her, she said that I had actually been quoted a sort of "all inclusive bridal gown alteration package", and so there would be no discount for not doing the hem. That was a little annoying as she was the one that had mentioned earlier on that she could save me money by not doing the hem. Had a known that I could have had my dress hemmed to the perfect length for the same price, then of course, I would have chose to have it hemmed! At that point, I was ready to go... I just went through a quick fix alteration and had a flight to catch in 2 days, I had no energy to argue it and just paid the originally quoted balance. Would I use Amanda again? Absolutely. It didn't go perfect, but she really came through and saved the day for me more than once. I would handle a few things differently along the way with her. Amanda is a gem, knows her craft inside and out, and overall was a pleasure to work with. I think her business might be growing faster than she anticipated and so she may be stretched a little thin leading up to wedding season. However, I would hands down choose her again! read more

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Amanda did an incredible job altering my wedding dress. She was very nice, her shop was very cute. She was easy to work with. She had late hours which was perfect for my work schedule. She listened to what I wanted and my dress came out great. I'm not sure why I needed so many alterations appointments but I think that's a common thing with wedding dress alterations. It's so hard to find a good alterations person in NYC or Brooklyn. There are SO many mixed reviews and it gets very confusing. I would say- just go to Amanda! She delivers a really good, quality product and I didn't worry about my wedding dress in her hands. Also, I stored my dress at her shop which was SOOO HELPFUL for me not to have to worry about it! Seriously, she knows what she's doing-big time! One thing I would say that rubbed me the wrong way was two weeks before my wedding she said "maybe you should have a backup dress." I totally know she meant this in the best way possible (like a dress for dancing and a dress for ceremony.) However, bride's go through hell and back planning their weddings, picking out their dresses for months or years.. The last thing I want to hear is maybe I should have another dress on standby. Anyway, it wasn't a huge deal but it was one thing I would recommend not saying to future brides. She was super nice, friendly, and super talented and she did a great job! I would definitley recommend her to anyone looking! I might even go back for other dresses and clothes in the future! read more

While Amanda's tailoring is certainly good enough, I can't say the same for her customer service. My daughter and I had her alter both of our dresses for her wedding, and because hers needed a bit more work, mine wasn't ready on the day promised -- which was really no big deal. My daughter picked it up, along with hers, a few days later. But when I finally got around to unzipping my long black garment bag a few days later, I turned whiter than my daughter's gown! My gorgeous silk georgette piece was one hot mess -- and it was obvious it was something that hadn't just happened in transit: The gown was unzipped and hanging (barely) from one shoulder. The tissue covering that was supposed to protect the shoulder beading was ripped off and the plastic that was supposed to be over the gown was instead stuffed inside. To top it off, the dress was wrinkled from top to bottom! I immediately contacted the designer, who, in turn, contacted Amanda. She shrugged it off by saying an assistant was supposed to pack it up. She never reached out to apologize, to offer to re-steam the dress or to pay for someone else to do it. (Thankfully, I have a great dry cleaner who treated the dress as the treasure it is.) Would I go back? Unfortunately, not if she was the last seamstress in New York. read more