If you've ever gotten fitted for a bridesmaids dress, you know it can be kind of an adventure. The bride may or may not have seen wedding photos in The Knot in which all the girls look fantastic in clingy yellow silk. (It's *her* day. It's *her* day.) The sizes don't match up with mall sizes. You can end up feeling (A) like a heifer and (B) like the bridal shop is trying to make money on future alterations. You're not a heifer, but the bridal shop, with its in-house alterations services, certainly stands to benefit by being generous with their measurements. (And to be fair, I'm sure it's common for people to be on Day One of South Beach and feeling good when they get measured and be up 10 lbs. when the dress comes in and the shop may be hedging its bets, but...)
That's where an independent, competent tailor comes in. Based on a positive recommendation from a co-bridesmaid, I went to Astgik's with another friend in the same wedding. I lucked out; my dress required only a strap shortening ($25). My friend's dress was a different story (like, she and I could have hung out in her dress together). Yes, the alterations cost almost as much as the dress, but as-ordered, my friend was wearing a navy satin garbage bag. Once Astgik was done, it was a dress.
It took a few weeks (even for mine), but they were done when promised. I don't know if I'd gone in by myself if the strap-shortening would have been done faster, but this was just before Christmas/New Year's and I'm sure my friend's dress took a lot of work.
Astgik is friendly and funny and the price seems reasonable for the quality of work. I will go back for future bridesmaids dresses and dress pant-shortening, dress/skirt altering, etc. read more