Anna was amazing to work with! She was very professional the whole time and cared about my comfort while pinning my dress. She recommended that I bend my knees now and then and pinned quickly so I wouldn't have to stand for a long time. I told her my concerns like straps needed to be taken in, back lace needed to be taken in, a "naked" section required more appliqué, add bustle, hem bottom (she had to cut the bottom off and then sew it back on to maintain the look), etc. Anna, in all of her expertise, had helpful suggestions and found another section in my dress that was missing some design. My dress was a ball gown style and 6 layers so alterations required a lot of time and care! I only required 2 fittings total and my alterations took about 2 months. I just picked up my dress today and was wowed by the quality of them - my dress fits perfectly now! The bustle is also subtle but effective. I LOVE my dress even more now! FYI when coming for your second fitting, you're only allowed to bring one other person. Anna takes checks or Zelle for payment. Also when you come for a fitting, make sure to bring the shoes you're wearing each time to make sure things fit exactly as they need to. Please don't forget to tip! Anna works so hard and is a one woman business. I loved working with her and can't recommend Bustle and Bodice enough! read more

Anna was recommended to me by three other brides who all didn't realize that they all used the same tailor. Anna was so professional - she was great at guiding me in what decisions to make and I literally had two appointments and was done. She is so easy to work with and was really great at listening to what I wanted. I also appreciated the tips she gave me to make sure I was prepped for wedding day, including making sure I knew exactly how to set up my bustle. Highly recommend Anna to any bride! read more

Anna is incredible! look no further- you're in good hands with her for wedding dress alterations. She was very kind and provided high quality work. The price was very reasonable and she also helped me map out different options for my dress. I wasn't sure on what to do for a train and she walked me through everything. she met all the deadlines she had mapped out upon our initial conversation. I loved her suggestion to help sew on straps to my cap sleeve dress. I wore the straps for my reception and people thought I was wearint a totally new dress! Thank you so much Anna for everything. read more

The five star reviews are here for a reason - Anna made sure my dress fit perfectly and comfortably, and somehow she just needed one appointment to work her magic (if you've done some research, I'm sure you've come across some horror stories about having several appointments and still not getting the look/dress the bride may have wanted). I had a second appointment to get a veil from Anna, and this was also a great decision, as we were able to find exactly what I wanted for my ceremony. Anna is punctual and she truly delivers - my wedding dress/wedding day looks were some of my priorities and I was willing to pay a premium for it. Anna takes care of your dress from start to finish - some shops have different people pinning and working on the dress (this can be several people at certain shops, which was not something I was willing to risk). Anna couldn't have done a better job and I am in love with how the dress turned out - thank you again for your beautiful work, and making my bridal look everything I imagined to be :) read more

Bustle and Bodice - Sewing & Alterations Near Me

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Anna made my dress perfect! This included some complicated alterations. My dress was too low for my waist, and so she took it apart at the middle, shortened it slightly and resowed it back. She also hemmed it , added a bustle and took in the chest part to fit me correctly . Anna was so friendly and worked very hard to get my dress to look absolutely gorgeous on me! I highly recommend her for all your alteration needs . read more

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Anna is absolutely the best! She is incredibly talented and kind. My dress had some tricky alterations and she made it look like it was truly made for me. I am so happy my dress was in such good hands and love the work Anna did! She has a keen eye for detail and made sure everything was perfect. read more

Anna is incredible! She is a true professional and incredibly skilled at her art. For my dress, she shortened the straps, added a bustle, and took in some extra fabric to make the waist more defined. My dress had a detailed lace pattern, and you could not tell any alterations had been made. Her studio in Lincoln Park is lovely and her pricing is very fair. Would highly recommend her! read more

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I had the best experience at Bustle and Bodice. Anna helped alter my dress to fit me and was willing to go the extra mile even when we had a few fitting issues (because of the dress size.) she made it absolutely perfect for me and my size. Additionally, Anna did an incredible job hemming my dress perfectly, making a perfect bustle and a handle to hold my train. She gave the best directions on how to put my dress on the day of and also just extra advice and tidbits on what to have with me day of. It was truly more than just a tailor/alterations. Anna is absolutely wonderful, kind, helpful and will do whatever it takes to make your dress perfect! Go to her! read more

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I had my wedding dress tailored for our wedding in May and it was great working with Anna - she was great at communicating logistics and the dress fit like a glove and looked amazing after just one fitting! read more

Anna was incredible! She altered my wedding dress and did a phenomenal job. She was extremely meticulous and punctual. I really valued her opinion throughout the process and could not recommend her more! read more

Anna was so wonderful to work with. She was not only cognizant of my budget but also worked with me through some health challenges that ultimately led to some last minute weight fluctuations. The dress fit like a glove and I've never felt more beautiful. I would recommend her to any bride in the Chicago area. read more

Anna is simply amazing, she puts so much attention and care into her work. I loved my wedding gown before bringing it to her, but after she worked her magic I couldn't believe how perfect it was. The dress fit amazing and how carefully she worked with the details of the lace was so obvious. Anna is truly professional and willing to offer suggestions to make you feel your best in your dress on your big day. If you're looking for someone to trust you wedding dress alterations with, look no further! read more

Bustle and Bodice - The top of my gown was too large, Anna was able to take it in and maintain all of the lace details. - Sewing & Alterations Near Me

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I can't say enough good tings about my experience with Anna. I bought my dress online from BHLDN and it fit like a glove! But a glove that was about 5 inches too long. Anna worked her magic by shortening my dress and keeping the beautiful scalloped lace pattern on the bottom by removing and reattaching it. She also made my veil, which was absolutely perfect, added a bustle, and gave me great advice about walking, dancing, etc. Very reasonably priced and flawless work. I'm so, so happy I found Anna to help make my wedding day so wonderful. read more

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Anna is a pro, worked on a short timeline, and delivered amazing quality work. So glad I entrusted her with my dress!

Anna what would I have done without you?! I bought my dress at Kleinfelds in NYC with the intention of flying back there to do my alterations. However, I needed to get emergency surgery the weekend of my trip and was not able to fly with enough time for said alterations. I found Anna at the perfect time and boy did she deliver. My dress was very intricate and delicate and she did an amazing job of making the dress fit me like a glove. Anna I am forever indebted to you. I recommend Anna for any alteration you may need. She is incredible to work with. read more

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Anna was fantastic, and I absolutely recommend her to anyone needing to get their wedding dress tailored in Chicago. She was so helpful and responsive during the entire process. She's incredibly careful and detailed with her tailoring, and I couldn't have asked for a better fitting dress. read more

If I could give Anna 100 stars I would!! Anna was so kind and soooo helpful with my dress when I was desperate. Not only did she move her schedule around (twice) to meet with me on her off days, she did an amazing job fixing my dress and making it fit like a glove. I would recommend her to anyone and will be going back for anything and everything. She is well worth the money! Thank you for everything!!! xoxo Melanie read more

Anna did an amazing job with my dress with a limited time notice. I'm so thankful for all of her help, every fix was perfect. read more

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Anna was such a pleasure to work with. She did an amazing job and my dress fit perfectly. I would recommend her to anyone! Thank you, Anna for everything!! read more

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Anna is so nice and pulled my full lace dress in and bustled it up on 4 weeks. So fast, so kind, and beautiful space just as a nice touch. You can tell she gets a lot of love by all the thank you notes brides send her that she has around the studio. read more

Anna did a wonderful job altering my wedding dress for my September 2014 wedding. I emailed her about availability a few months out, and she scheduled me as soon as my dress arrived. The amount of alterations were pretty minimal, and only require 2 visits -- one to drop off and pin the areas she'd alter, and at the next one she made a few last minute adjustments right then and I walked away with my dress. How easy is that?! She gave helpful and honest feedback, but still in the sweetest way possible! Like telling me to "stay just like this!" and not try to lose any weight right before the diet as the lace up back of my dress was already pulled pretty tightly and wouldn't lay right -- meaning more work for her and money for me! And my favorite thing she said, and I quoted the night of my wedding as my Matron of Honor struggled to get the button for my bustle into the loop was "show it who's boss!" :) Anna also thought of two wonderful things I would've never thought of but really appreciated... She added a handle under the dress so I could carry the train gracefully as I walked around for pictures pre-wedding. She also noticed my sash that came with the dress didn't lay just right and fixed that for me. The little details did not go unnoticed, and she priced everything very fairly I feel, and carried herself professionally the whole time. Wonderful experience. Thanks so much, Anna!! read more

Bustle and Bodice - Getting my wedding dress altered by Anna! - Sewing & Alterations Near Me

Anna made this dress fit me perfectly! I only had 4 weeks from receiving my dress to the wedding day and she got it done a week early! She listened to what I wanted, gave her expertise, and helped make me feel beautiful on the biggest day of my life! She's very personable and sweet, it's obvious she loves what she does. I'm so happy I found her!! read more

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Anna did an amazing job on my wedding dress. The top did not fit right at all and she was able to take it in and contour to my body perfectly. The length of my dress also made it very difficult to walk around due to the tulle and Anna was able to tailor it so it wouldn't get stuck around my shoes. My dress was easy to wear on my wedding day and I was able to walk and dance without any issues! Highly recommended. read more

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I bought a used dress and brought it here for alterations and to cover a spot on the back of the dress. We ended up deciding to add lace over the back on the spot. Unfortunately, the day of the wedding much of the lace starting coming off and some pieces fell off. When I told Ana about this, she was immediately apologetic and offered to reimburse me and re-sew the lace if I wanted. I appreciated how she handled the situation, and the other alterations went fairly smoothly. (Posted on behalf of my wife) read more

I cannot say enough about the experience I had with Anna. She is a true professional and takes special care to make sure your dress is exactly the way you want it. My dress had a lot of intricate lace and she made it look as if the dress was made for my body. She cares and it shows! read more

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Wow! I cannot say enough good things about Anna and her work. She left no detail untouched and made my dress absolutely perfect for my wedding day. My dress had detailed beading that needed to be removed to resize so I was very concerned about finding an amazing tailor, but I felt at ease as soon as I walked into my first fitting. Anna was so sweet and made me feel very comfortable. She truly was a pleasure to work with. I received so many compliments on my dress and I know it would not have looked the same if I hadn't gone to Anna to make it the perfect fit. I would highly recommend! Thank you for everything, Anna! read more

I had an amazing experience with Anna at Bustle and Bodice. I purchased my dress on the west coast and needed to find someone to complete my alterations in Chicago. I'll admit - I spent a bit more than expected on my dress (about double) and I was absolutely terrified of letting anyone touch it in the event they ruined it (I've heard horror stories). The bridal shop I purchased sent over a list of recommended alterations shop, and Bustle & Bodice was included in the list. After reading all of the 5 star reviews, I decided to contact the shop and check their availability. The rest is history. Anna is an amazing and talented seamstress - her work was flawless and while my dress was always beautiful - she made it perfect. She completely re-constructed the bust of my dress, re-enforced all of the snaps and buttons, adjusted the arm cut-outs, and added a beautiful bustle. You get what you pay for and she is 100% worth the money. You will not be disappointed. :) read more

Bustle and Bodice - My Dress fit perfectly after Anna was done with it. She was simply amazing! - Sewing & Alterations Near Me

We purchased a prom dress - online - from a seller in CA. The dress was backless, and needed some minor alterations, but also needed some tightening in the bodice, requiring removal of fabric and placing of boning and some other more complicated alterations. Anna was amazing. We had an initial app't where she took measurements and figured out what needed to be done, and about a month or so later, we went back for a final try-on and she really did some amazing work. The dress turned out beautiful and fit my daughter perfectly. Anna knows her stuff. Her cost for alterations was very reasonable and I'm very happy with the whole experience! read more

Bustle and Bodice - Backless prom dress which Anna altered to perfection! - Sewing & Alterations Near Me

Anna was so great to work with- quick communication, efficient appointments, and very talented at what she does. My dress fit perfectly, and Anna worked diligently on a special bustle and a few other design tweaks to ensure my dress was comfortable and fit just right. Would go back to her in a heartbeat! read more

Anna did a fabulous job on my mom's wedding gown reconstruction!! In 3 fittings, we were able to cut down her 38-year-old dress into a beautiful tea-length cocktail dress which I wore for my rehearsal dinner. It came out beautifully and brought my mom to tears seeing me in her dress. Anna's work is flawless and her attention to detail in re-envisioning a new look for an old gown was everything I could have hoped for and more than I expected. I would highly recommend Anna for delicate alterations and tailoring work. read more

Bustle and Bodice - AFTER: 38-year-old wedding dress reconstruction by Anna - Sewing & Alterations Near Me

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Anna did an absolutely amazing job on my dress! While I did not have any personal references that had used Anna, I did a lot of research on my own, and I would choose her over and over again for alterations. My dress was all lace with layers of tool underneath, and it had a train on it. The bust also had some intricate beeding. I bought the dress and unbeknownst to me, it was ~3 sizes larger than what I should have bought. The strapless dress barely would stay up on its own before Anna saved me. Anna took ~5 inches out of the sides all while making sure the lace still lined up and the beading was not compromised in any way, shape, or form. Anna was also incredibly kind, professional, and genuine during each of my fittings. She took time to know me, and when asked other questions in regards to accessories (bows, earrings, necklace, etc.), she gave honest opinions. I actually had Anna added the ribbon bow to my dress per her suggestion. Anna was so great to work with, and I highly recommend her! read more

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Anna is absolutely amazing! I purchased my dress in Michigan where my wedding is but was having difficulty finding a place that could see me on weekends. I did some research to find someone who wouldn't completely rip me off with bridal alterations but still do a great job. Anna is that person! She is so sweet, very detailed and gave me great ideas on little ways to make sure the dress would sit perfectly on my wedding day. Anna took off a LOT of length (I'm 5'1), added a bustle and tweaked the top of my dress a bit. All of this was $225 which I think is very reasonable for alterations in Chicago. Another place quoted me $500 when all I said was I needed some length removed! I went yesterday for my final fitting and was SO SO happy! Also great was that she works out of her house. Her place is so nice and cozy, you can tell she loves what she does and does a GREAT job! I will definitely go back for future bridesmaid dress alterations! read more

Anna is a master at her craft. I decided to hire her to reconstruct my overly large dress, after first seeking advice from the person who had been doing my alternations for many years. The complications related to making this dress fit baffled my long term seamstress to the point she sent me away. All I had to do was send a photo to Anna and she nailed what need to be done. And there was plenty to fix! It was over all too large for me. I needed the dress shortened, taken in both at waist and bust. The dress was backless and it hung off my shoulders like you wouldn't believe, making the underarms uncomfortable and sag. Anna noted all of this from a cell phone photo! The best part was actually working with her. The before and after is simply astounding. Everyone loved my dress and my friends who were there for the before/after were equally impressed. She's awesome. You can't go wrong. read more

Bustle and Bodice - Sewing & Alterations Near Me

Anna is absolutely wonderful! She made my dress which was two sizes too big fit like a glove. She also had to take a lot of length off and even sewed on the trim I bought to make a sash. She listened to all my concerns and made suggestions which made this whole process seamless. I am so glad I went with her after going to a few other places. She did not take any shortcuts and I could not be happier with the way my dress came out! read more

Bustle and Bodice - Sewing & Alterations Near Me

Anna is truly amazing and I highly recommend Bustle and Bodice! She is professional, kind, and so extremely talented. My wedding dress was slightly different since I had a body suit and skirt combination. I also had two skirts (one for ceremony and one for reception) which both needed to be hemmed pretty dramatically. I kept the train on one and then hemmed it from the other so that I didn't need to bustle it. She also took in my body suit and it fit perfectly after her alterations! Throughout the entire process, Anna's communication was great and she made everything so seamless. Plus she is so much fun to hang out with! She is funny and sweet and you can tell she is very passionate about her work. She also sells gorgeous veils which I recommend as well! During our ceremony, the wind picked up and my veil was actually floating! So beautiful and delicate. I actually have already returned to Bustle and Bodice to get my dress for my sister's upcoming wedding hemmed. Anna also suggested that I shorted the straps and it made a world of difference! I will continue to come back for any and all alterations or even if I just happen to be in the neighborhood to say hello! read more

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I had a great experience with Anna at Bustle and Bodice! I had a very tight time frame to have a bridesmaid dress hemmed and she set up an appointment with me for the next day. When I asked for a quote she had no problem giving me one over the phone. The whole appointment only took ten minutes and she took the time to answer all of my questions. When I picked up the dress it was perfect. I would definitely go to her again. read more

Anna's super friendly, pleasant to work with and has a passion for her work. She modified my neckline from straight to sweetheart. A few important things to know: - Works out of her home... a really nice alternative to a hectic, noisy store! - Keeps day time hours, a few week days (no evenings) - Prices seem very fair - Call early (don't wait)...she's had to refer some potential clients to others because of demand (a good problem for Anna to have!) read more

Anna did a fantastic job altering my dress for my wedding day. She was knowledgable and professional and my dress came out beautifully. She gave mulitple suggestions and ideas about options for the bustle, sewed on a belt and a bracelet "handle" for me, in addition to hemming all four layers of the dress for the perfect length. I couldn't have been more pleased with her serivces! Highly recommend! read more

Bustle and Bodice - Fantastic alteration work! - Sewing & Alterations Near Me

Look no further Anna is the absolute best! She is so patient, hard working, dedicated and very detail oriented. She is also so sweet! She altered my all lace wedding dress back in August 2015 and did an outstanding job on making it absolutely perfect :) This review is way overdue...I highly recommend her services, you won't go wrong! Book her ASAP!! Thank you Anna for your exceptionally awesome alteration services! read more

Bustle and Bodice - Sewing & Alterations Near Me

I just cannot say enough good things about Anna. I was so lucky that after a horrible experience at a Bridal Salon (they were supposed to do my alterations) that literally had me in tears, one of my bridesmaids found Anna for me. Now where to start.... She has an aura of calm around her. So even as you are wondering how this dress is ever going to fit or what it will look like when everything is done, Anna knows and she is confident in her knowledge. She taught me that sometimes you need to "let go of the banana". She is fairly priced. Alterations on a wedding dress are expensive no matter where you go, but Anna charges a fair price and her service is definitely worth it. She will see you... time and again.... until she knows you are happy with the outcome. After picking up my finished dress I took it home and wondered if I should add bra cups, which I had previously decided against. Anna told me it was no problem to bring it back and have her take a look at what would work best. She is honest. As we talked through what I wanted to do or change with the dress, she gave me her honest opinion on what she could do, but also on how it would ultimately change the dress - for better or worse (no pun intended). Thank you Anna! I will recommend you to all future brides, bridesmaids, and anyone who needs alterations. read more

Bustle and Bodice - Going to the "First Look" - Sewing & Alterations Near Me