I purchased a dress that was three sizes too large from a sample sale and chose Connie's shop after visiting five other tailors. Connie's shop was the first thing that truly impressed me. Many of the other tailors I visited worked out of small or makeshift home studios, but Connie's space was open and airy, with a large mirror and a platform that truly makes you feel like a princess when you step up to see how the dress is coming together on your body. Connie herself was just as impressive--kind, professional, and very mindful of my budget. Appointments can feel brief, but she is fair, efficient, and clearly skilled at what she does. Overall, I was extremely happy with how my dress turned out and would absolutely recommend Connie to other brides in the future. read more

Although I did not get work done here, I got a really fair quote with recommendations that showed true tailoring expertise. The timing didn't work out for what I needed, but I would totally be comfortable hiring Connie for my tailoring needs in the future based on that kind and experienced interaction! read more

Connie is so patient and was wonderful to work with. She was able to make the alterations I wanted to make my dress perfect for me!

Knowledge Kindness and Connie's execution were amazing with a wedding gown. Timely turnaround and easy pick-up. Street parking. read more

Connie was great in helping me alter my wedding dress for my destination wedding. She was able to open up the seams and make it bigger and cut the length to the perfect size. She was knowledgeable and friendly and very easy to work with. read more

Connie Tao Designs - Bridal Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Would recommend this place for any bridal alterations. Came for my veil alteration, and Connie was very helpful, professional, timely, friendly and did a great job! read more

Connie did a great job of hemming my wedding dress. The reason I chose her for such an important job is because she has excellent communication and I could tell she takes her business seriously and cares about quality and results. I trusted her entirely. I highly recommend her. read more

Dealing with Connie's alterations was the most stressful part of my daughters wedding. My daughter bought a sample dress and brought it to Connie for alterations. After at least 7 visits with Connie saying 'we'll take this up', then 'we'll move this down' and without measuring the dress was unwearable for her actual wedding day. She never measured either how much things should be taken in or my daughter. The alterations done were in the wrong spot and too much and or too little. All of the back-and-forth caused so much extra wear and tear on the dress. We paid a significant amount for the alterations to wind up not being able use it at all. Connie seems like a very nice person, the problem is she doesn't measure to see what the adjustments should be and then guesses incorrectly. Her confidence in her ability to guess is very misguided. Please check out pictures and videos for examples of the problems with the 'finished product'. read more

Connie Tao Designs - Bridal Near Me - Pasadena, California

Connie is such an incredible seamstress! I found my dream wedding dress secondhand - the only problem is the dress was two sizes too big and had sleeves. I showed Connie my inspiration photos and let her work her magic! read more

Connie Tao Designs - Finished dress - Bridal Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Did a fantastic job altering my wedding dress. Fit like a glove, and she fixed the hip area just how i asked her to.

Connie is so sweet and welcoming! She is so patient to listen to any concerns or requests that you have. I came in about 4 times for my wedding dress fitting, and she was such a pleasure to work with. Great pricing too! read more

Connie Tao Designs - Bridal Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Connie was absolutely amazing to work with and helped make my wedding dreams come true! I broke my foot three months prior to my wedding so I knew I was going to have to get creative when it came to wedding dress shopping. I was able to meet Connie, agree on fabric and a design, and have three fittings all in time for my wedding. Her pricing is very fair and she was beyond flexible during the designing and fitting process, and was especially considerate of my mobility issues as I recovered from surgery etc. Highly recommend her services! read more

I love my dress, and I loved Connie! She tailored my dress exactly the way I wanted, and I received so many compliments on my wedding day! read more

Connie Tao Designs - Bridal Near Me - Pasadena, California

I found Connie via all her fantastic Yelp reviews, and I am here to tell you that there are no lies! Connie was such a pleasure to work with for all my bridal needs. Initially, I came to her to help me with my wedding dress alterations. I wanted to find someone who was local to me, but also trustworthy, and I am so glad I found both qualities and more in Connie. I booked a January 2023 appointment back in November 2022 just because I wanted to ensure I got on her books at the same time my dress would arrive. It all worked out. At our first fitting, she actively took notes and I told her everything I was hoping to alter to ensure a perfect fit. My wedding dress took about 5 visits in total as I had a huge gown where it needed to be brought in a bit, sleeves adjusted, hem adjusted, among other alterations. At about visit #3, I finally found what I wanted to wear for my 2nd outfit at my wedding reception. This is where I wish I could give Connie 10 stars! I bought a plain-ish jumpsuit from David's Bridal. The pants were wide, and the fit wasn't perfect, but I knew it had potential. I took it to Connie and oh my gosh she worked such magic! She tapered the pants, and with the extra fabric, she made flutter sleeves, and she added the big tulle moment that I wanted added on, and just made this 2nd outfit like I never imagined. It really become a whole different outfit from what I initially purchased, and it exceeded my expectations so much. Every visit with Connie was fun, and while I'd be changing into the dress or jumpsuit, she was so kind to let me indulge in wedding details asking me how everything is going, etc. Once both of my outfits were done, I felt like, awww when am I going to see Connie again?? Well, now that I know she is a great person and alterations talent, I will definitely be coming back to her with any future outfit needs -- or to create a whole new one! read more

Connie Tao Designs - Connie turned a plain-ish jumpsuit into this great, 2nd outfit -- added tulle, sleeves, straps, and tapered leg. - Bridal Near Me - Pasadena, California

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I come here for alternate my wedding dress from my best friend recommend. Connie is very sweet and listen for what I really want. She takes her time and be patient with me in every step on my decision. The dress comes out perfect on my special day. The price also affordable. So once again thank you so much Connie. read more

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Going with Connie for my wedding dress alterations was a great choice! Connie is so sweet and easy to work with, listened to the fit concerns I brought up, and had some great suggestions for how to make my dress fit as perfectly as possible. My dress had a lot of layers of tulle and lace and I needed it to be shortened quite a bit - when Connie was all done it looked amazing and I was even able to dance in it, thanks to the perfectly placed bustle. Connie was very responsive to emails and let's be honest, wedding dress alterations are expensive, but Connie's pricing is transparent and reasonable. I would recommend her to anyone looking for wedding dress or other alterations. read more

Connie Tao Designs - Bridal Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Connie is great!!! I have a mini (bridal) dress from Katherine Tash that's too loose around my bust and it bothered me to no end. I previously took it to another tailor who added cups and it was still gigantic around my bust. I then took the dress to Connie and she has magic hands! Not only did she quote me a super reasonable price (unlike some other tailors who tried to upsell me because I obviously needed a French bustle for my short dress *eye roll/sarcasm*), but also she turned the dress around in three days!! I am so happy with how my dress fits now. If I want to be extremely nit-picky, the stitching could be a little neater. However, no one is going to flip your dress inside out to check those details, nor do I think it matters at the end of the day (I am purely mentioning it in case others care). For me personally, the dress fits like a glove, the price is right, the turnaround is fast, and that's a 12/10 in my book! It's also worth mentioning that I found Connie via my friend who took her $10k+ super expensive Galia Lahav gown to Connie. Her dress was at least one or two sizes too small (uh I can go on and on about Galia Lahav horror stories), and Connie made her dress look like it's custom made!! I saw my friend's wedding photos and was super impressed by how well the dress fit her, and that's why I reached out to ask who her tailor was. read more

Simply the best!!! I had two wedding dresses that needed an overhaul - from taking them in, to shortening the hem, to adding pockets - and Connie did everything perfectly. Truly - she was a magician. She's also extremely nice and personable, and reasonably priced. Also, as a queer fat person, I felt completely comfortable here, and comfortable to be myself unapologetically. Absolutely loved my dresses and definitely recommend to everyone! read more

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I found Connie just searching online- and so so lucky I did! I wanted a simple, elegant white wedding dress for my reception and Connie designed and made my perfect dress. She sent me sketches, had me come in to look at sample swatches, and had numerous fittings to make it just right. The entire process was seamless and I culdn't say better things about her and her work! read more

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Connie made alterations on my wedding dress. She listened to my concerns and gave great recommendations on the necessary alterations based on the style of my dress and body type. She was always so personable and easy to chat with. All my appointments were very efficient and I only needed a couple of fittings. Thanks to Connie, I felt comfortable and great in my dress! read more

Connie Tao Designs - Bridal Near Me - Pasadena, California

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The reviews extolling Connie's expertise, patience and creativity are so true! I came to Connie's studio with three dresses that I was planning to wear over the weekend of my daughter's wedding. She made small but incredibly beautiful - and useful - design changes for my mother of the bride dress and updated and altered two other dresses in record time. She is a great listener, is innovative and is incredibly skilled. She is talented, kind and personable - a great find! read more

Connie's work is absolute perfection. Connie is kind and genuinely cares about making you look your absolute best. I took a bridesmaid's dress to her for hemming, and she was also able to help make the bodice look more fitting to my body, and sewed in bra strap holders in my straps. My dress looks amazing - thanks Connie!! read more

ALTERATIONS Review: Let's cut to the chase - Connie is patient, honest, and affordable! She listens to my concerns and provides honest feedback to help ease our mind. I brought my bridesmaid dress here (at my bride's recommendation) and had an appointment with her to fix the length and a little loose in the back area. She was very communicative before, during and after my appointment. Once I tried on my dress, she pinned a few places and had me walk around the shop and sit down to ensure it wasn't too tight. I appreciated her honesty because she mentioned the length of the dress did not need to be altered and mentioned it'd save me more money since it looked good with my heels etc., She was kind during my visit and listened to my concerns about eating and what it'd do with my dress and dancing etc. She changed my alteration again in regard to my concern and asked me follow up questions to ensure I was comfortable. After she made the alterations, I went back to try it on again and it was perfect! I appreciated the whole experience and her fair prices! I'll definitely come back here if I need my wedding dress altered. Thanks Connie! I knew my dress was in safe hands :) read more

I purchased a second hand strapless wedding gown from Poshmark. The original gown came with off the shoulder sleeves but the gown I purchased did not come with any. I found Connie on yelp and she was able to make really beautiful and comfortable off the shoulder sleeves for me and I could not be more pleased with her services. The sleeves I requested were flutter style and she was able to recreate them from a picture. I got so many compliments on the wedding day. From start to finish, Connie took alot of time to sit down with me and go over what I wanted. I requested sleeves and french bustle, it came out to a total of $295. I had total of 3 fittings. Overall, I am more than happy to say that Connie is one of the best people I've met while wedding planning. She made me feel comfortable while getting fitted and she gave me good advice for the day of, and she also is so warm and cares alot about her work. Thank you Connie and your team! read more

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This review is for a bridesmaid dress alteration. Connie is professional and attentive, quick with responding to messages. I had my dress shortened and straps pinned. She helped me decide how to style my dress and what alterations would be needed. She makes recommendations, but helps you decide what you ultimately want/need. Prices are fair, and she will try to work around your timeline as long as it's within reason. read more

Connie did a wonderful job doing a very difficult alteration for my wedding dress! She was able to take it in two sizes while keeping the integrity of the dress. She met with me 5 times to get it done and was very patient throughout the process. I felt so great during my wedding day -- thank you, Connie! read more

I seriously can't say enough good things about my experience with Connie! I bought my wedding dress on Etsy and it was kind of a disaster. I brought it to Connie about 2 months before my wedding and she was such a joy and so knowledgable about what a needed done. I knew I had to work with her right away! We had multiple meetings and fittings just to ensure everything was exactly as I wanted it to be. She completely remade the back of my dress and performed several other miracles to make it into an absolute dream. I felt like a princess on my wedding dress because of her. If you need anything done, look no further!! I will bring every alteration to her for the rest of my life! Thank you :) read more

Connie Tao Designs - My wedding dress turned out beautifully! - Bridal Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Really great work and prompt turnaround. Her shop is filled with her individual creations but she will also tailor and alter clothes from other places. I had a dress with a lot of beading and design that needed a zipper put into the side and she was really fast about it. read more

I did not get to take my dress to Connie Tao Designs but I want to leave a review for their communication and professionalism. Let's just say I regret not taking my dress here:( I picked up my dress 2 weeks before my wedding from a different place that did my alterations and it was not like how they said it would be. The same day, later on Friday evening, I sent a message to Connie Tao designs and I got a quick response. They said they can see me as soon as possible (soonest being Monday) and was even offered to send pictures of my dress for a faster opinion. I felt less stressed when they offered to see me so quickly and were so ready to help me out. I in the end decided to leave my dress as is. I just appreciate that I had the option to still alter my dress if needed. Thank you:) read more

Unfortunately did not have a great experience here. I was hoping to get a qipao dress to wear for my wedding reception but after 5 fittings, 10 hrs driving in traffic and with a 40% non refundable deposit paid upfront, I sadly left with no dress. When it came to last few fittings the dress just wasn't fitting right. Each time the fit was very tight. At first I couldn't walk in the dress and then at the next fitting I could walk in it but couldn't sit in the dress. The fit was very uncomfortable. Every week I was told it was going to be an easy alteration and I could come in next week to pick up the dress. However after being told that for 4-5 times I began to lose faith. At that point, the time coming back and forth here was costing me more. I also started to notice there were crease marks starting to show near the seams. I assume it was from opening up the seam over and over. It was noticeable to me but they mentioned they could do something to make it less noticeable but at that point I lost hope that this dress would truly turn out to be the dress I envisioned. Once I decided the dress was taking too much time of my time and no longer wanted to continue the fitting process, I was reminded the 40% deposit was non refundable. They did offer to continue working on the dress but unfortunately I did not have faith that the seam marks could be fixed and I wouldn't have any where to wear this dress other than my wedding anyway. If you do decide to come here, just know there's a 40% non refundable deposit whether you like the dress or not. read more

I came here for my wedding dress alteration based on my friend's recommendation. Connie is such a nice and lovely human being! So patient and listened to all my concerns. I had multiple fittings because my dress was a bit complicated, and Connie did a great job in delivering! I would definitely recommend this place for all your wedding dress alterations! read more

TL;DR I needed alterations on a wedding gown and reception dress 5 weeks before my wedding, and decided to bring them to Connie because the price was reasonable, but more importantly, she was honest and easy-going. I felt she would be helpful during the last stretch of my wedding planning and not be a cause for worry. I enjoyed my interactions with Connie on text and in person. She listened to my requests, had great ideas for customising my reception dress, and the results were great! I needed to find a local tailor in Pasadena to alter my wedding gown and booked an appointment with Connie for a quote after reading reviews on Yelp. She was responsive in setting up our appointment and supplied a quote within 5 min. Given the structure, amount of fabric on the dress, and other quotes I had found, I thought Connie's quote was reasonable. In the end I returned that dress. During my search for a wedding gown, I had some questions about fabrics and how dresses might look after alteration, and Connie was very helpful in responses to my text. (She pointed out which fabrics would crease easily when I sat down, and which color veil would match the dress.) When I finally found my wedding dress, I brought it to Connie and she did a wonderful job hemming it. The bustle was also tastefully done. For what it's worth, my wedding planner commented that my dress looked very natural with the bustle up (i.e. not gathered in a bunch). Connie also altered my reception dress and it fit like a glove. I'm so grateful for Connie's expertise, help, and kindness! read more

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Connie was amazing to work with. I was a little stressed out planning a cross-country wedding and wasn't sure how alterations on my wedding dress would work living in CA but planning a wedding in Maine. She was fantastic, detail oriented, communicative, and organized. Her storefront is easy to find and has accessible parking. Her prices are VERY reasonable for alterations here in Pasadena. She bustled, hemmed and shortened the straps. I had about 2-3 appointments leading up to the wedding and she asked all the right questions and gave advice about fit. My dress had lace and when she hemmed it, it looked as good as it did originally! She was so sweet and wonderful. Thank you again Connie! read more

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I could not be any happier with the dress and shawl she made for me from my grandmother's kimono and obi. Exquisite workmanship, efficient, it was such a good experience working with her! I will definitely be returning for more dresses! read more

Had an amazing experience with Connie for my wedding dress alterations. She was so friendly and supportive of my vision for how I wanted my dress changed. It takes soft and technical skills to listen to the customer and then execute a great final product and this is exactly what she did. There were no surprises with any pricing or services! Dress alterations can be stressful, but I felt very comfortable with Connie. It was overall an ideal experience that I would recommend to any bride. read more

I don't think there are enough words to describe my gratitude for Connie and what she did for me, but I can certainly give it a shot. Some girls grow up dreaming about their wedding day, thinking about the flowers and their dress. Nothing wrong with that, but that was never me. Fast forward to adulthood--I found my person and decided I wanted to get married. I shopped around at a handful of bridal boutiques, both budget conscious and pricier. I almost bought a dress... three times. But I realized that I didn't love any of those dresses as a whole, just components of them. The thought of a custom-made dress never crossed my mind because it seemed so financially out of reach, but I decided to look into it just in case. I found Connie here on Yelp and sent her an email, along with a few other designers in the area who do custom dresses. Connie's friendly, professional email etiquette coupled with the price range she disclosed were promising, so I went in to meet with her. Her boutique in Pasadena features samples of her gorgeous designs, and her cute pup is usually around to greet guests as well. After talking with her about things I loved and things I didn't, she sketched out a few designs for me and emailed them to me for my review, along with an estimate of how much it would cost. She was always very low pressure: I never felt like she was just trying to make a sale or that she was trying to box me into something I didn't want. I felt so at ease with her so I decided I would end up down this route after all. I came in to make my deposit and have my measurements taken, which was pretty brief. Her pricing is all inclusive: from the moment you decide on a design to the moment you pick the dress up, all the fabrics, alterations, and labor costs are part of your bottom line. We scheduled my first fitting and she was very honest from the get-go, letting me know that the first fitting really is just to gauge the fit and silhouette. I appreciated that, because it helped me lower my expectations and understand I wasn't going to have a "say yes to the dress" moment. The second fitting was fantastic because it gave me a greater idea of what the dress would look like. She is so incredibly talented at narrowing your ideas down and bringing them to life, and when you have a change you'd like to make, she understands that it's based off of personal preference rather than a judgment of her work. I appreciate her attention to detail and ability to steer you without trying to change your mind--I liken it to her being a co-pilot. I didn't end up wearing my dress in the way that I planned: the COVID shutdown completely changed my wedding plans since it was two weeks prior to my wedding date. But I still picked up my dress and wore it to my makeshift microwedding, and I felt like a million bucks. It was comfy and everything I wanted at the time, all because of her patience and keen eye. Thanks so much, Connie! read more

A really great experience and affordable price. I had a satin Qipao altered so the fit is very specific and she was able to do it. read more

Connie Tao Designs - graduation photo with tradition Chinese dress (qipao) - Bridal Near Me - Pasadena, California

Connie made quick alterations for me in the few weeks right before my wedding. I didn't need much work done, but had a lot of issues with sizing for my dress which was made elsewhere in Orange County. So I was a bit anxious to get my dress to fit in time for my wedding and I didn't want to deal with driving up and down from OC again. I found Connie through Yelp and decided to trust her. She quickly made the alterations, was prompt in communications, which was so important for me since my wedding was literally under a month, and got the dress to fit beautifully. Pricing was fair too. She was very patient and kind. Highly recommend! read more

My normal dress alterations location was unfortunately closed for a few months during the pandemic, and was grateful to have found Connie here on yelp. She was quick with responding to communications and I felt her prices were fair with my timeline of wanting alterations completed for my dress. I didn't get any custom work or design done, but Connie was great in giving me the freedom to share my ideas as well as giving me ideas of her own. The dress ended up fitting great and very secure on the day of! Would definitely recommend Connie to anyone looking for dress alterations or any custom designs. She was so sweet and nice to work with. read more

I don't usually write reviews, but Connie was the most professional, understanding, and sweet person I've ever met. I had the pleasure of having Connie make my dress for Prom. I had a few additional requests the day BEFORE, and she was super understanding and took me in and did it. I went to 2 proms, and when the dress got a little messed up after the first (was my fault), she allowed me to come back so she can sew some of the beads back on. Through all of this, she never got mad or upset. She remained super professional and sweet. Not to mention, she created the most beautiful dress I've ever seen. I would recommend her to anyone looking to get a dress made! read more

Connie Tao Designs - Bridal Near Me - Pasadena, California

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