Great customer service needed to fix my pants and shirt and I really like the work and price Highly appreciated read more

Great quality of work for an affordable price. If I have any other clothing that needs repair -- this is the place to be! (Cash only, just FYI) read more

Support this business! Provides excellent service. Had two pairs of pants perfectly hemmed. Very impressed by the outcome. $10 to hem and pick-up in 3 days but I requested for same-day service and she was very nice to have it done in an hour. Extra charge for same-day service (about $5 a pair). Stop by early if you need it done soon so she has time to make the altercations! Bring cash, helpful to have exact change if you can! read more

This little hole in the wall was a great find. I was searching for tailors near Nob Hill and there were several hits near the Chinatown area. Since it's a one woman shop, she keeps the door locked so you should call ahead of time or knock really loudly on the door. It's not a fancy place but a simple workshop. She had me try on my bridesmaid dress with my heels on to see what needed to be done, she ended up taking over 4 inches on my waist and loosening the bust area a bit. The job was $50 which is not bad for the type of dress it was, lots of layering detail at the bodice. I brought in the dress for alterations much earlier than I need it for but she had it done on time. I will definitely come back for future alterations jobs. read more

Jenny is the sweetest - she's knowledgeable, kind, and FAST. "Expert" describes her to a T. I got one of my nicest pair of slacks hemmed here and was nervous that it would be expensive (cuz sf is expensive period) or that the hem would be uneven, but was so pleasantly surprised by her pricing, quick turnaround, and her work. Know that my expectations are high - I work for a fashion company. She got a fat tip from me and I will definitely be returning to her for all of my tailoring needs. read more

I brought about 10 indian wedding outfits to Janet over the course of 6 months ahead of my sister's wedding and she did an amazing job on everything! Every thing fit perfectly after Janet worked her magic and if it didn't she made any additional changes needed in a timely manner. The place is very informal, but quality speaks for itself and Janet has a great sense of humor too :) If anyone asks me for a tailor in SF, Janet it my go-to recommendation! read more

Janet is great! She does a great job with the alterations and is super kind! One of the best things is her prices are way more reasonable than other places in the bay. Definitely go check her out read more

I went to have my pants hemmed last week and it only cost me $3! Whatta deal! Janet speaks Cantonese or Mandarin and a tiny bit of English. Thankfully, with the little Mandarin that I know, we were able to understand each other. The shop has no sign outside, there's only a poster with store hours on the door. If you see that, then you're in the right place. There was really nowhere to change. She would ask you to just go behind a short divider and change there. She will tell you that she won't look and she will lock the door. The day that I went, she didn't have a lot of backlog or jobs, so she was able to hem my pants in 15-20 minutes. But if you bring in more than one, you might have to come back for it on a different day. She did a fantastic job, by the way. I'm definitely going back! read more

Expert Alterations - Sewing & Alterations Near Me - San Francisco, California

Janet is so sweet- she really saved the day! I had 1 day for my rehearsal dress to be altered and she took me in with a smile and open arms. My dress fit perfectly and I honestly am so grateful for her. I would have paid anything to get it altered with such a short timeframe but she was under $90 and the dress turned out perfectly. Thank you Janet!!! I will definitely be returning! read more

Expert Alterations - The finished dress! I loved it! This dress was about 4 sizes to big- she shortened the straps and took in the waist. - Sewing & Alterations Near Me - San Francisco, California

Love Janette/Janet! Super friendly and chatty if you speak Chinese (she doesn't speak much English) but her prices for the handiwork can't be beat! Her work is consistent each and every time. A lot of the jeans I bring to her are stretchy with some spandex (because this mom bod can't function without it) and it brings me anxiety to get them hemmed sometimes because the stretchier the pant, the easier it is to mess up IMO. But her hem jobs always match up! Whatever length she measures out for you comes back as that length, which to me is amazing and much appreciated since I have never found anyone else that is as consistent as her. I have not used her for anything but skinny jeans and pants but I plan to bring some dresses back in the future. read more

It really pains me to write a bad review but if these are "expert" alterations, I don't want to see what "novice" alterations look like. I brought in some old pencil skirts to get taken in so that they would fit better. Janet convinced me that instead of taking it in at the waist on both sides, we can just do it on one side of the skirt. These skirts have a slit in the middle of the back and I questioned her on whether the slits would look uneven since it wouldn't be the centered anymore. She said that we're only taking in an inch or two so it's hardly noticeable. For "one sided" skirt alterations, she charged $14 and for alterations on both sides, she charged me $25. I had never gotten alterations before and I didn't know if that was a good price. As I tried on each item, she pinned the skirt, but only at the waist. I asked her to slim the skirt all the way down and she kind of acknowledged the request. I had a few other items as well and the total came out to be over $110. A few weeks later I returned to pick up the items and boy, was I disappointed. The skirts that were altered on one side were so lopsided. The way that she cut into the right side of the skirt did not match the way J Crew made the left side of the skirt. As the skirt sat on my waist, it tilted to the side. It looked ridiculous and at first she didn't want to admit it. Eventually, she agreed to fix it. The skirts that were altered on both sides were ok at the waist but far too roomy at other parts. Pencil skirts are not supposed to fit like that. I felt bad rejecting all of the pieces so I took a few home. Even when I returned a second time to pick up the items getting "fixed," they still didn't look right. I realized it was not going to get any better so I took everything home. I wore the skirts once or twice and absolutely hated how they looked. I ended up taking most of the items to an alterations guy in SoCal to get them redone at half the price. He shook head when he saw her work. He wondered how it's possible to think that taking in a skirt on one side and not pinning all the way down the skirt is acceptable. read more

--------LOCATION HAS BEEN MOVED-------- I came to get my husband's pants tailored and realized that they've moved to a bigger and better location! Now they're located literally ON the corner of Powell Street & Washington Street (right next door to the hair salon). Janet is such a sweet lady. Her prices can't be beat but her quality of work is what keeps me a regular customer. She fixed my husband's pants (the seams were a bit loose) and they look like they're brand-new. Highly recommend her to anyone who needs good work done. read more

One perk of speaking Cantonese is that I get to chat with the lady who owns this little shop. She's hilarious and reminds me of my mom - minus the part where my mom cautions me that sharing nail clippers can give you HIV. Also, she does $3 hems, and the quality of the work is great! I had 4 pairs of pants hemmed (including one pair of flares with a super wide leg, so those cost 'more' at $6) and a new zipper put in on a dress (the dress was lined, so the lining had to be undone and re-sewn to replace the long zipper), for a total cost of $33. I'm used to paying anywhere from $6 to $12 to hem one pair of pants. I even tried to give her a tip and she wouldn't take it! She has fantastic attention to detail and took the time to tell me that dress zippers break easily where the fabric is thick and too close to the zipper. She showed me the spot where she moved the fabric a tiny bit away from the zipper's edge to prevent future breakage, because the material was doubled over there. It's hardly noticeable, but definitely makes a difference. Zipper works perfectly now, and the dress looks great. Getting pants fitted correctly, or clothes fixed is a great way to refresh a wardrobe without buying new stuff! I already have people who want me to guide them to this mystical place of $3 hems to have their pants done. I'll definitely be back and will bring more complicated things with beading/more tailoring to be altered. read more

I just moved to the city and was looking for some cheap alterations... and what a gem i found! I took in a leather skirt to hem, 2 pairs of jeans to hem and create a "skinny" leg and a uniform skirt that needed to be sewn. I had high hopes for this place so I even took in my expensive jeans to get skinnied! She did an amazing job! The hem looks great and they are the perfect length now and she tapered them off at the bottom so now they are super flattering! It took her about 5-6 days because I wasn't in any hurry. I'm seriously telling all of my friends about this place. Cheapest and best alterations in Chinatown, hands down! Oh and she kept the original hem for a grand total of $30! For all 4 items. I can't get enough! read more

I found this place through Yelp and decided to give it a try. I brought in a pair of jeans I wanted to get hemmed - original hem. It cost $7 which I thought was really fair. I put them on for her to pin and she only pinned one leg. I've had jeans hemmed at other places before and they only pinned one leg so I didn't think much of it. I came back a few days later to pick it up and didn't realize until I brought them home that one leg was longer than the other! I matched them up in various ways and one leg was clearly longer than the other. We're talking about 1/4 of an inch! I brought them back and she measured them and said they were the same but it it wasn't until I tried them on for her again that she could see the difference. She pinned the longer one and fixed it (after another 3 days) but said it's probably because I have different length legs. Well, I've never had that problem with any of my other pants so whatever... Anyway, she did a really good job and I'm happy with the outcome. I'm not happy with having to go back twice but even so, I'd still go back. I'll just insist on her pinning both legs next time. As another reviewer wrote, she is quite sassy but I've found that she's pretty reasonable. I just ask for what I want and even though she makes it sound like she's doing me a huge favor, she gets it done and there are no hard feelings. It helps to speak Chinese - I only speak Mandarin but she speaks both Mandarin and Cantonese. Don't expect much - it's very nondescript and there are piles of clothing and fabric everywhere. She motioned to the back of the store and asked me to try on the pants and pretty much said, "Change over there, no one can see you. I'll just lock the door. See? No one can see you." She continued working with her back to me. See? No one can see me. read more

In brief: Location: Trenton and Jackson Hours: M-F 10am-5pm, Sat 12pm-5pm Price: Cheap! ($3 for regular hem, $6? for original hem) Service: Super-dee-duper! (but you have to speak mando or canto or you're out of luck) Results: I rarely have problems and if I do (i.e. pants not hemmed short enough), she fixes it for free ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Details: When I moved back from Manhattan last year, I needed to find a tailor to replace the cheap neighborhood one I frequented in the LES (see my review on Nelson Tailor Shop). I had shopped around and found plenty of places that would do basic pant hemming for $15-$25, which I thought was ridiculous considering it only takes 5 minutes to hem a pair of pants with a machine. I'm just hemming sample sale jeans and BR pants from the sale rack, not Armani suits so I'm not picky. I finally heard about this place from a friend who lives in Chinatown and I've never needed to look for another tailor since. Janet is great! She's got this little work room which includes a little makeshift "dressing room." I always try on my clothes for her there so she knows exactly how much to alter. I've brought her jeans, trousers, and even cargo pants that needed to be taken in at the waist. I go there every 6-8 weeks and she always remembers me - I don't even need to give her the ticket/receipt. As for turnaround times, 4-5 business days have been the norm for me as I've never needed anything in a rush. The downside is that her English is poor so it is probably safer if you knew how to speak either mandarin or cantonese. Also, she's located in Chinatown, but she's worth the 15 minute hike (each way) from my office downtown. Plus, I can pick up some Chinatown food for lunch on the way back! read more

Extremely skillful tailor and quick turnaround! My bf was one of the groomsmen and the wedding was 2 days away. His suit pants were too tight on the waist line and hip area. Before coming here, the other tailor said they can't do anything to make the pants bigger. But the pants were truly uncomfortable so we decided to come here for a second opinion. And thank god we found her! She provided a solution right away and she was able to expand the pants without a trace and ready for pick up the next day! Amazing job! She's also a super friendly lady speaks fluent Cantonese and good English! High recommend!!! read more

Janet did amazing job hemming two pairs of my Joe's jeans and sewing a hole on one of them. Her patch matched the color 100%. All that for only $15 While she speaks little English I had no problem communicating and explaining my needs read more

I needed some sewing done and since my office is near Chinatown I turned to YELP and found this place. Based on my experience, the reviews here are accurate. To call this shop non-descript is an understatement, but it is well worth finding. The woman who runs this closet-sized shop was really charming and nice. She told me when my sewing would be done and it was. The price was very fair (OK cheap) and the work exceeded my expectations. This is now my go to sewing shop. This is exactly the type of merchant that I never would have found without something like YELP. read more

Janet is very reliable. Been going for over 10 yrs to her. She's great for your normal wear clothing alterations!

I took a bit of a chance and had my rehearsal dinner dress altered here. I was a big concerned when I dropped it off. The language barrier combined with watching her pin the hips of my silk/satin dress with thick safety pins had me a bit nervous. We worked through the language barrier and the safety pins and I was pleasantly surprised with the finished product. Giving 4 stars vs 5 due to a little additional alteration request to the bust that didn't turn out well but was easily reversible (a bit more complicated of an alteration). Overall I was pleased with the final product and I'd go back for similar alterations in the future. read more

I don't write reviews often, but Janet was awesome! I went to someone else before her. Previous alteration guy didn't want to work on my city hall wedding dress, because he thinks the bidding was too intricate. Janet was able to delivered and i couldn't be happier with the result, the price was very reasonable too! read more

Janet is amazing. She's very friendly and has extremely fast turn around times. Her prices are fair and I enjoy coming to her shop. I've trusted her with all of my denim alterations. read more

After hours of research on Yelp, I made my decision to get my dress altered from a size 10 to a size 4 without shortening it. I loved the dress so much that I had to have it, even if it was three sizes too big. I bought my dress on sale so getting it altered was definitely worth it, as long as it was still below regular price. I was afraid that it was impossible to modify it due to its intricate beading and structured bodice. I have never altered anything of this large extent before so I was very skeptical. The lady at Expert Alterations reassured me that it would work and that I found the perfect person that was an expert at these types of alterations. She is quite sassy (love it!) and doesn't speak much english. I don't mind since I speak some cantonese. The shop is very modest and is located in an alley on the bottom of an apartment complex. There is also a very small makeshift changing area and a very short mirror. I told Ms. Sassy to take her time on my dress since I didn't need it right away. I went in for two fittings and the dress looks great! I would definitely come here again if I have any formal dresses to alter. There is a nook in that alley right next to the shop where she told me to park for a few minutes (at your own risk!!). Very convenient and wallet friendly! read more

it took me 2 years to have another pair of pants hemmed but janet is still the "da bomb". i did converse with her cantonese the price has increased GULP to $4. that is still cheap and she's quick and efficient too!!! she was able to give it to the next day i gave her $5 still cheap. thank you janet:O) read more

Janet was awesomely helpful despite the language barrier, and decently open to negotiation as well. I think she would be great for simple things like jean and straight skirt hemming and patching holes. Not so good for hemming A-line skirts, but she's definitely a great tailor charging great prices for everything else. read more

Janet is super nice and awesome! I brought like 8 pairs of jeans for Janet to hem. They were all done perfectly. Janet even told me which one I should keep original and which one I shouldn't to help me save money. So 8 jeans total is only $50! Usually it cost like $15 to do one in other places. And they were all done perfectly. Thanks Janet! read more

very nice lady who does top notch alteration for a very cheap price. I definetely reccomend her

I can't begin to tell you how amazing Jenny is!!!! Been coming to her for alternation for years!!!! She does a perfect job on every piece I bring to her. She's super super sweet as well!! I work in fidi, her location is great too, I can easily walk there during lunch hours. Highly recommended it! read more

Janet is awesome and does a great job. Her prices are reasonable and you just love how sweet and cool this lady is. Been going for over a couple of years now. read more

I love Janet and her darling smile. Although I can hardly communicate with her, language barrier, it doesn't matter as she is an expert professional and can understand what I need done. She has hemmed both jeans and long dresses for me and both came out beautifully. I continue to go back to her with my business. Her kind energy, affordable prices, and skilled work are well worth it. A pant hem cost me $5 and long dress with side slit $15. Tapering a jean and hem for $20. Thanks Janet! read more

I've been searching for a good cheap alteration place since I moved to North Beach. I'd tried a few in Chinatown and hadn't been satisfied with any of them. So my search continued and led me here to Expert Alterations. I was very optimistic about this place due to the good reviews and the super friendly lady that works here. I took a pair of jeans to be hemmed. It cost $3 for the "cut and sew" option. The workmanship was pretty good and it was ready the next day. My only complaint is that the thread used did not match the thread on the rest of the jeans. The jeans have two different colors of thread - a yellowish color and a faded orange color. The thread she used for the hem is BRIGHT orange. Overall, not a bad experience, but I'm going to continue my search. read more

I'm a loyal customer of Janet! I'm embarrassed to say I didn't know her name until I saw one of the Yelp reviews, but she is seriously the cutest and happiest tailor I ever met, with mad skills to match! Hemming jeans is not a difficult task, and Janet only charges you $3 vs. the $12+ farther down in FiDi--SO reasonable. She's earned my trust, so I've been bringing her more difficult jobs, which go up to around $10-15, and she does them flawlessly, including pants from Balenciaga and a number of designer tops with complicated sleeves/hemming. Be prepared to really communicate what you want though--she doesn't quite offer up her opinion as much as one might want from a tailor. read more

I love her. Since finding her, I frequent weekly, and dumped my old alteration lady. She's super nice, and is honest. If she cannot do the job, she'll tell you on the spot. read more

Good alterations/tailoring for a better than average price. If you're looking for some simple/coomon alterations, this is a perfectly fine choice. The owner doesn't speak very good English, so please be patient with her. read more

Best experience I would have expected in Chinatown. It helps a lot if you know Cantonese, although she knows some English. She knows how to alter the cheongsam, and well. She explained what work could be done to make it fit better, and have me the option of which alterations to do, no pressure. read more

I love this place. After doing some serious Yelp research, I decided to give it a try. I brought in four pairs of pants and a shirt, with all kinds of alteration requests: hemming, replacing buttons, repairing holes, taking things in, etc. Just a couple days later I came in to pick up my clothes, and was totally satisfied with how everything came out. Maybe the best part? It cost less than $25!! Amazing. read more

Did a job that others said it's impossible and, furthermore, reinforced some parts of the jacket for free. really good value for the price

So I have way too many jeans, however none really fit and feel as good as my favorite ones do. The only problem with them being my go to pair is that they get beaten up and have def seen better days ie. the back of the cuffs were ripped up from being a little long, the back pockets were fraying etc. I have been to other tailors before and was sometimes satisfied with the $15 job, but really wanted to find that super secret deal that I knew was somewhere down in Chinatown. I hunted on my own and didn't really find a place that looked promising until my friend told me to Yelp it. Probably the only good thing this friend has ever done for me. So I came across the other posting and decided to take a chance. At least take a peak. I am a white boy, not quite gringo status, but still white enough so walking up to this little tiny shop I was under the impression that there was going to be a lot of sign language. Nope. She knew everything that I wanted and even chimed in on some good pointers. Dropped on Tues. picked up on Fri. and found that my jeans were better than the day I got them. The nice woman even matched the intricate stitching pattern and color-scheme. Did i mention it was $3 and when I gave her $5 she acted like I made her day. Go figure. Highly recommend for jeans hem. BRAVO!!!!! read more

Just had 2 t shirts altered and Janet did a fantastic job, none of the puckering that usually happens with jersey knit. She used a double seam and the t shirts looked like they had just been purchased. Not only that, but she is nice, funny and friendly. I do not speak Cantonese but we had no problem communicating. read more