Irena is a gem. I took a 1940s-era long, lined wool coat to her to have it shortened right above-the-knee. It had no buttons and I wanted to take it to New York during the winter, so I found some buttons I liked and she sewed them on and made loops out of the fabric she cut off the coat. The coat looks as if it were designed that way - it's more lovely and chic than ever. I also took a pair of 1970s-era high-waisted jeans to her with seams up the front and back (that means: 4 seams on each leg!!). I wanted her to make stovepipe-style jeans out of bell-bottoms, which means she had to remove ALL of the seams and redo them all - not to mention make super-tight, fitted jeans out of 100% cotton bellbottoms. Well - she did an incredible job, and they fit like a glove. I also took a very expensive thin, virgin wool Vince sweater to her that had snagged on something and busted open a hole. She was able to repair the hole by sewing each little loop together - you can't even see where it was torn. Irena has style and personality, so it's fun to go to her studio. I highly recommend her. read more

I found Irena's shop after visualizing the wedding dress that I so badly wanted to make myself. I figured that if I could have someone help me to make a pattern, I could sew the dress myself. It seemed like an in and out job, right? Just some help with a pattern! Easy! Ha. Read on. Irena helped me to conceptualize and make a pattern, and gave me great suggestions for where to get the right fabrics, sending me on my way. I quickly realized that I did NOT have the sewing skill necessary to complete such an endeavor, nor was my sewing machine in any kind of shape to work with me on it. With my tail between my legs, I brought my crooked beginnings of a dress to Irena, ready to plead with her that she not only fix the terrible stitches on the gorgeous raw silk but complete the rest of the dress for me, in the height of her busy season... If you've met her before, you can imagine her looking my work up and down with a kind yet blunt, "oh, honey, what have you done?" By some miracle, she agreed to take the project on. And the most amazing thing was that the dress looked exactly how I'd wanted it, but I hadn't made the bulk of it myself. So not only did she listen carefully to make sure that she knew what I wanted, but she had brilliant ideas of ways to add to my original design, all of which enhanced both the beauty and the wearability of the dress. Working with Irena feels old-world style, like (I imagine) back when skilled craftspeople made a living at doing their crafts, and the world was filled with artfully sewn garments made to last a lifetime. You can trust her to tell it to you straight and to adjust, enhance, and even create clothing that fits its wearer. She produces work of the highest quality and takes her craft very seriously. And it's true that quality costs. But you'll forget all about how much you paid once you see the magic she'll work on your beloved garments. read more

Lily is literally the most sweetest and wonderful person ever! I am so happy that I found her on Yelp. Everyone who knows me says that I am an extremely picky person so if I choose Irena's Studio to alter my wedding dress, it must say something! Lily and her team are amazing. They went over the top on my gown and did everything to make my wedding dress perfect. Lily is extremely patient and detailed. I went in multiple times for fittings and enjoyed her company each time. I always looked forward to the next fitting. Not to mention, she always make you feel beautiful. The gown turned out absolutely gorgeous and everyone loved my bustle. Irena's Studio will be my go to spot from now on for all my altering needs! read more

I went to Irena's studio for my wedding dress alterations and I couldn't be happier with the results and service. My dress was a Chinese-style cheongsam which was deceptively tricky to alter. Lily was so assuring that she could help me and I was confident that my dress was in the right hands. Just the sweetest lady, she made me feel like I was family. My dress was finished quickly and fit perfectly. I also feel the price for a wedding dress was quite reasonable. I can't thank Lily enough for helping me look and feel my best on my wedding day! I will definitely be returning to Irena's Studio for all of my future alterations. read more

Lily is awesome! I had a gown that needed to be hemmed for a charity event and Lily took the time to truly listened to and address my needs for the dress. The length turned out perfectly and I received so many compliments. AND, her customer service is over the top! Thank you, Lily! read more

Irena is great. Professional and and expert at what she does. I have been coming to her for years and she always does an amazing job. She can do it all!! read more

I had a couple of jeans altered by Lily and I'm glad I did. She is a very kind and knowledgeable tailor and I can see why so many people are leaving her business 5 star reviews. I've had a couple of experiences where the tailor would just take my measurements and have me out the door, but Lily was different. She gave me a couple different options and talked me through what the end result would look like and what methods would work best for me. I really appreciated how much care she put into my jeans even though she mainly does wedding gowns and was in the middle of a very busy wedding season. Thank you Lily! read more

So my younger sister had dresses made for my older sister and I for her wedding. It was an incredibly nice gesture, but the dress turned out crooked. I took it to Irena. She took it apart, re-cut the top and added a sash to hide some of the problems that she couldn't fix (without major bucks, at least). It probably would have taken her less time if I'd had Irena make it from scratch. But, she totally saved the day! read more

Irena is great at what she does, cares about the quality of her work and your happiness as a customer. She has a very good eye, can listen to what you have in mind and your vision, and provide practical solutions for you. I brought a big project to Irena at the beginning of the year, and she made sure it was executed perfectly. I can't give her a more glowing recommendation. read more

Irena's work is unbelieveable. She has altered complicated seams on my Armani, MaxMara and Jean Paul items to perfection. I trust her with everything. I've gone to cheaper places and now understand that you get what you pay for. She has great customer service as well. When I called from the car, complaining that I couldn't find parking, she brought my items out to my car for me. read more

I had two wool overcoats from the 1980s with shoulder pads that needed updating for an upcoming winter trip to the East Coast. Lily at Irena's was able to change the pads and restructure the sleeves and fit to give these coats a new current style at a very reasonable price. No need to buy a new overcoat! Lily is lovely and accommodated my schedule with prompt and professional services. Highly recommend!! read more

Irena is a SUPERHERO!! Less than two weeks before my wedding, I went to Irena with a wedding dress dilemma. A relatively inexperienced young dressmaker had custom-made me a dress, but it was unwearable--my mom cried in horror when I put it on! With no time to shop for and alter a ready-made dress, I begged Irena to make me a new dress. She was understandably reluctant--she would have to drop everything and lose sleep to get it done in time--but she was so compassionate about my predicament that she agreed to the challenge. It was an incredible feat for her to crank out a wedding dress in one week. And not just any wedding dress: an absolutely gorgeous, artful, unique, and perfectly-constructed dress. She whipped up an awesome hairpiece, too. My mom could not contain her gratitude and praise for Irena's miraculous work. The wedding guests gushed in admiration (I know that's their job, but really, this dress was stunning). The groom was thrilled (and he was honest about the first dress looking terrible on me, so it wasn't a shoe-in with him). And I felt expressive and beautiful on my wedding day. Thank you, Irena!! read more

ETA: I just took this review down from two to one stars because of the tone of the owner's (Irena's) comment on my review. It's one thing to not get the service I wanted, another to have the owner then challenge my "gall" to complain about my own experience with her business. She also she warned me about the jacket coming out too tight, but she must be remembering someone else because she said no such thing to me. I was just going with her judgment. For what it's worth, I suspect that one reason I got less than ideal service was that my clothes were not designer or vintage; it would certainly explain the slight tone of contempt from beginning to end. Original review: Based on the reviews, I brought to Irena two pants to be hemmed and a jacket that needed to be taken in. The work was pretty expensive: $20 each for the pants, really pricey for a simple hem job with no lining to deal with, and $35 for the jacket which I guess isn't so bad. She said she was leaving for a trip, so I'd have to pick up the garments on time. Maybe it was because she was rushed, but the quality wasn't what the reviews promised. The jacket came out noticeably too tight, pulling in places. When I pointed this out, she insisted the problem was in the side seams of the jacket, not the back darts she had taken in. I do have some knowledge of garment construction and fit, and it seemed to me easing the back darts would have taken care of some of the problem. But Irena was clearly unwilling to fix it, too bad for me! read more

I have a very personal attachment to my clothes, most of which are vintage and are irreplaceable so I am usually SUPER careful(borderline neurotic) about selecting a tailor. I had one in San Jose I trusted, but needed to find a new one in Oakland and I am so glad I found Irena! I selected her because she had other reviews about vintage clothing, and she seemed like a miracle worker. I brought her two dresses, which I had put off getting fixed because I loved them so much. One was a 50s cotton dress that needed to be taken in at the bust and sides. She expertly put pins in, and it was perfect. When I got it back, I couldn't even tell it was altered! My other dress was a 60s Hawaiian halter wrap dress, which needed to be hemmed and somehow closed in the back bc I didn't want a gust of wind to split it open while walking down the street. She quickly noticed that it was longer in the front than in the back bc of the weird way it tied, and also suggested velcro or clasps to close it. We went with the clasps. It also fits wonderfully, and I am wearing it tonight! Not only is she spunky and an expert(she's been doing it for 30 years), she gives great customer service. When I dropped off the dresses, she was leaving for Europe in a week, but she finished them within the week and even called me on pickup day to make sure I got them. She gave me her cell phone number to coordinate pickup while she was running errands in the area for her trip. Irena stayed a half hour past closing for me to pick up, AND still let me try on the dresses. Irena's awesome. I highly recommend her! I will be bringing more stuff to her for sure! read more

I have used Irena's Studio on a number of occasions and have always been thrilled with her work. She did a major reshape on silk blouse (Lanvin) for me and the french seams that were redone looked just as good as the original. She is forthcoming when she thinks something won't work out as you expect. Everything has always come out sized perfectly (when doing major resizing, I have come back for a second fitting but, hey, measure twice, cut once, right?) And she has never missed a deadline for me. Always ready when promised. So my only reason for not giving an unabashed 5 star rave is pricing. I have actually paid more to fix things than they cost me to obtain! So when you want your "good" clothes done right, this is my go-to. read more

I took my jeans to Irena's Studio after being told to avoid my regular place in the city. Overall, Irena did a fabulous job with the original hem on my jeans, and I'm really pleased with the results. I'm giving her 4 stars because of the price-- $30 for my jeans seemed sort of expensive-- and the fact that it took a week. Neither one is that outrageous, but my old place cost $11 and could turn over a pair of jeans in a day. Not that they did the best job, but it's my only comparison. read more

Soon before my brother's wedding, I needed a dress fitting, so I brought a multi-layered dress to Irena. She reshaped the dress (including two fittings) within 24 hours for a perfect fit! She also added a couple of layers of extra fabric to the sleeves upon my request. I believe she worked late into the night to get it done and it looked fantastic. Irena is a genuine talent with an eye for design, incredibly efficient and a pleasure to work with. I will always remember her kindness for taking on my project with such short notice and working so hard to get it done. It was a complicated, time sensitive project with a very beautiful outcome and I'm grateful every time I wear the dress or look at my brother's wedding photos. read more

I am so grateful for the shop! My favorite tailor! The work is impeccable and punctual. The new shop owner is so lovely that I genuinely look forward to going just to support her business and receive top notch service! I am so happy to bring all of my business here. Thank you! read more

Irena is an absolute master at her craft. I brought in 3 very delicate vintage dresses from the 1950's about a week ago and just picked them up. One was really, really badly torn and the fabric was so thin I was positive it was totally beyond repair. The other two needed to be taken out a couple inches using very little extra fabric. Not only did she PERFECTLY repair the ripped one so that you could never tell it had been damaged but she also let the other two out to fit me exactly. I could not be more thrilled. read more

I have to agree with the other reviews that Irena is very talented and helpful. I brought a dress in that my mom made in the 60's, and Irena was very thorough when fixing the worn seams and delicate lining. She also adjusted another dress on short notice so that it fit perfectly. Irena is very sweet and friendly and I will definitely be back! read more

Irena saved me (and my tent of a bridesmaid's frock) from looking absolutely absurd on my best friend's wedding day. The dress that was ordered for me was waaaaaaaaaaay too big, and not salvageable (I originally thought), in terms of "cuteness potential". Even my Mom (who's a fabulous seamstress herself) took a look at the dress and decided it'd just be too much work. In less than a week, Irena transformed the dress, and I'm now looking forward to wearing it again & again! THANK YOU, IRENA!!! read more

I have been to many tailors because I'm hard to fit (short, curvy, top & bottom different sizes, small waist/full hips, etc.). I'd about given up when someone recommended Irena. Wow! My friends now ask where I find clothes that fit so well. I've given her outerwear, jeans, slacks, evening wear ... there's nothing I wouldn't trust her with. And best of all: she'll tell me when something is not worth altering, either because it won't look right or because it will cost too much money. She is not cheap but she is worth every penny. Look, she is making her living remaking clothes and making people look great - she is a craftswoman and a magician. read more

Ire a was terrific. I had some bike shorts (bibs) that were too short on the shoulders and I wanted to lengthen. I got turned away by several places on Piedmont Ave because they just didn't want/couldn't handle Lycra/spandex style material. Irene was game, though, and the results were terrific. read more

I have been Irena's customer for many years. She had done everything for me, from completely redoing an evening gown to fixing rips in funky shirts that I don't want to give up quite yet. She does not make me feel like the small jobs are silly, finds ways to make my clothes fit wonderfully and is honest about her approach. Tailoring is not an inexpensive enterprise, and you do get what you pay for. With Irena, I never worry about the outcome. read more

Irena has been doing all of my alterations for the past 6 years and she never misses a beat. She came highly recommended, and the quality of ther workmanship is superb. She is friendly and accommodating, and I am grateful to have found her. read more

All the rave reviews listed below are true! Irena is a master at her craft. Of course she does alterations perfectly, but that is just child's play compared to what she is capable of. She is really a dressmaker of superb ability. Inspired by a Katherine Hepburn movie, I wanted a pair of trousers that were similar to those Hepburn wore. Irena produced them for me. I have gotten nothing but rave reviews when I wore them. I told Irena she might patent her design! I wear a small size and have trouble finding clothes that fit and look good on me. So I often go to Irena and have her make what I want. (Besides the Hepburn pants she has made me two other pairs of pants and a jaunty pair of bib overalls in an unusual pattern.) My suggestion to all of you who hate shopping, or are fed up with the poor quality of much of the clothing made these days, or have an idea of something specific you want to wear (and can't find it), or an idea for a piece of clothing you would like to invent, is to go to Irena and have her make what you want. You will be very pleased. And you will have helped support a California artisan. read more

If you want an excelance in alteration or tailoring you have to go to Irena Studion on Piedmont Ave. in Okland. She just alterated two jackets and did a perfect job. I deffinetly will be back. read more

I can't believe this place has gotten such good reviews. It makes me a little suspicious. Irena is not only rude she RUINED my pants. She charged me $26 to have the original hem on my pants. She then cut off the original hem and ruined them. When I asked her what happened she said there was nothing she could do about it and asked if I wanted her to wash my pants. What the heck would that do? I HATE having pants without the original hem. She ruined a $100 pair of pants, plus she has insulted me on a number of occasions when I've gone in there. My advice? Go to SF Tailor in the city. They charge $20 for "original hem." Plus they do it in an hour and they actually do it right.. What a waste.... I now hate the pants and I'm out the $18 she still made me pay her!!! read more

Irena was great. She did a great hem on my jeans and even gave me a way to save a bit of money in the process. She was quite pleasant, and all work I have had done in my 2 visits was done with quality and on time. I will certainly be back for my other tailoring needs. read more

Irena is a master of her craft, an artist, an engineer- and a warm, lovely person. I have been going to her for years armed with only a pile of fabric and a rough sketch taken from my head. i know what i want- but i don't sew so i'm not always clear on what works. she translates my visions- and improves on them- every time. yes, she is pricey- but it is the price of high quality- and high rents. i have found people to do things for less money but it was always money wasted in the end as i often couldnt even wear the end products. irena gets it right and is worth every penny. its always been my plan to win the lottery and just keep her on retainer to make me closets full of clothes. ahhh... read more

I have been going to Irena's Studio for years and can always count on her to do an exceptional job, whether it is simple mending or major re-fitting, or design from scratch. Irena has studied architecture and design---something I found out in conversation during numerous fittings. Her keen eye and expertise is evident in the consistent quality of her work. Customers would be hard-pressed to find a more skilled, gracious, and fair seamstress, designer, and/or tailor anywhere in the Bay Area. - Mary A., Oakland, CA read more

I brought Irena a couture Vivienne Westwood gown that I wasn't able to fit into, and in spite of the built in corset, asymetrical design, and limited material, she was able to make it happen. Her handiwork is impeccable; nobody would ever know that she added in new boning, panels, and seams. The dress is gorgeous and fits me like a glove now, and I will definitely be bringing anything else I need altered to Irena in the future. read more

Irena is very accomodating. She is a fine seamstress/tailor and the quality of her work is very high. I have a couple of tailors that I use, but I always use Irena for the high end work that I need done. Highly recommended. read more

Irena altered and re-designed my cocktail dress to fit me perfectly, within just one week and a great price. I highly recommend her.

Irena's work is outstanding. I have been going to her for years and highly recommend her. She is a real artist at her work. Most recently she fixed a favorite sweater of mine that had a big hole caused by moths. Irena used crochet with wool to make the prior hole invisible. Go to Irena if you want the best...............Wendy read more

Irena is both an amazing tailor and a very sweet woman. I took the wedding dress I fell in love with but that no longer fit me to her and she made it into the wedding dress of my dreams. Not only did it fit like a glove but she took the time to redo what was a poor original sewing job. When she was finished, the dress looked like I had paid $1000 more for it. She has VERY reasonable prices as well for the quality work she puts in. Look no further for a great tailor! read more

Irena is hard-working and very skilled. I have been going to her studio for over 10 years. She has accomplished daring feats of tailoring for me, notably a full length original gown from Iceland that was sculpture as much as it was a garment. It required someone who could problem-solve at a very high level and it turned out beautifully. She also did an exquisite job preserving a very old, intricate tribal skirt that is of museum quality. Yes, I bring her jeans to be hemmed and waistlines to be let out, but I can also trust her to work on pieces that were huge investments for me. Her work is superb and her pricing is very fair. read more

First rate work from a master tailor and clothing designer. I always have Irena do my alterations, including my pajamas. because her work is flawless. When she suggests a design change, I listen to her, and inevitably the garment fits better and is more stylish. Jane E. 1/16/15 read more

This place is amazing!! Irena is super awesome and does amazing work. Cares about her clients and her work. Highly recommend Irena's Studio.

I have been going to Irena for over 10 years. She is a true professional and the most knowledgeable and talented seamstress and tailor I have ever known. I trust her with all my alterations. After a few bad experiences I have reached the point where I never use the free alterations service offered by the department stores. I would much rather pay Irena to hem new slacks because I know the result will be perfect every time. She has also given many of my favorite pieces new life; she seems able to repair anything and on the rare occasion when she can't, she has honestly told me. I highly recommend her. read more