A great experience. I brought Julia a dress I was planning to wear as a bridesmaid. Julia looked closely at the dress and what it would need, and kindly explained to me what was wrong with the dress and the level of work it would take to adjust it to fit me. She was clear and honest - and helped me decide that it was worth looking for a different dress (Even though It would mean less $$ for her). Ultimately I ended up returning the first dress at her advice and bought a different one. She hemmed and fixed the chest area of the next dress so that it fits me beautifully. She's an expert and honest about what will make you look and feel best. read more

Julia was wonderful to work with. She's honest about her opinions but doesn't force them on you if you disagree which I really liked. When I didn't want a traditional wedding dress but wanted something special to wear on my day she helped to make that a reality and the results were perfect. I would not recommend her more. read more

See all

It was a pleasure working with Julia. I took my wedding dress to her to hem the bottom and add a bustle, but once I was there Julia made recommendations that made the dress so much more flattering and unique. Julia gave me her honest opinion, but never pushed me to take her advice if I didn't agree with it. I highly recommend Julia to anyone looking for alternations. read more

Julia Needlman - Custom buttons, straps, and belt - Bridal Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I honestly wish I could leave 6 stars. This woman is incredible. I needed my dress altered in one month, she did it in 3 weeks. We were in crunch time due to last minute plans and everything with Covid. She treats every dress uniquely, she doesn't alter it to make it look like the dress you tried on wedding shopping, she alters it to make it look like your wedding dress. Sure, we resized it to fit, but she also made suggestions like removing extra inner skirt fabric, removing unnecessarily bones, adding an inner elastic belt, adding buttons, etc. She gives you her list of "must have" changes and her list of "these are what I would recommend but up to you" changes. She is opinionated, but she is a professional and knows what she's doing. She even made me and my fiancé a set of outfit matching masks. Her price was incredibly reasonable giving the time crunch and compared to what my boutique was charge me. read more

Julia Needlman - Bridal Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

Julia was a pleasure to work with. She turned my off-the-shelf wedding dress (ordered online from BCBG) into a customized, beautifully fitting dress that I was thrilled to wear. At our first meeting, Julia wanted to get an understanding of who I am so that she could customize the dress to fit my style. She had fantastic ideas...She ended up adding a lace belt w/ buttons, lace to the chest, redid the lining, inserted a zipper to make it more of a "real" wedding dress, and hemmed it all for a very fair price. I had a wonderful getting to meet and work with Julia! read more

See all

Oh, my Julia!! Not only did I love visiting with her when I would go in for fittings, but I really appreciated her honesty with how things would fit/feel/look. Unfortunately we had to cancel our vig wedding due to COVID, but once we are able to have a party, she will be making my dress!!! She did a veil for our quick elopement ceremony that was just perfect. read more

When it comes to local couture design, Julia is head and shoulders above the rest. She understands my special needs and makes my costumes fit ME, not a standard size. She understands my tastes and works with them. We ruminated a long time of what kind of message to put on my costume (Literally: all the them now have my slogan, "Expect wonders".) We considered finding someone who had a machine embroidery machine to sew my slogan on, but finally Julia called me, "I solved it," she said. She hand beaded it on! Now, ALL of my costumes include hand beading (by Julia) and are all unique, well made and FUN. For wedding gowns and bridal parties, her work is superlative. I have not been married, or bought one of her wedding gowns or bridal party outfits but I have seen her work and watched the people try on some of their dresses and they are amazing outfits. She had one women who was small and build wide and the dress Julia made for her gave her a SHAPE. It make her look WELL. I was there when she picked it up, she was delighted. read more

Julia is so wonderful! I went in with my sister in law to get our bridesmaid dresses altered. Julia went above and beyond to make sure our dresses look perfect. She was very easy to work with and super flexible with scheduling. Her place is easy to locate and she has parking permit stickers to be able to park on the permitted street. However, we also always found easy parking on Augusta. Julia took the time to also talk to us about stuff like how our undergarments can better support us and our dresses. She came up with creative solutions for getting our dresses to be as comfortable and flattering as possible. For example, she changed out the straps of my bra with material from my dress so that it would look natural with the dress. My dress is a wrap dress so she also added clips and snap to make sure my dress stayed together and structured. The best part is that all of this personalized and wonderful service was the most reasonably priced tailor I have ever been to. Would recommend Julia to anyone and will definitely go back any time I need alterations for anything! read more

Julia is a spirited, clearly talented woman who is an expert in her medium. We didn't actually end up working together after our first meeting because we had a mismatch of ideas about the direction of my wedding dress, but I simply want to add to the reviews that describe the process so women who approach Julia with wedding gowns are fully aware that she's not your run-of-the-mill order-taker who'll simply hem and take in your dress. She has a clear vision of what looks good and will be vocal about that. I really loved most of her suggestions except for one, and because of this, she told me we couldn't work together. That sort of bummed me out because I was excited about most of her changes, but it seems that with Julia, you must be on the same page through-and-through. Be prepared for philosophical and honest conversation with Julia. With the right personality, you could probably end up with the dress of your dreams if yours hasn't quite met your expectations and you're open-minded. read more

Really disappointed in my dress. I was surprised after seeing such good reviews on yelp. I went to Julia for a simple ask, dress hem with only two layers, on an expensive stunning dress I was excited to wear for a wedding. She means well and is pretty blunt about her opinions. She openly told me I looked pudgy in my dress without straps - pretty rude if you ask me. She hemmed my dress in a way that makes the ends stick up, when I asked her about it, she said she wanted to do a quick job and she was sorry she didn't ask me for my opinion about it, saying all her other clients "love" this look. She told me I can just iron it (which I did, the dress still sticks out and I got it dry cleaned) - also something she should have done herself. As an experienced seamstress, knowing the fabric and how to properly hem is an essential part of the job. I don't trust her enough to even fix the hem. It's a sloppy job and I would not go back or recommend her. read more

I wish I didn't have to write this review, but I am very disappointed in my dealings with Ms. Needlman. I am getting married at the very end of August, and to ensure I had plenty of time to get my dress fitting scheduled (I know this wedding season is busy) called on April 9 to make an appointment. I was told she was too busy to even schedule me, and to call back in a few weeks, though she thanked me profusely for calling so early or at least trying to. I told her I understood completely and would call her back later. I called back on May 14, and made an appointment for June 11. Over the phone we talked about how my dress was an extension of myself, how I should come up with adjectives to describe myself and how all of these things would be part of my dress fitting. I was excited because all of the reviews were just glowing and I could not wait to get my fitting done. Then this morning (June 7) she called to tell me she had to cancel our appointment, and would not be able to reschedule due to the volume of work she had. With 12 weeks to go to my wedding, this really has set me back tremendously and I am now left trying to find a new seamstress. I know work can become heavy, especially during wedding season, but we had an appointment, and canceling right before our appointment has been a huge disappointment. She apologized profusely but I am still stuck now with finding a new dress fitter in the middle of a very busy wedding season. I am sure she does great work, if you can get and keep your appointment. read more

Julia is a savior! I came to her the week before my wedding after having alterations done through the store where I purchased my dress go very poorly. She was so kind and responsive and cared that the dress was fixed properly and fit extremely well. The end result was SO much better than the original dress! Her pricing was also extremely reasonable for such high quality work. I would highly recommend her for any dress alteration needs! read more

I had a wonderful experience with Julia. Not only does the woman REALLY know what she's doing, but she is an enjoyable, wise woman. I didn't just get a beautiful wedding gown, had a bridesmaids dress altered; I got to see myself in a new light. My wedding dress that had a beautiful bodice, beautiful fabric but a seriously unfortunate skirt. The dress in its original incarnation made me feel like I was wearing a costume of someone else's idea of a bride. I knew it would require a rethinking of the design, but I didn't know where to start. Julia was able to look at me, my body type, my style, look at the dress & its merits and came up with a redesign after we talked. Thankfully, there was a lot of fabric to work with & she was able to work with my budget. We made an appointment for a fitting after she reconstructed the dress and I was stunned that the drawing she made become a reality on me, but even better than I imagined. I no longer had a dress, but a GOWN. Even more amazing, it felt completely right on me. This is a serious feat for a jeans and t-shirt girl. I felt like a phenomenal me, like I now matched how special it is to marry my best friend. Julia can work some serious magic, but she is a very busy woman, so I really recommend making an appointment in advance. You will not regret it for a moment. Oh, and Julia, if you read this, I haven't forgotten that I promised to send you a picture from the wedding day. read more

I had a fantastic experience with Julia. I bought my dress right off-the-rack, and it originally fit like a charm. However, after a few months and several french fries, it barely zipped and looked terrible. It was originally pretty form-fitting and ended up looking tight and pulled. I looked like a stuffed sausage. I worried that I would need to buy a new dress. The whole thing gave me so much panic and anxiety, I can't even say. I found Julia on Yelp, and she was able to make time in her busy schedule to get me in fairly quickly. We had an hour-long consultation where she talked to me about what I wanted, how I wanted to feel, and what best fit my personality. It was really nice compared to most bridal experiences where fussy women push sales at you without truly listening to what you want. I came back for one fitting, which was much quicker. Then I was able to pick up my dress a few days later. The whole process took about a month, and it turned out PERFECT. Out of all of the compliments I received at my wedding, the most repeated was about my dress and how wonderful the fit was. Not only did it fit and flatter my shape, but Julia added some small details that made it look even more lush and expensive--such as replacing the cheap plastic zipper with a lovely column of buttons. In sum: Julia has an intuition about clothes and a knowledge about body types that are unrivaled. You can definitely trust her with your dress! read more

Julia is a gem. Completely honest, she will give you her opinion straight up. This is extremely valuable because when it comes to your wedding dress as it's essential to have an impartial opinion when sometimes family members or friends are afraid to say what's on their minds. I'm a wedding planner, and the wedding gown we came to her with was ordered off of etsy, so even before we received it I knew we needed someone who would be able to totally reconstruct it if it arrived and was a mess. The dress arrived and fit perfectly - much because of the specific and careful measurements Julia took for the bride - and it only needed a few design changes, but they were made swiftly and efficiently. Though Julia gives it to you straight, she also has a gentleness about her. She makes suggestions and listens to concerns and then works hard to take care of what is needed -- her experience alone is comforting. Her pricing is reasonable and she goes with the flow as long as you are respectful of her time. If you're allergic to cats this may not be the spot for you, but if not this is a sure bet to make sure your dress fit you perfectly and you look your best on your big day! read more

Julia is amazing!!! She is such a kind spirit who is very skilled and loves what she does. While she shows up in wedding dress alteration listings--- she can do any kind of dress making/altering. (I think her background is in stage costumes) I came to her on a short timeline (3 weeks) and low budget-- she totally met both, with no judgement or pressure. After dealing with wedding vendors this was SO REFRESHING! She finished alterations to my wedding dress 5 days ahead of schedule, for less than $200, and gave me marriage and wedding advice too : ) I came to her to remove the train of my dress and shorten it. She recommended that we move some buttons up, add a strap thing in the back to keep it stable, etc. All technical things that showed me she was truly an experienced professional. Julia made me fall in love with my dress, and change my emotional approach to my wedding-- what benefits!! I am so happy I worked with her rather than going to snobby wedding places who can hold your dress and pocketbook hostage! Notes: Yes, she has cats, and they will come visit when you are working with her. She works out of the front of her northside apartment-- so know that you will feel like you are in her home, and she will make you feel comfortable that way too. Don't be taken aback if she asks you about your husband, family or wedding--- she gets to know you as a person, which will also help her recommend changes to your dress that will make you feel BEAUTIFUL! Also, she can take credit cards-- runs them from her IPhone, aweeeesome : ) She can also make jewelry for you (she made my earrings). Add a $$ tip! read more

Going to someone's house and just leaving your dress there is a little unnerving. But based on Yelp reviews, I left my wedding dress with Julia. And all her cats. I don't know how, but those cats are trained to stay the heck away from those dresses, not a single cat hair ever touched the dresses I brought her. But there will be 2-3 cats hanging out during your fitting. It's cool, just roll with it. The expertise is worth it. We got along well, and yes, you have to like her personality. She will ask you for adjectives and about what you like. She will try to tailor the dress to your personality. And she will be very honest with you. If your feelings get hurt easily, don't go here. I got lucky in that I also needed a bridesmaid's dress for my sister's wedding a few months before my wedding. so Julia did that dress for me first. I looked better than any of the other bridesmaids at that wedding. It was a backless sheath dress with no front support. Julia made it work. She even made me bring in one of my own bras to sew into the dress so the cups would fit best. It was worth giving up a bra, it looked great. So then I went back to do the wedding dress. It was massive on me - I'm pretty small and it was a ballgown - and Julia made it look perfect. She incorporated a belt and extra row of rhinestones at the waist, and dropped the waist a little to elongate my figure. She added pretty satin buttons to replace the flimsy-sticky zipper (by the way EVERY seamstress should do this). And she sewed in this inner elastic belt that helped hold the dress up without cinching the shape out the outside layers. Book Julia early, she might tell you no simply based on her schedule. I had a second bridesmaid dress I needed altered, and she had too many weddings at that time. Based on my experience at another seamstress, I wish I could say I'll never take my dresses anywhere but Julia, but you gotta fit into her schedule. The only thing I would caution brides about is to make sure you like her bustle. (I'm so sorry Julia, I know you love that bustle.) She has her own unique bustle, and it definitely holds up all night, it was very secure. But for me, it didn't pick up the dress all the way off the floor, so it got stepped on a lot, and one layer got torn. Julia was pretty sick the night she did my final fitting/bustle, so I'm giving her the benefit of the doubt, everything else was so spot on, but I would just tell other brides to be sure they like it before they leave. read more

I agree with the sentiments of the previous reviews. I found Julia on Yelp several months prior to my wedding just expecting some alterations. However, I purchased a $400 dress from David's Bridal and the material was plastic-y and hard to change. Julia made me a dress from scratch. We went to the fabric store together to pick out a beautiful creamy silk. She definitely takes the time to get to know you and makes sure the dress is a true reflection and what you want. She does great work at a reasonable price and has a great energy. If you have cat allergies I would let her know in advance. read more

Julia altered my wedding dress and did a fantastic job. It didn't need too many alterations, being a corset, but she took the time to do them, cost was a reasonable $200. Then, she completely recreated my mother's mother-of-the-bride dress ($100), bettered my flower girl's dress ($40) and worked on two bridesmaid dresses on the spot, one for free and one for $20. I highly recommend Julia. She's fairly priced and easy to work with. She has a flexible schedule so she was always available when I needed her. And when my mom's dress wasn't perfect the first time, she made time to make the further alterations quickly. One hesitation with Julia is she's got cats. Three. And they roam freely. So if you're allergic to cats, I'd recommend a different person for alterations. I quickly stressed that my fiance was allergic and my dress was fine when I got it back. But being there to try on the dress while she pins it up, etc. if you have an allergy...forget about it. I brought my cousin on the last visit and she had to wait outside after a bit because her allergies were so bad. Overall, though, Julia is wonderful to work with. I agree with another review saying she's the hippie aunt that you always look forward to visiting with...she has a kindred spirit and it suits her! read more

What an experience it was working with Julia! I read her reviews on Yelp prior to meeting with her, and thus I was prepared for an honest assessment of the dress I had chosen...and I definitely got that =) I was confident in the dress that I chose and was super happy with how my body looked in it. She came up with great suggestions to "slim down" my dress further and remove some unnecessary material on the bottom. She took before and after pictures and gave me a day to decide on some of the alterations so I was confident in each step. The first time I met with her, I spent almost 2 hours with her as she got to know me and what type of a wedding I wanted as well as what type of an image I wanted to portray with my dress. Her suggestions and creativity are incredible and my dress fit like a glove. I would be prepared for her occasional comments about weight loss and gain throughout the fitting process, but if you're a strong and confident woman, it's worth it...especially because her comments come from a good place. Julia has a great heart and really knows what she is doing. Finally, she makes her own jewelry and offered earrings as well as a veil to me for a fair price. I was going back and forth on the veil, and decided on not buying one. A few days later she called me to tell me that she would love to give me a veil as a gift if I wanted to wear one...she said she didn't want it to be about the money for me. While I still ended up going with my gut instinct and not wearing a veil, I appreciated her gesture very much. read more

I brought my wedding dress to Julia and she is such a pleasant person to work with! She's a spiritual person and I really like that because it was refreshing to work with someone more like me rather than someone who is stuffy. She's has reasonable pricing (lower than a bridal shop) and she's very creative! She didn't just do what needed to be done, she made extra recommendations and even created a head band, sash & earrings that all matched! She's very good at talking with you and finding out who you are and what you want, even if you don't know it yet. The head band, earrings and sash were exactly what I was looking for without even telling her what I wanted (I wasn't sure at the time). She made my dress and accessories that much more special and perfect and I can't wait to wear it all (one more week!). Word of advice, get to her early if you can. She gets very busy during wedding season and just sitting with her the other day she received 3 new clients in a 5 min. period. The word is out. Julia is good! Thank you, Julia for taking on my dress and making it even more beautiful than I could have imagined! read more

Julia completely transformed my dress into something amazing. I had liked my dress when I bought it, but immediately worried I had made a mistake when it was delivered to my house. Julia spent a long time assessing the dress and trying to understand exactly how I envisioned the dress and wanted to look on my wedding day. She opened up the back and adjusted the neckline and sleeves to fit my body perfectly. She was extremely picky as she made adjustments to alter the dress. I absolutely loved the changes she made. I have no idea how she knew exactly how to make the dress fit my style so well. She also made a floor length veil for me, which I never would have thought I wanted, but I adored it. I felt beautiful. If you want someone that will spend the time and work with you to make a dress perfect for you, go to Julia! read more

So I waited too long to buy my bridesmaid dress and ended up having to buy a 2 when the whole country was sold out of zeroes. I was swimming in it before I took it to Julia (size 0 tends to be too big on me). She literally saved the day by not only being able to fix the dress, but doing so within a two week turn around. When I came in to pick it up, she easily explained all the steps she took to size it down, and now you wouldn't even be able to tell that it had needed a lot of work. She's a saint and just all-around AWESOME - the aunt I always wish I had! I will definitely recommend her to my friends and family! read more

Julia is a very talented seamstress who does great work, but she's not going to be everyone's cup of tea - like with many other reviewers, she made some extremely rude, alienating, and unwelcome comments about me - comments about my chosen wedding dress not suiting my personality, incorrect insight into my relationship with my family, and just generally bizarre statements that made me not want to work with her further. I recommend meeting with her and talking, she might be exactly who you're looking for, but I completely understand why her reviews are so polarized. read more

I am a very untraditional bride and because dresses generally give me anxiety, I decided to skip the bridal boutique route and purchased my dress of off EBay. It fit, but not well so I read Yelp reviews and decided to take it to Julia. Her alteration studio is conveniently located in her home and her street has ample parking- which was a plus! From the moment I met her, Julia was warm and made me feel at ease stripping down to try on the ill-fitting dress. There are so many Alterationists in Chicago that could have simply hemmed the dress and fitted the bodice, but Julia instantly started brainstorming on how the dress could be a reflection of me. We tried a couple of different avenues and organically settled on the finished product and I couldn't be more in love with it! What started as a secondhand dress that looked good became a THE Dress that fits like a glove and perfectly reflects my personality. I had a two month turn-around time and Julia accommodated me easily and let come in later in the evening to do multiple fittings. I will definitely post pictures when I get them back! Thank you, Julia!!!!!! read more

This review has been a long time coming. Julia completely altered my wedding dress for me for my wedding back in February 2013, I came to her home, where she works from, met with her. I told her exactly what I wanted done to my wedding dress, and a few weeks later, I came back and bam it was done just as I requested. She's sweet, she's attentive, she's not pushy whatsoever, and she even gave me some beautiful advice on my marriage. Loved her! My dress was a long fitted dress with a train, I was in love with the open back, and it was clearanced down to a ridiculously cheap price, so I purchased it. I wanted mermaid style, she added that for me, and she made the bottom portion with all of the tulle removable. She added the buttons to the back, and tightened all of my sequins. (The dress's train is longer than it looks in this image). It was perfect. read more

Julia Needlman - Bridal Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

Julie is absolutely horrible. I went to her house and revolved my day around the fitting and she not only insulted me but my dress. Julia made 2 suggestions that were fine and two that we did not agree with (that the dress needed buttons and that it needed a belt). When I disagreed about what Julia wanted to do to the dress she stated that she did not feel "connected" to me or my dress. She then went on to insult my dress stating that it looked "un-finished". She stated that she would not take on my dress since it did not require enough work (aka. $$$$) and that she could not work with people who had differing opinions. Julia is by far the worst person I've worked with in Chicago for my wedding. Completely un-professional and despicable. read more

As others have said, working with Julia is a complete experience! If you are looking for an in-and-out tailor, Julia Needlman is not your gal (and she won't have time for you anyway!). But if you are looking for a creative, inventive artist with an amazing amount of experience communicating and working with brides, you need to make an appointment asap so you can get into her busy schedule! I initially went to see Julia to create a reception dress for my wedding. I had ordered my wedding dress from an Etsy designer online, however, and when it arrived (after my first meeting with Julia) I realized I had a disaster on my hands and needed more help than I initially thought! Julia was there for me to make sure that a new dress was created that would surpass my every expectation of the one that was not to be! And instead of a costume change, Julia devised an inventive way for me to change the look of my dress from my preppier outdoor ceremony look to my reception look using beautiful custom belts -- even coming up with an external garter that would pull my dress up for dancing later in the night (for three looks total!). Add to this that I needed to be able to comfortably play viola in the dress (my dad and I played a duet in lieu of a father daughter dance)... which, if you've read her website you know was no problem at all for the woman who designs for Rachel Barton... Besides designing and fitting me in a dress that I seriously could not wait to put on, that looked amazing in photographs, that was completely comfortable, and that added immeasurably to the joy of my day, visiting Julia for meetings and fittings was something that I looked forward to. She is, as others have noted, a wise woman who is amazingly intuitive. She gives fantastic advice and is a joy to be around. She also has an adorable, fun and talented apprentice Christopher. The whole vibe of her studio is positive and invigorating. You will seriously want to go get cocktails with them. Julia is a special, special person and I can't wait until I need another amazing dress!! ** Photos by Alexis Ellers Photography (http://alexisellers.com/) and Jonathan Mathias Photography (http://www.jonathanmathias.com) read more

See all

Julia saved my wedding dress! I picked my dress up from another seamstress on Sunday one week prior to my wedding and was not pleased with the way it fit. In fact, I was in tears. On Monday night, Julia agreed to meet with my mom and I and had my dress looking better in a matter of minutes. She was able to see the things that needed to be altered, padding that needed to be removed, etc that the other seamstress couldn't. Julia had my dress ready for me in 24 hours! I left her home feeling much more confident in the dress and ready to walk down the aisle. read more

Julia did a fantastic job, she had a great eye for what would be more flattering for me and adjusted my dress accordingly. She did a very neat job and even made some great suggestions for my undergarments that would ensure a better look and fit. She is great to chat to as you visit, and I will be returning! read more

I had Julia take in my wedding gown for my wedding next month, and OMG the dress is fab now. Before it was nice, but now it makes me have an hourglass figure. I didn't need any major alterations though, literally she just took the waist in, so it was $45. I know if I had needed more extensive alterations it would have cost significantly more. Julia is a little quirky, kind of like that hippie aunt you have, but she really took the time to explain what was needed to be done to the dress to make it fit better on my figure. Alterations also didn't take very much time at all and she did them well - you can't tell where she took it in at all. Lastly, she has cats, so if you have allergies let her know and she will keep them out of the main salon. Also, Julia is in Wicker Park by the Division Blue line stop, not the Orange line like Yelp says.. read more

I chose Julia after reading Yelp reviews. Am I ever glad I did! She worked with me and my bride-daughter in a limited timeframe to make major alterations to our wedding attire, particularly the wedding gown. She was simply amazing -- extremely knowledgeable, experienced, honest in her comments, wise in counsel, attentive to detail, accommodating, and caring. At a time when reconstructing a wedding dress could have been a source of significant anxiety, my daughter and I found we left each meeting with Julia full of joy and wonder at her work and wisdom. I will come back to Julia for any alterations in the future, and highly recommend her and her work. read more

Julia was wonderful! She altered a bridesmaid dress for me while 8 months pregnant. I received so many compliments on my dress that people couldn't believe I was pregnant from the front. Her pricing was fair. Service was quick. And perhaps the best part is her award winning personality that really relaxes you. I was uber comfortable talking to her about my wants and she not only listened, but explained what her plan was and why she wanted to do the things she did. I will be using Julia for all of my future alteration needs. read more

Julia heard the desperation and took my case a week before my wedding. At the time, the top of my dress was way too open and no way I could've walked down the aisle like that..the boobs didn't fit, the waistline was not visible. Julia put a string of jewel that went around my neck and held it all together like magic. She also added a jewel piece between my girls and gave them a peek a boo which was super sexy. She also rebuilt around the waistline and gave me curves for days..THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU !!!! read more

See all

Julia is the best! If you are looking for a tailor for your wedding dress (having one tailored or one made from scratch), she is, hands down, "it." She is exceptionally skilled, and she is an artist. And, she's seen a lot of women in wedding dresses: Listen to her! She knows what looks good on you. After being sort of disgusted with the styles offered and price of wedding dresses at various city places, and even further disgusted by the way salespeople often tried to sell them, I found Julia with an open mind and the hope of altering my mom's wedding dress into something more modern. What I ended up with was more-or-less an entirely new dress. Julia made me something beautiful, totally unique, and--this might be my favorite part--something that fits me p e r f e c t l y. It is absolutely the finest garment I've ever owned. I am so happy with what Julia made for me, but also with the process of working with her. After 8-9 mos of appointments and chats, I felt sad to say goodbye at our last meeting. I will go back to her in a heartbeat when I have a project in need of her expertise. read more

tl;dr: Julia is wonderful at what she does, knows her stuff, and will go above and beyond to help you. Though in the end I didn't actually end up needing her sewing services this time, I had to leave a note about my great experience. About 10 days before being in a wedding party, I realized that the (already tragic) dress I had didn't fit. Big whoops on my part. Seeing on Yelp that Julia is a miracle worker, I reached out and she quickly fit me in for an appointment. After taking a look at the dress/seams and taking my measurements, we talked through all options, from finding more material to take out the dress to scrapping it and finding a whole new dress that she could alter last-minute if needed. After a wonderful chat, we realized that it was going to make more sense for me to just buy a new dress that coordinated with the wedding party. We googled, I ran around town shopping, and ended up finding a dress that fit me as if created by Cinderella's team of mice that the bride loved me in more than the original. All in all, crisis was averted and I felt so much better about the whole thing due to Julia's advice. I appreciated her honesty and experience and will definitely be back next time I need alterations. Brides, bridesmaids, MOBs, literally anyone needing help with a dress - call Julia! read more

Julia is a genius. We have reconnected after a 14 year lull in weddings in my family. She is designing a wedding dress for my widowed cousin and a maiden of honor dress for her 16 year old daughter. She is part philosopher, therapist, comedienne, advocate, and, most of all, artist! Trust her -- she has a great eye. Price - well, it depends on what you're getting - but what you get is so much more than what you can imagine. read more

Julia gave me the most beautiful veil I could imagine. Lot's of straight forward vision too! read more

Julia Needlman - Made by Julia. - Bridal Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Julia is truly talented and an unforgettable soul! I was desperate and she took me in last minute to hem a dress for a wedding and made it fit perfectly. My top was too baggy and she fixed it to fit as if it was made for me without it ever looking like it was touched! She also carried great conversation, she lifted my spirits when I was having a bad day. Would recommend her over any other tailor! read more

I bought my dress at David's Bridal on Elston. After some negative interactions there, I wanted somewhere else for my alterations. A recently married friend used Julia & recommended her. Our first phone interactions were fine - I had to reschedule our appointment because my undergarments didn't ship on time, but she was flexible, told me not to worry, it'll be fine, you have time. You could tell she deals with brides a lot. Our first meeting was my first fitting, ~5 weeks before my wedding. She.Was.Awful. She spends a few minutes talking to you before you put on your dress. I told her I got my dress at DB to save money, had gained a few pounds since buying it but it still fits, yay! Also said my fiancé and I are foodies & planned to eat our way across Europe on our honeymoon, ha ha. When I put on my dress, she said it didn't match my personality (we JUST met), said things like "you can't tell me you spent a lot of money on this dress," pulled at the seams & kept talking about how it was cheaply made. It fit, but she told me that my back was "fleshy" and that she "can't fix that." She tried to totally change my look: didn't like my hair (I'd had my trial that day); told me my sash made me look short/stout & tried to turn it into an ugly one-shoulder strap; told me that no one would see my shoes so why did I bother getting cute ones. Based on my tongue-in-cheek comment about eating our way through our honeymoon, she decided I have an "unhealthy relationship with food" & started reading things into my marriage based on that, which is unbelievably rude & unprofessional. If I hadn't been so shell-shocked, I would have left & found somewhere else. I ended up just having her take it in at the hips & add buttons in the back. She said it would take 2 weeks; when I called after 3 weeks (10 days pre-wedding), she said it wasn't ready, that I'd called too soon. In the end, I got my dress & her work was fine for basic alterations, but the overall experience was terrible. read more