I purchased my dress 3 sizes too big and contemplated buying another one (I looked like I was swimming in a curtain) before deciding to try to make things work. It was scary handing off my wedding dress to get tailored, but I'm glad things were put into the hands of Kim's Alterations. Kim is very experienced and had photos of brides from the last years plastered across the shop walls. She was firm in what was possible and what wasn't and I was able to get the dress to fitting like a glove after two fittings, while maintaining the design's original integrity. Things are done old-school here and I had a bit of a snafu with payment processing, so be sure to keep receipts and get cost estimates written down on paper if possible. Kim's Alterations has been around in Encinitas for years and it was clear that it's her craftswomanship keeping the lights on. read more

Kim's Alterations - The final product! - Sewing & Alterations Near Me - Encinitas, California

If I could give this woman 100 stars out of 5 I would. In under a week, she saved my wedding dress from a total chop job done at another tailor. I had used a very expensive wedding dress alterations lady my wedding dress shop had recommended who kept delaying when it would be ready, and ultimately was unable to finish my dress until **one week** before my wedding. I had gone in 3 times for fittings and she should have started alterations months ahead of time, so my heart completely sank when I went to pick up my dress and saw what the previous tailor did. Somehow when hemming the dress, she had added a horizontal line 5 inches up from the hem that was completely visible throughout all sides of the dress and ruined the look of it to me. The bustle was also uneven and hung from the right side instead of the center. In addition, the back had been too low for my comfort, so I had asked to bring up the back or cover it up & she had just added a plain white piece of fabric that didn't blend with the dress at all & looked like my Spanx was showing. I was heartbroken that the dress I had loved now felt ugly and botched to me, and that I had spent so much money for bad alterations. I called one of my bridesmaids upset saying I didn't know what to do with only one week until my wedding, and she suggested I try Kim's Alterations, which she had used for her wedding. I called Kim and described my situation and she stayed open late, past her business hours, to have me come that day so she could check it out. She examined my dress and told me she would fix it by my wedding, and she did. I was amazed and relieved when I came back only 5 days later to see she had not only gotten rid of the horizontal hemline, but also redone my bustle properly and transformed the back of my dress by transferring pieces of lace from the bottom of my dress onto the back, making it now look like a seamless and pretty transition instead of an underwear line. She also shortened my straps to make it fit me better as she had noticed they were not good, something I hadn't even mentioned or asked for considering she had so little time. To say she went above and beyond was an understatement. Not to mention she barely charged me anything for this work because she felt bad I spent so much already. I genuinely felt she was a very kind and talented woman to help me with this in such a short amount of time when her shop was clearly very busy, and I highly recommend getting your wedding dress alterarions done here! read more

See all

What a great small biz!!! I reached out to Kim very last minute, as an emergency, and she altered a suit jacket and slacks for me overnight for a wedding. I have heard so many locals speak highly of her, and she delivered!! Sweet person too. read more

Kim is the best! We got recommended to come here when my husband bought his suit and her prices are so reasonable and there was basically a line out of the door of people picking up their items. Great service and great job on his suit. read more

Over the years I have taken many many items to Kim for all kinds of alterations and have been 100% happy with every! Her workmanship and professionalism are rare , her prices are very fair and she's just a lovely person I live a long driving distance away and would never consider going anywhere else. The service she provided is a dying breed these days! read more

You can trust Kim! Over the years she has altered formal wear to perfection and even made a 2 piece out of a dress that had a hole. She also removed the sleeves from my mom's 80s wedding dress for me to wear- her work is exquisite and the dress looks amazing. read more

Kim is extremely knowledgeable and professional. She helped my wife make decisions about her wedding dress that alleviated some of the overthinking and anxiety that goes along with that. Also extremely fast and efficient service. Thank you so much, Kim! read more

We got married in March and Kim did the alterations for mine and my husband's fits for the day. Kim is AMAZING. There are no words to describe the impecable attention to detail she has or the perfection of her results. I am so grateful to Kim who was very accommodating to my constant worries about my dress not fitting well. Even in my last fitting I still felt like my dress wasn't looking good on me and I was starting to get worried and she said she would try one more thing and it completely transformed the dress. My husband also looked very good in his tux. Her prices are reasonable for the quality of work she has and she is very patient and has an eye for what you might want or need, without you even knowing it. I brought my shoes in and then the other accessories I planned to use as the fittings went on. She is incredible and my dress was done with plenty time to spare. The parking can be tough and she does get busy so call and make an appointment ASAP if you need alterations. Thank you Kim from the bottom of our hearts! She is worth every penny. read more

See all

Kim helped to make sure my wedding dress fit me perfectly! She was quick and efficient and I'm so thankful! read more

Kim's Alterations - Sewing & Alterations Near Me - Encinitas, California

I cannot recommend Kim enough. I have gone to her several times over the years and she has never failed me. I've brought several types of clothes (pants, dresses, shirts, among others) in for alterations or repairs. She is the sweetest person and it's obvious that she wants the best for her clients. Even if that means telling them when she disagrees or is hesitant to do something! I appreciate the heck out of her honesty! She has always had great recommendations and suggestions about how she'd make the alterations. Go to Kim's! read more

Kim did an amazing job with my wedding dress, she added a bustle and it was hemmed perfectly. It fit like a glove. 10/10 would recommend. She is the best! read more

See all

Kim saved the day for my wedding! I went to someone else for the initial alterations who specialized in wedding dresses. Unfortunately after multiple visits, it was clear she didn't understand what I wanted and I was starting to think it couldn't be done. I called Kim a week before I needed to leave for my wedding. She squeezed me in while she was closed and immediately understood what I wanted. She did the alterations super fast, exactly how I wanted them, and for a better price. I highly recommend!! read more

Kim always goes above and beyond what she promises! For someone who's a fashion snob, I won't trust anyone else but Kim to do my clothes alterations. She understands fashion, and quality. Most of all, her goal is to genuinely make her clients happy! Thank you Kim, for always making me feel well dressed! read more

Kim is the best!! She has the best prices and is an amazing seamstress. She is extremely fair, fast, and communicative. Kim has altered many of my dresses, one being my wedding dress. The dress came in too big and late, she fixed it to fit perfectly for an extremely reasonable price in less than a week. Thank you Kim!! read more

Kim's Alterations - Sewing & Alterations Near Me - Encinitas, California

Recently had my wedding dress altered here-lovely people to work with and I'm excited with how the final product turned out! Also had my mom's veil lovingly and carefully altered to be a bit more modern. Recommend bringing cash to pay! read more

Kim did an amazing job altering my wedding dress making it fit beautifully! She is kind and took the time to make sure I was happy with any alterations before she did it. My dress had a lot of lace detail where alterations needed to be made and when she was finished with the dress the lace looked perfect! Her prices are fair and she made sure the dress was completed with plenty of time before the wedding. I highly recommend Kim's Alterations! read more

Kim did an amazing job altering my wedding dress and was so great to work with throughout the entire process! I purchased my dress during a sample sale, which meant that it was several sizes too big. I was nervous that the dress wouldn't end up fitting well, but Kim tailored it to my size, and it ended up fitting like a glove. I had three fitting appointments with Kim leading up to my wedding (about a month apart each time), and she was so kind and patient each time. Her price was also very reasonable for the amount of tailoring she had to do (take the dress in several sizes, add bra cups, hem the length, add a bustle for two different layers of the dress). Kim also tailored my husband's tux and button-up, and it ended up fitting him so well. A few things to note: -Call for a fitting appointment if you are getting your wedding (or other formal event) dress altered -Arrive a little early to find parking. There are a few spots available at the back of the shop but may be full if you go during a busier time of day. read more

Kim is amazing, a total pro!!! My wedding dress was mostly lace with the need of a delicate touch and patience and let me tell you, Kim was made for that. Each fitting was a pleasant experience, she's quick, she's skilled, and she's SO sweet! I cannot recommend her enough for any tailoring needs, but especially for the big day! Thank you, Kim!!! read more

See all

Kim did an amazing job with my dress! First time getting a dress altered and I will definitely be coming back for any other future alterations. It was a great experience! read more

Kim is so nice and does beautiful work. She's altered many pieces for me over the past few years. I trust her completely

most amazing person for alterations. she was able to do what was nearly impossible for my dress. i felt so beautiful on my special day. thank you kim! read more

Kim's Alterations - Sewing & Alterations Near Me - Encinitas, California

Kim was awesome! Never went here before but she was the only person recommended by Vuori Did a perfect job and within a week for our vacation. Very busy mid morning because they are good at what they do and treat their customers like friends. Highly recommend! read more

Absolutely wonderful experience! Kim and her team are amazing. She was able to make my wedding dress fit perfectly. She had some suggestions which made it even better. It was so easy and fast. She truly cares about her customers. I recommend her to everyone I know. read more

See all

I so appreciate Kim. Her prices are reasonable and her suggestions have been very helpful.

Kim was absolutely amazing to work with from start to finish. She always made me feel comfortable and was so sweet. My dress was not an easy one to alter; I have DD's on a smaller frame and so I had to order the dress in a size to fit my boobs. She then had to take my dress in by at least 4 sizes! She did a phenomenal job and it was almost perfect after just the first fitting!! Her prices are very fair for the beautiful work she does. 1000% recommend her for your wedding dress needs!! read more

See all

Kim has been altering my clothing for over 20 years. She is very sweet and skilled. Parking can be tough sometimes because downtown Encinitas is usually very busy but she is worth it read more

I brought my wedding dress here on a recommendation from a friend. The place I got my dress from told me it would be months to get my dress altered (not even a lot of alterations). This place was fast and she made sure I absolutely loved my dress before I took it. I had my wedding over the weekend and the dress was perfect! read more

Kim was able to fit my 2 week deadline to get my wedding dress altered and she did a beautiful job! She is so sweet and went above and beyond to get my dress ready. Would absolutely recommend anyone to go to her!!! read more

Needed some ties altered and these are $250 ties. Excellent tailoring. Excellent job. Highly recommend Kim's.

I highly recommend Kim's Alterations for any clothing alterations you may need! She has a great eye and is wonderful to work with. She did my wedding dress and my husband's wedding suit this year. Everything fit perfectly. read more

Kim's Alterations - Wedding outfits - Sewing & Alterations Near Me - Encinitas, California

Kim did an absolutely beautiful job on my wedding dress. I came to her with a vision of making my dress open back and she absolutely nailed it. She truly is a master of her craft. The dress fit perfectly and the open back feature was exactly what I wanted. Thank you, Kim, for making my dress one-of-a-kind! read more

See all

I cannot say enough good things about Kim... the sweetest woman and helped me create my dream wedding dress. When I first started dress shopping I couldn't find anything I liked, and was on a budget. I bought a dress from Free People for $200 and brought it to Kim. We made alterations all over, changing the sleeves completely, altering the shape and length. By the time she was done with it, it looked like it costs thousands and multiple people at the wedding asked what designer it was! She stayed late to help, had same day pick-up when I needed it and was simply amazing. 5 stars isn't enough! Thank you thank you thank you! read more

Kim's Alterations - Sewing & Alterations Near Me - Encinitas, California

I have to start by saying - before finding Kim's Alterations, I had two bad experiences with wedding dress alterations. My ceremony dress ruined by a bridal shop, my reception dress unfinished and stained by an alterations shop in San Marcos. I ended up getting a brand new ceremony dress 3 WEEKS before my wedding, and even though it was prom and wedding season, Kim fitted, hemmed and added straps to my ceremony dress, and finished my reception dress and EVEN got the stains out which I almost paid $350 to dry clean before I came to her... and she finished it on time. I am SO grateful and so happy with the results. I cannot recommend this shop enough. THANK YOU KIM FOR MAKING MY DREAMS COME TRUE! I will never go anywhere else for alterations. read more

Kim's Alterations - Reception dress fitted to perfection and spot cleaned to remove stains from a bad alterations experience - Sewing & Alterations Near Me - Encinitas, California

See all

So disappointed took an expensive pair of pants in never worn now designer label gone can't do ANYTHING with them now barely taken in tried on and told her not what we discussed was packed I just left been going here for years been awhile but sad read more

I'm in a long line of fans of Kim! But here is another great review haha. I moved here a little over two years ago and desperately needed a good tailor since I buy a lot of vintage etc. Kim is amazing. My 25 year old Burberry umbrella was unusable because the stitching had come loose from the hardware. I brought it in just to see if she could do anything with it and she HAND sewed it back to the hardware and it looks brand new again! She's just so sweet and good at what she does! I've been in there several times in the past few weeks and her customers adore her and she makes everyone feel special, me included! read more

Kim's Alterations - My Burberry umbrella back to life! - Sewing & Alterations Near Me - Encinitas, California

This was my first visit to Kim's upon recommendations from neighbors. What was lovely is they were able to fix my dress no problem. I was quoted $12 by the gentleman and given my ticket with a pickup date a week later. It was a very efficient and pleasant experience for dropping off my garment. When I picked up my dress today I tried it on and was pleased my beloved dress was back in action. I went to pay and I was shocked to hear it was $24. Now listen, I know we are not talking big money here, but that's not the point. This is principle. I was charged DOUBLE from what I was quoted - with no communication from anyone at Kim's. When I mentioned I was surprised and told the woman (not sure what her name was) that I was quoted $12, she said, "we had to do another fix because of the seam" Still startled and confused I just said ok, paid, and left. In hindsight, I wish I honored myself more and stood my ground. They have my phone number. The best customer service would be to telephone, say what the situation is and ASK the customer what they would like to do. I didn't receive this courtesy and it greatly damaged my trust in Kim's. Not to mention I felt like trash because it was catfish (bait and switch) vibes. I just checked out other reviews and wish I dug a bit more deeply before settling on Kim's. This has happened to other customers. I can't help but wonder if this this is a regular practice and they get by with it because people are left feeling so awful that sometimes it's just easier to pay and leave. This is definitely not how I wish to be treated nor would I send anyone I care for here. I absolutely recommend you DO NOT go to Kim's and give your money to a business that is transparent, honest, and will treat you with respect. read more

Kim is the best in Southern California!! My wedding gown was covered in detailed beading. I had several alterations places tell me they wouldn't touch my dress and I was getting extremely worried that I was not going to be able to wear my dream dress. Then I was referred to Kim's alterations. I called her and told her that my dress was covered in beading and she said don't worry bring the dress in. I bought my dress mid Covid lockdown I had some extra weight on. Well planning a wedding is stressful and I ended up loosing all that extra weight. The dress needed to be taken in several sizes. Kim was able to do all the alterations and while not changing any of the designs in the beadwork. It was unbelievable how she was able to alter my dress from start to finish and quickly!! She worked magic on this dress!! read more

See all

I've had my wedding dress altered here and recently 8 years later my daughter's first communion dress. I'm always happy with the service and the alterations. read more

Very busy coastal alterations shop with pleasant owner. They offer great recommendations and we have found their work to be so reliable, that we drive a little farther to Encinitas. Shop can be busy depending the season, so allow 7-10 days for any work to be completed. read more

Kim's Alterations was a recommendation from the bridal shop I bought my wedding dress from and I couldn't have been happier with her work. My wedding dress fit like a glove after two appointments with Kim. She's a great listener, didn't miss any details and was so kind at each appointment. She was also able to work with the timeline I needed my dress by. She's very busy so I recommend calling in advance to book an appointment. I was so happy with how all the alterations turned out and felt beautiful in my wedding dress. I highly recommend Kim if you are in need of alterations! Her prices were affordable and she does great quality work. read more