One of those truly inexplicable overall Yelp ratings to me. I had a couple suits tailored here, and I wouldn't ever use them again. A. Extremely expensive. Both suits required a moderate amount of work but nothing major, and I was charged about $350 total -- no specifics, more of a holistic billing approach. But the Yelp reviews were very positive (even better at the time than they are now) so I was willing to shell out. B. The work was very clearly farmed out to someone else, and was done terribly. One of the pants was taken in so far in the seat that about half my butt fit inside it. Nelson's response was to say "oh, one of my guys must have done that" and he fixed it in about ten minutes, and to his credit fixed it very well. I have no idea who that other guy was or how he could possibly have believed a human ass would have been covered by his tailoring, but he was not ready for his assignments. The other pants were cut similarly, but I was fed up and just left -- before I even noticed that the sleeves on one of the jackets were uneven. Nelson himself is probably a great tailor, as evidenced by his cleanup job, but whoever he's giving work to...well, you might as well do it yourself with nail scissors and floss. C. It took forever. I finally called after 5 weeks or so and was told that "your suits have been here forever, we left you several messages, why haven't YOU picked up your suits?" This was, of course, blatantly not true . . . especially since I then showed up, and only one of my suits was there (the other still with Tailor X, as he figured out how to eliminate more butt fabric). PSA: take your stuff elsewhere. You've been warned. read more

Prices have increased yet again! Brought in an $8 cotton maxi dress that needed hemming, charged $10. Nelson, Please don't let the popularity Yelp gave you into your head. Bring back the lower prices and friendly neighborly service. Also, we liked in when we saw you at work. Your present employees are grumpy and not as accommodating as you. read more

I went to Nelson's after reading the reviews off YELP. I was in desperate need of having a bridesmaids dress tailored. I took it into the shop and got "pinned" and measured. I told him exactly what a wanted and how the dress should fit. When I went to pick up the dress, I tried it on and could not get it zipped. After several attempts the dress zipped up, but I felt like I was in sausage casing. It was not flattering at all. It was late at night and the man helping me kept saying, "oh, it will work fine." I kept making comments about how I could barely breathe or move in the dress. I took the dress home as I was leaving to go out of town the next day. I called the store when I returned from my trip and told them that they needed to do something to fix this situation... that the dress is two sizes too small (it was one size too big). The employee said it was not a problem to come back in. He was super friendly to me about me bringing the dress back in. The only problem is that once the material is cut it's *GONE*. Fortunately, he found about 1.5" to let it out, but it was still extremely tight. Also, the hem was noticeably shitty and you could see holes where it was sewed before. Thank goodness for the food poisoning I had two days before the wedding. That was my only saving grace of getting into that dress. Thanks Nelson for making me look and feel like stuffed sausage at my friend's wedding. The only reason I gave two stars was because staff was extremely friendly, didn't charge to fix the dress (although I would have screamed if they did) and they had a quick turn-around. read more

I am happy to join the long line of 'Fans of Nelson'. I traipsed all around the city looking for just the right fabric for a skirt that I had in my head that I wanted for a VERY special occasion. When I finally found it I was tempted to have a go at making it myself - but with just a few days to work with and no budget for more fabric I decided to find a reasonable tailor. When the trail for tailor Bang Fun (real name?) went cold I found myself drifting aimlessly down Orchard popping into the many tailor shops there - they all referred me to another shop on Orchard, where the classic, older tailor seemed perfectly nice, but I was skeptical whether he 'got me' or would understand what I was looking for. So, I drifted on, finally landing on Nelson's doorstop. Reassured by the calm, orderly atmosphere in the shop, and by Nelson's hipster sensibility I put my dream (vanity?) project in his hands. This was at about 6pm on a Thursday. The next day he called me at 11am and told me the skirt was ready for a fitting. I got there around 2pm and by 4pm I was walking out the door with my fantasy skirt - that is LESS THAN 24-HOURS folks! It was a pleasure to work with him and to spend a little time in his shop - watching he and his team efficiently handle the constant stream of customers who all seemed to leave happy - and not too much lighter in the pocket! He even made me a miniature version of my skirt for a Barbie Doll, out of one of the scraps! What?! Way above and beyond. Do yourself a favor and give Nelson's shop a try. read more

Nelson Tailor Shop - Nelson at work! - Sewing & Alterations Near Me

Awesome tapering job on my jeans. Taper from the knee down - $10 Taper from the jean pocket down - $25 read more

Nelson is a gentleman and an honest businessman. Great prices, great work, and fair turnaround times. I get the sides/arms of my shirts taken in here because off the rack stuff fits like a tent. My girlfriend got some dresses taken in and they look great, you can't even tell it was altered. Nelson makes suggestions and provides valuable feedback that is honest and not necessarily always in his own interest (a good thing). For example, when we were there trying on clothing, he recommended to a girl who wanted a bridesmaid's dress altered that it wasn't worth the cost to do such an alteration and it wouldn't look that great. He was honest with her instead of focusing on trying to sell more product/collect more money - the mark of a true professional. I will get all my clothing tailored here and will recommend him to all my friends. read more

I gave them 3 because as a cleaners they are good but their tailor has no idea what he is doing. Last time I bring him anything.

Don't believe the hype. After reading the reviews I was excited to meet my new tailor. Besides the reviews I wanted to like the place, tucked away in my old neighborhood. And what's not endearing about rows of senior Latin gents cutting and sewing away to salsa? Well..the actual tailoring. I took in a suit, an extra pair of pants and a dress shirt. The jacket needed considerable work - taken in on both sides, the sleeves and the back. Both pants needed to be taken in the waist and hemmed. The shirt sleeves were also long. It took a hot minute but Nelson needled and chalked me up, scribbled on a receipt and told me how much I owed: trip digits. (Who's got time to itemize prices? Not that guy.) First pickup: drunken by the five star reviews, I paid and happily went home without trying anything on. Big mistake. I pull out the jacket at home - it still had pins in it! (Amateur.) No work had been done. (Annoying.) Ditto for the second pair of pants. (Robbery.) I returned the jacket and second pair of pants. No apologies. They take the jacket and pants and tell me to come back. Second pickup: I try the jacket on and there is a fold in the shoulder, above the collarbone. The second pants were still too long. I was told to come back in two hours. Still no apologies. The suit is now mostly fine. But later, I wore the altered shirt with the finally fixed jacket. The jacket sleeves are longer than the shirt's! WTF. A trip to Nelson's, the gift that keeps on giving. Don't. Don't. Don't believe the hype. read more

Horrible place. Went in with four dresses that needed to be shortened. This was not a complicated job as they were cotton dresses (nice valuable dresses) that needed 3 inches off with a simple single stitch. First dress was sewned unevenly Second DRESS was turned into a top - they obviously forgot where it was marked Third dress was hemed using adhesive tape. You can see the tape and bubbles when wearing and when i got home the tape must have not been properly heated and came apart. The fourth dress had visible stitching holes around the hem. DO NOT GO HERE! I'll need to purchase another dress that will actually cover my bottom, and get the others re-done. All in all not worth the price and they weren't even that cheap. read more

I am a sucker for sample sales. I don't think I've ever met a sale I didn't like. As such, I have a tendency to buy beautiful garments that fit me almost-perfectly, and this is why Nelson is a godsend. The $285 pants I bought for just $65 were way too long and just a little looser than I wanted around the waist. I had brought shoes with me to try on while he fitted me, but managed to leave the bag in the subway and didn't realize it until I was trying on the pants to show Nelson. He eyeballed me and asked how high my heels were. I told him about 2 1/2 inches, and he said ok. I asked him to take the waist in a little on each side, and he didn't even use pins, just told me to come back on Monday (it was a Saturday). Waist and hems: $15. I picked up the pants and they were about half an inch too short with the heels, and when I took them back, he lengthened them for free. My boyfriend bought a new skinny suit, but it wasn't quite skinny enough. He had the jacket and the arms taken in for $35 and it is a perfect fit. People walk in and out of this unassuming shop with Barney's garment bags. They trust him to make their clothes look good. You should, too. read more

PEEPING TOMS! I use to come here when I lived in the Lower East Side-he had those 'hot chicks' posters in the changing area then. If it is still there BEWARE!! One day I was changing into my clothes that needed to be tailored and I heard the paper move a bit. One of his workers were peeping through a hole in the wall. The pictures are used to cover these holes. DISGUSTING! read more

Oh Nelson's! You are so worth the walk. So, I live in Brooklyn and I have recently been searching for jobs, which is actually what led me to Nelson's. Let me demystify: since I am potentially leaving the small business world, I had to buy my first suit in, well, in a while. Being a skinny man, I need to have everything practically reconstructed. I had an interview fast approaching and needed some alterations STAT. I had tried the dry cleaners in my neighborhood for pants alterations one time and they came back pretty mangled, so I set to work on Yelp to find something reliable and came up with Nelson's. Based on the other reviews, I schlepped a bunch of pants and shirts down along with the suit. Right off, the place has a great vibe. The 'hot chicks' posters in the changing area are a little cheeky, but non-offensive. It seems like a family operation and there is a lot of pride that goes along with that, which is apparent and welcomed. Nelson (I'll go out on a limb and assume that is him) was finishing up with another client, but acknowledged me and was appropriately brisk. Once we got to work trying things on an discussing the alterations, Nelson was really helpful in being clear about what certain sutures would mean for the overall look of the garment. I explained that I had an interview coming up and needed some things faster that others. He was totally cool with writing out separate tickets to facilitate that. Over the next week, as I picked things up, I grew more and more pleased. In addition to doing a pretty good dry clean, all of the hems and alterations were really crisp and well done; no snags, ugly threads, etc. PLUS it was totally affordable to have a TON of stuff done. For four pairs of pants altered (waist and length) and many shirts + sweaters cleaned it all came in at less than $80. The only thing Nelson couldn't do is get me the job. read more

WEDDING: Saturday TRY DRESS TO SEE and BREAK ZIPPER: Monday Night DROP TO NELSON: Tuesday RETRIEVE IN SPLENDOR: Thursday He was a godsend - Not only did he fix my dress to perfection within 2 days but he assured me it was the zipper and not my winter-weight fat ass that broke it! Go to Nelson, he will treat you right! Wooo hoooo! read more

Let me paint you a picture: My sister is getting married in 5 days and, in classic fashion for our family, I don't have any of my clothes for the two days of events, she hasn't tried on her dresses, and the groom is still piecing together his ill-fitting tuxedo. I buy two slightly over-sized suits, that are the best for my awkward shape (very thin frame, small shoulders, but tall-ish), and we all need immense work on our outfits in a short amount of time on a (appropriately) slim budget. We call up all the top tailors on yelp, and none of them will take on these gargantuan tasks on such short notice, until we reach Nelson himself. He's so relaxed when I speak to him that I condescendingly think he must not understand what I'm asking for-- he does. Perfectly. In one day, he took my two suit jackets, brought in the sides, slimmed the arms, pulled in the back, and, after all that, brought in the neck, and even fixed an improperly stitched shoulder free. He also took my pants and slimmed them considerably, so that they're much more contoured to my legs. They're somewhat classic looking now: Slim, but not skinny, which I think was appropriate. If you want skinny, make it clear. The groom had his entire tux refitted, the pants were made considerably thinner (they originally looked like pajamas on him) and had the pleats removed. The bride had her dress taken in. All of this was done in 3 days: enough time for a dry cleaning for a jacket that I had somehow managed to get a stain on in spite of only having worn it once before, and steam-pressed. Pricing is fair: not at all exorbitant, but what you would expect for the hours of labor he puts in. And, if he sees something he needs to do while he's stitching, he will throw it in because he wants his work to reflect well upon him and look good on you. You can decide if you want to pay a bit extra. I did. In short: my sister's wedding would not have been the aesthetic treat it was -- I WOULD not have been the dashing bride's brother that I was -- without Nelson. Thank you, my man. I have lots more stuff coming your way. read more

I was very very very disappointed in my service!!! I went in on tuesday morning and said that I needed quick service as I would be leaving the city and flying out on Friday. Before leaving my dress I asked numerous times if it would be completed by Thursday night. On my receipt I was asked to call back on wednesday. I left a $40 dollar deposit to ensure it would be done. When I called wednesday i was told " oh yes we are working on it now" On Thursday evening at 5 pm I was surprised that nothing was done but my dress had been cut. I was furious bc NELSON nonchalantly told me it would be done by the next day at ten. My flight was leaving at ten. He brushed me off and said sorry go around the corner and ask for some random man to fix and handed me my money and cut dress back. Needless to say I will NEVER GO back. This was unprofessional and expensive. I was mad.... thank you Express Tailors which will have my 5 star review. Nelson did direct me to them. I guess he knew they would fix his mistake. read more

The shop has closed, but I found out that you can reach Nelson directly and he can do all of your tailoring needs by appointment. Here is his cell: 347-500-8723 read more

Nelson is the man! If you (like me) have items wasting valuable closet space, serving no function other than collecting dust b/c they don't fit right.. these articles of clothing that may look great on the hanger, but are missing the fitting-flattering factor? However, something unconsciously is forbidding you from re-gifting, hand-me-downing, g'willing, buffxchaging (whatever disposal method you prefer). Why do we hold on to such useless items? Do we think we are going to wake up and suddenly these unfitting items will magically transform into a piece of perfection conforming to our figures?? Of course not, that would be silly talk! We hold on to these dust bunnies for talented tailors to save the life worthy of living in these garments! When I was in the packing process to move x*country (SD to NYC) - I was gracefully binging, donating, or selling almost every tangible item I had to rid the shiza schlepped w/ me to the East Coast. Point being, I came soooooo close to saying ~effit~ w/ these awkward fitting suits, blazers, jackets, slacks... Boyo-boy, am so glad that lil' voice said - "No Megan, not these... they will be worth holding on to.." And they were! Nelson works magic! I would have had to spend a fortune to buy new suits etc... Dinero Down the Drain... Dunzo! But thanks to fellow YELPers & Nelson's unique clothing craftsmanship I now have 3 sharp, perfectly fitting suits, 2 jackets. Also, my boyfriend had alterations done on a blazer, slacks, jeans, button down shirts etc. We are both grateful to have a tailor we can trust with our alteration needs! side note - there are a couple other people working on alterations, but in essence Nelson really is a one-man-band. Keep in minds eye before randomly walking in the shop expecting expedient service. .................................... It would be like going to Trader Joe's in Union Square on a Sat/Sun afternoon, and getting upset the line started when you walked in the door... capiche??? .................................... Might want to call ahead to find out a good time... Also, ladies (& modest men) there is only ONE dressing room, and is not very Private.. no matter how hard I tried to stretch the sides to seal the gap, the drapery seemed a couple inches short on either side. Just an fyi as it is in the entrance of the shop when picking out your underwear, may want to select something you feel comfortable or that is appropriate if a street-comber caught a peak... It is not a open forum by any means, just a heads-up not to expect a private dressing room suite ;) The first day I wore skinny jeans, with thick snowboard socks, and bulky boots (freezing day) - the tight ankles with a ltd. 4" circumference did not make for the most convenient wardrobe change. Poor decision maker - reminded me of going to get a pedicure with tennis shoes... stupid (maybe not in NYC b/c sandals cannot be worn in the winter, but in SD... I would scold myself for unacceptable behavior :o) Any who, when I returned to Nelson's knowing I had tons of pants to try on, I learned from my experience of indecent exposure combined with my inconveniently binding clothes to be better prepared! Returning as a seasoned VET, I wore thin leggings enabling me to expediently slip in-n-out of suit, confirming fit without hogging time in the dressing room! ...other than that, enjoy the corny collage of dated magazine clippings of women in swimsuits... random... but if it helps Nelson do good work, I'm in full support :o) read more

The other day I had a black tie event to go to and searched Yelp for somewhere near the office where I could get good tailoring, and decided on the highest rated place, Nelson's. Thing was, the event was in two days, and the tux I had was way too big. I hadn't worn it in a long time and maybe it was swapped with my brother's at some point ... regardless, it fit like a clown suit. A tiny little shop on Rivington, when I walked in the guy behind the counter had me stand on a box and began to measure. Not a simple job he said... back, arms, shoulder, and the pants had to be taken in. Basically a full reconstruction. One part alone, the shoulders, would be $60. He called a guy who was on a sewing machine. Nelson himself came over and made more chalk marks. He quoted a price which was a little more than $100. I said I also had a couple pairs of pants to hem, how much for everything. He threw the pants in for free. Said to come in next week. I said I needed it by the next day. With a 2 second pause... he said, ok, come in at 3pm. All would be done by then. By 3pm the next day I had a brand new tux. Ready to go. Properly fitted, head to toe. Completely pulled apart and reconstructed. And two pairs of pants, well hemmed. I tipped him $20. A great deal. Great service. Nelson rocks. read more

Nelson's is awful, and I would not go back. Save your money and take your business elsewhere, including to your neighborhood dry cleaner, as it will be same quality work and you will save money. Don't get caught up in the hype, the recent negative reviews are on point. The positive reviews are either old customers that Nelson knows and provides good service to or are people, like me, who really wanted to find a good NYC tailor and wanted to believe the hype. Believe me, if you are a new or non-regular customer, you will NOT receive anything remotely like good service or quality work. The staff is indifferent and unhelpful while Nelson himself is usually hanging out in the back (i.e. not working) and avoiding eye contact with customers if he is there at all. Brought three pants in to get taken in because I lost some weight and they all came back ruined. Despite measuring me and pinning it, they took the waist in about 1.5 inches too far which sort of works if I am standing and want them to ride super-dork high; moreover they took out the fabric so the damage can't even be corrected. This on top of being extremely expensive. I deeply regret giving them second and third chances (I too was caught up in the reviews and wanted to find a good NYC tailor after I'd lost weight and needed serious tailoring work). After forking over literally thousands of bucks to this place, I am back to square one. Also: When I went the CC machine was broken and they were cash-only which conveniently meant you can't dispute a charge through your credit card company. read more

I had 5 days to get a suit tailored and took a leap of faith on Nelson. I'm glad I did because Nelson will now be my one and ONLY tailor. The whole process was seamless with the fitting only taking 10 minutes and turn-around time being 24 hours...yes, 24 hours (no extra charge). I had a suit jacket and pant that needed to be completely tailored - jacket shortened with the sleeves and torso slimmed. The pants needed to be slimmed (skinnified), which he did perfectly. I'll be taking the rest of my suits and blazers to him. I suggest going in on a weekday as he tends to be very busy on the weekends. read more

This is the situation. I got my bridesmaid dress in April, 4 months later the wedding is a week away and ooh FUDGE..i can't fit into the dress. Maybe it's all the wine I've been drinking and ice cream. Seriously! I sat on my living room floor crying, cause i thought i was SCREWED. The morning after--I run to Nelson's and say "omg i can't fit in my dress" they said they couldn't do anything about it and i said "nah i think u can." Fast forward, I pick up the dress and I fit in it!!! Thank god..they let it out 1.5" inches and it fits awesomely. I'm still taking those DIET PILLS. Wedding is 9 days away. read more

In brief: Location: Rivington (between Clinton and Ridge) Price: Cheap! (~$2 for a regular hem, ~$10 for original hem) Service: Great and superfast (if it's a quick hemming, they can often do it while you wait) Results: Rarely a problem, but if there is an issue (i.e. pants not hemmed short enough), they fix it for free ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Details: My roommates and I were lucky that the first place we lived in was a block away from Nelson's. It was extremely convenient as it was on the way to and from the subway. Nelson's is cheap and fast. If I go in with just one pair of pants, almost everytime they'll ask if I want to wait (10-30 minutes) for it. When I lived in the LES, I usually refused and would just pick it up the next day. However, after I moved to the Upper East Side, my roommate and I would still take our clothes there to be hemmed and instead of making 2 trips, we would hangout in the LES for an hour. Besides jeans and trousers, I've also gotten a lined wool skirt (from the '70s?) taken in on the sides. They are so cheap and good that after I moved back to SFand before I found Janet (see my review on "Expert Alterations" in SF), I used to bring clothes to NY to get altered when I visited. read more

I went here to get the liner replaced on my favorite wool coat (because I love it and can't bear the thought of trying to find a replacement and because the lining was shredded like Madoff's records before a federal raid). NY Mag had recommended this place for liner replacement, so I headed down to the LES on a slightly warmer winter day last winter, wearing a shorter coat and hoping that the little heat wave would continue until my wool coat was fixed. They said that they could do it, no problem, but that it would cost about $90 and take at least two weeks. I said okay, because it was cheaper than buying a new coat. And they were very nice the whole time. When I got the coat back, the first think I noticed was that the new liner was really cheap polyester and had not been well attached. The liner bunched strangely and did not lay flat at the seams. They also did not replace one of the pockets, so I had one pocket made from the polyester and one shredded pocket in the old material. I sucked it up, because, well, it was my favorite coat and at least I could continue to wear it. Then, this winter (so after about half a season of use), the new liner started to shred again. I took it to my neighborhood dry cleaner, and they said that they could fix it no problem, for about the same price, using better material in half the time. I should get the coat back in the next few days, so I will provide an update on the quality of the replacement soon. Bottom line - the quality was not worth the schlep, the price or the wait time. They can't do anything more than your local tailor. read more

I went here on the recommendation of Yelp and a friend, where the majority were good reviews. Maybe I was the exception, but this is what happened I gave him 3 pairs of jeans to taper and hem, went to pick it up 3 days later when it was ready, i tried all of them on, perfectly good, the fit was just how i wanted, and the hem was original just like i asked, i paid him 25 a pair (i dont know much about pricing), i got home, wore each jean ONCE outside, out of the three, TWO of the jeans started coming loose where he sewed it to taper, so now i have two jeans that have holes where the stitching has come loose, im afraid to wear the third one out for fear that it'll unravel as i walk the original hem is perfect, couldnt ask for a better job the sizing was perfect also im no expert but i'm pretty sure threads are supposed to stay in tact after you sew them on, especially when the job was just finished, i was hoping he'd be good since hes only a 10-15 minute walk from where i live i'll be looking for other tailors now read more

Horrible experience. Will not be back. I attempted to go to Nelson this morning during business hours (9:15am). The woman in the store would not let me in, as I stood in the rain knocking. She looked at me and would not open the door. When I tried calling and could hear the phone ringing, she looked at it and didn't answer! Worst customer service I've had in a long time. Unfortunate because the clothing I've had altered there previously was very well done, but I can't give them my business when they treat customers so poorly. read more

I brought these folks a ridiculous project. A vintage military coat from just after WWII. Absolutely, positively made for someone much bigger than me. I needed it hemmed, the half-belt on the back moved, the sleeves narrowed. Basically the whole coat had to be taken apart, recut and put back together and various bits of small damage had to be concealed in the process. I was really stressed about it, both because it was a weird request and because it was hard work on an item that could not be replaced (long story about the coat, but not standard issue). When I brought it in, the guy said, come back in a week for a fitting. I go in a week later, and he says, "okay, I think I got it, if not, I'll do more work on it, but I think this will be right." It was perfect. They can do anything. read more

this is my first non-food related review! Maybe I'm not a huge glutton...nah... anyways, I, too, went to Nelson's after reading reviews on Yelp and was not disappointed AT ALL. A few weeks back, I was on a trip and fell for the "cheap suits" gimmick in Hong Kong. I basically ended up bringing back a suit which was fitted too large and seemed to have awkward shoulders. I didn't know if the suit could be saved. Then, I found Nelson's tailor shop. He initially quoted $75 to take in the sides and do a little work on the sleeves. When I came back, he mentioned that he found that the shoulder pads were incorrectly mounted inside the suit which was what gave the awkward look and corrected it for free! The end result was a jacket that looked brand new and fit perfectly. Real quality work for really decent prices. I'll definitely be going back even though I live all the way out in Queens. read more

Addiction: scouring eBay for awesome vintage finds at low, low prices Problem: super cute dresses hang in my closet unworn for months because dresses=too big and I=too small Solution: read Yelp, find Nelson, and get two dresses taken in a ton for $11 each (I actually shrieked, "WHAT?!?!?!" when he told me the price cause I couldn't believe how cheap it was) So if you see a gal walking down the street wearing a KILLER vintage dress and a satisfied expression, it's totally me. You should high-five me, no questions asked. read more

Terrible work. I had a bridesmaid dress that required a good amount of taking in. All they did was pin one tiny section near the neckline and that was it. No measuring, no gauging of where the dress ought to sit upon the waist etc. The result was something that totally destroyed the original shape of the dress. Workmanship was also awful, plenty of frayed ends and slipshot tacking here and there. I would never go back to them. read more

Nelson miraculously fixed a lot of my b's way-too-big suits. He is friendly and courteous, and really knows his stuff. Went in the heat of the summer, he saw me sweating balls on the bench, and offered me to sit in the back with the crew where the AC was. How nice of him! I usually buy dresses and such that fit, but if I ever needed a dress or suit tailored, I would definitely come to him. It's pretty quick too when trying stuff on. I mean sometimes he takes more than a week to alter and get the pieces back to you, but he's a busy guy and has a lot of business so you have to be patient with him. He did a great job on all my b's pieces and since my b doesn't Yelp, I am going to do it for him! I wouldn't advise to call, because they probably won't pick up. Added bonus, you could brunch at Essex, Clinton Street, Bondi Road which are all just blocks away! read more

So far so good. I've been searching for a tailor for a while and asked neighbors for recommendations. I was not willing to try out the places they suggested after visiting so I checked yelp. I've lost some weight and needed to have the 3 pantsuits I bought at the heavier weight altered since I have no intention of gaining the weight back. I also bought a Kate Spade crosswalk dress at a sample sale for a great price, but it's a few sizes too big. This is in addition to a floor length purple dress I've owned for years but never wore since it never fit quite right despite being altered once at my local tailor. The two dresses still have the tags on them. I went on a Monday to avoid the weekend crowds. I tried everything on and Nelson chalked and pinned my items. The pants are all being taken in at the waist ($10 - $15 each) although one pair was already altered by my local tailor but not to my satisfaction; one blazer needs an overhaul (taken in at both sides and the back; $75) and the two dresses need to be taken from shoulder to waist at the sides. Total for all tailoring was $185 and the take credit cards. I am hoping for the best given all the positive yelp reviews. It's sort of like a blind date feeling. You hear all these great things about the person but then you get on the date and..... To be continued. ETA: I picked up my clothes, 2 days earlier than anticipated, and everything looks great. I tried on each piece and although I was happy with everything, another tailor thought my cream pants didn't fit quite right so he altered them again on the spot and they did fit better. I am taking them on a business trip in a few days and am very happy that I no longer look like I'm wearing my big sisters clothes. And I will finally be able to wear my purple floor length dress out of the house! I didn't realize it at the time but the hem was completely gone. Nelson fixed it for me at no additional charge. I've already decided to wear it to a work function. I have found my new go to tailor! read more

Finding a good tailor who has fast turn around times is an endeavor all by itself. After looking around Yelp, i decided to give Nelson's a shot. Boy was i impressed. I came on on a friday and brought with me 10 shirts and 2 pants. Shirts were taken in at the sides, sleeves tightened, and pants were hemmed to the ankles and tapered. When i stepped in, i was measured right away and he listened to all my requests. I told him i needed them done by next wed. He nodded ( a quiet guy ). For 10 shirts and 2 pants, the cost was $160. Not bad, but def not the best price. But i liked the fact he said next wed they would be done. So here i am, on a wed. I picked up the clothes, tried them on and they look like they fit me perfectly. I am very pleased with the quality and fast turn around time at Nelsons. I will def be going back again. read more

Thank goodness for Nelson's shop!! I just got married last weekend, my husband and I planned our wedding in a little over 4 months and I only got my dress in literally 3 weeks before the wedding. Not much had to be done to it so I didn't want to take it somewhere where it was going to cost me a fortune. I took it to Nelson and he had it completed in a week!! The price was incredibly reasonable, and come to find he used to (and maybe still does) makes wedding dresses, so why take your dress anywhere else? My dress fit perfectly, thank you!!!! read more

Excellent tailoring for menswear. Recently brought in a tux for serious work: Sleeves shortened, lapel made slimmer, shoulders taken in and shrunk, sides taken in, jacket shortened at the bottom, pants slimmed throughout and pant pleats taken out--he converted them to flat-fronts. All of it looks SUPERB--he has a great eye. One thing: there was a moth in the jacket that flew out when I tried it on in the store after he did his work. It left a stain and I had to go get it dry cleaned, which I wouldn't have had to do for a while otherwise. That set me back an extra $15 at my dry cleaner's--some kind of discount for that from Nelson's would have been nice, since the moth happened there. The tux looks a lot more awesome than some of the smaller things I've brought there--they've taken in a button-down shirt and a different pair of suit pants for me there before, and they ultimately weren't as slim as I'd hoped. I probably should have pushed them more when there were fitting me. But when I was fitted for the tux, he clearly was paying much closer attention than he did with my cheaper clothing. Pants and shirts don't cost much more than anywhere else; suit jackets have set me back a lot of money here, but I think that's because he does very intense work on them, often involving removing the sleeves and reattaching them. Worth it for how great the jackets look afterwards. Conclusion: For shirts and pants, I'm comfortable going wherever and just making sure the tailor pins it up nice and slim. For jackets, I will only go to Nelson. read more

At 5'0, just under 100 pounds, and pushing age 30, certain clothing just never fits me that great. Especially women's suit jackets. I needed to find a tailor who could somehow magically shorten my sleeves, without destroying the look of a 3 button cuff. Enter Nelson Tailor Shop. I was really skeptical at first because he promised to have it ready 2 days before my job interview, and quite frankly, some of his reviews are busts. I definitely did not want anyone ruining my $200 dollar suit jacket that otherwise fit like a glove. Needless to say, he did a fantastic job on my sleeves. He ended up not just simply hemming up the ends, but actually taking away from the top. As only a real tailor could do. Price: $65. Personality wise, he is definitely blunt and straight to the point, but always polite and attentive when it's your turn in line. I will definitely be going back to him for any complex suit alteration needs. read more

There's not much more I can add...Nelson's awesome! He's the only tailor I'll go to. Out of the 30 or some items I've brought to him, for my husband and I, I have only been less than satisfied with two items. Thank you YELP for introducing me to this fabulous man! read more

Okay -- since everyone else is doing it, I'll share my Nelson story. He more or less fixed the suit that I bought off the rack and turned into something completely amazing! At this point, lots of my friends are getting married and thought it would be a good idea for me to get a suit. In the end, I got a great looking suit a middle of the road/higher end department store that didn't do alterations. It looked great when I was trying it on, but still needed some alterations. This is where Nelson comes in ... Like your typical guy, I never brought anything to a tailor to get altered. I'd rather wear pants three inches too long than have to see a tailor. I didn't know where to start, so I took to the internet and went to Nelson. Brought the suit to Nelson, and my story is not too different from everyone else's; he asked me to change into the suit behind the shower curtain, stand on that strange box where he put in several dozen pins, random soap lines, etc. Then he took the suit, said to call in a week, and that was that. A week comes, I get my suit and he did and outstanding job. I've never owned such a perfect fitting garment in my life. People even commented how nice it is and how much it would have costed. I nod and say, "thanks". There is truth to those who say it doesn't matter who made the suit, it's all about how good your tailor is. I've since bought two more suits to Nelson. :-) Not much else to say, he has an A+ operation there. Highly (HIGHLY) recommended! read more

I walked in with my wedding dress - too big, sloppy, etc. Walked out with it looking flawless. 25 minutes. 25 dollars. WOW. read more

Do not take anything you value to Nelson. You have been warned. The lowdown. I found this place through yelp when my regular tailor (Stanton) went on vacation. My needs were very minimal, so I figured no big deal, I'll give it a go. So I dropped-off 3 pair of pants (two waists and a hem), got my ticket for 30 ducats and thought I might just have a new tailor if things go well. The results? Two pant legs exactly 1 inch shorter than we agreed on - which was mid-heel so that would be 1 pair of $200 pants rendered unwearable. Next up, 2 jeans that were inexplicably taken in at the leg rather than the waist. Huh? So back to the shop I go, fairly irritated. He asks how much I paid for the alterations, then tells me that's the problem: waists are 20 each... I paid 10 so there was a miscommunication. Right. I tell him I tried the pants on, he made chalk marks on them where he was gonna cut, wrote me a ticket, etc... he says he doesn't know why "they" would do that. I tell him that HE fitted me and he says we'll get it sorted out. We do the fit again. He writes me a ticket for 20 dollars. I tell him that's crazy since he's just altered two pair of pants in places they didn't need work, and I'm not paying him to fix it. He goes back to the 20 for a waist explaination. We don't see eye-to-eye here so I agree to meet him halfway. I give him 10 dollars and cross my fingers (I honestly knew better than to leave clothes there this time - I just thought he "owed" me. Which I know is dumb since I paid him for a fix) So how about batch number two? First pair are too tight at the waist. He's done the unthinkable (or is that expected?) and taken them in more than had been requested. I was almost certain the chalk marks were for a reason? Huh. Guess not. What about the second pair, you ask? He's let the legs out as per my request but conveniently neglected to touch the waist AT ALL. I study the pant for a sec looking for same mishappen stitching as my last pair and nothing. I try them on thinking maybe he decided to get fancy and match the thread work exactly... Nope. Not a thing. And you know what? I'm not even mad. Not one bit. Because at least these jeans weren't ruined by the hands of Nelson. Expensive lesson learned. Don't say you haven't been warned. read more

I'm reluctantly writing this as I still think this is a well kept secret (and I would love to keep it this way). Over the past year (since discovery), I've had suits tailored, pants lengthened, tears repaired, coat arms changed, shirts fitted, all in pretty remarkable turnaround time...I've probably spent a total of $200 here, and it's been worth every penny. This Sat. when I went in, I had a few shirts tailored that I got on sale and were definitely far too big (I would only wear them under suits). I was just looking to take them in. Nelson, however, offered suggestions that took them from what would have been great to perfectly fitted in about an hour and looking worth at least 10x what I had paid in total (shirt+tailoring). Basically, Nelson changed my idea of tailoring from something only done for expensive items to something that should be done on anything that's not perfect as the cost is worth it. This isn't your Korean dry cleaner's work (and he probably costs less). He definitely has a great skill and knows what he's doing. My only piece of advice is YOU WILL GET WHAT YOU ASK FOR (which seems to be the problem others on here have had)! If you want suggestions and they aren't given (or don't know exactly what you want), ASK! He can and will do it. PS He's moved two stores west from the picture shown below. read more