I have to report on the heinous TAILOR at Sam's.
Every fashionable woman knows the secret to looking great isn't always how much you spend on a garment--it's the fit! My 2 tailoring problems are a gap at the back of the waist, & a gap at the back of the collar. [Seems like the back of me is saggin' everywhere.]
I had a ton of stuff, but only brought in 2 items until I could see the quality of the work. But when I mentioned I had stacks of clothing the gal at the counter said, "You'll get a much better price if you bring it in all at once. Don't worry; he's an EXCELLENT tailor." Said man showed up, so I also asked if he could MAKE me clothes as well. He said yes, but gave me his home phone & said he should come to my house if making garments from the ground-up. He said it'd be more time-efficient & I'd get a better deal [I'm paraphrasing]. Made sense, so I told him I'd give him a call when he finished the alterations.
So, I brought in more--& I mean MORE. Blouses, tops, skirts, dresses, pants, shorts, blazers, leather & coats. This was roughly 2/3 of my wardrobe. [Yeah, seems like a lot--but thanks to the tailor, I have way less now]. I got there & had a slight communication problem--I don't speak Spanish & the tailor doesn't speak much English. Oddly, he didn't take my measurements, but I tried on a pair of pants & a leather blazer, & he marked them. That seemed to be all he wanted to do [I guessed]. I asked him how long he needed. He said 2 days. [2 DAYS?] I gave him a week. I came back, but only a few of the items were ready. [Shocker.] No one had even called to let me know & I live 30 min away. [Rude much?]
I got home & tried on a leather blazer--what I felt was the most difficult item to tailor--& it fit like Lucy & Ethel. I sighed. A thrill ran thru me. I'D FOUND HIM--THE 2ND MOST IMPORTANT MAN IN MY LIFE.... Then I tried on the pants. The sag at the back still sagged at the back.
Being the sweet, patient, nice gal that I am [wait, is my husbad [not a typo] reading this?], I brought back the items that needed re-tailoring [is that a word? I know 'that' is a word, I meant re-tailoring] to give him a 2nd try. I thought praise might ease the sting & I strive to concentrate on the positive, so I mentioned the tailoring he did on my leather was beautiful work.
Next, I asked him to take my measurements & I tried EVERYTHING on for him to pin [I was there over 3 hrs]. Plus, I had the girl at the counter serve as an interpreter [not kidding], so I felt comfortable I'd get everything straightened out. [I told you, I concentrate on the positive.] This time he said he needed 3 days. [Either this guy is snorting Speed, spends too much time in Fantasyland, or has 8 more pairs of hands hidden under his shirt.] I told him to take his time.
Finally got the re-boots, & staggered into my bedroom with my 78 items. [I counted. My Antique Eastlake Bed had so many piles of clothes on it, it thought it was in a new version of "The Princess & the Pea."] I tried on garment after garment. My clothes looked like the wardrobe from a sci-fi flick--a bad one. Rabid! I wanted to up-chuck my just eaten In-'n'-Out burger & fries. [That'd be another crime.]
What a mixed-up bag! [Not ME, the quality of the work.] Leather skirt: A. Blouses: F. Shorten sleeves on jacket: A. Skirts: a hideous freakish nightmare: F-! It was like I'd found the Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hide [not a typo--he should hide--in shame] of the tailoring world. Dr. Jekyll apparently alters leather like a sew-happy biker, but Mr. Hide isn't even a tailor--he's a MONSTER!
I paid over $500 for tailoring on clothes I'd either have to pay someone else to fix [if fixable] or toss. I asked for a partial refund & was told, "The tailor will make it right." They asked me to give him another chance. [If he couldn't get it right the 1st or 2nd time... a 3rd?] Again, I asked for a partial refund: Mexican Tailor said NO. He asked for a 3rd shot: Full-Blooded Italian Me said NO. Him NO. Me NO. Him NO. Me NO. [It was a Half-Mexican Stand-off.] [And I'm not a racist. I love Brown White Black Yellow Red & even Blue [Smurfs].
I noticed I'd been charged twice for 2 items. I asked for a refund on those & would just forget the entire horrendous experience [I didn't even tell all--Yelp has a word limit]. Then they got nasty! The counter girl accused me of trying to cheat them by having the tailor do work for me on the side at my house! Say WHAT? It was the classic, "We're guilty, so we'll try to make YOU look like the criminal" scenario. [It's criminal!]
In the end, the items I could wear: 3 pants, a leather blazer & skirt, & 2 jackets. I never got a cent back. I tossed most of the clothes [some brand new; some irreplaceable vintage pieces. Rabid!]
My sage advice: if you want inconsistent, unreliable, schizophrenic tailoring, go to Sam's. read more