Quick and friendly service. Brought in a favorite leather jacket with a zipper issue and the owner identified and solved the problem within minutes. She also educated me about the finicky zipper and how I can prevent it from jamming. I'll definitely come back for future repairs! read more

Colleen who runs Seams is amazing. While she of course does great for wedding gown type alterations, I've had her reshape and rebuild wild hippie flower power pants into bells and resize vintage outfits and even rebuild a 1960s afghani vest. All the work has been very artful and pro. Every item has held up under regular heavy use; and all the jobs I've had her do were done right on schedule even when I said they were no hurry or priority. I recommend Seams enthusiastically for creative projects and refittings read more

As I read the reviews, I see this alterations person's standard operating procedure is to overbook, procrastinate, finish last minute and not deliver the full package - so don't go here. This is exactly what she did with my daughter's wedding dress. It was dropped it off in July for a September 22nd wedding - plenty of time. My daughter went for her first fitting on August 16th, and nothing had been done at all in the month they had it. It was just a re-pinning session. I was concerned. My daughter trusted them and was supposed to go back on August 31st to try on her veil but not sure she did as she (daughter) went out of town that weekend. However, she stayed in contact with them and was on her way back there to pick up her dress on September 17th after work when they called her at 5pm and said it wasn't ready. My daughter went anyway and sat there while they worked on it until my daughter had to leave. The hemming and veil were still left to do after that, but my daughter left after an hour and a half or so saying not to worry about the veil at this point since it was too late. She was to go back the next day (September 18th and wedding is September 22nd) to pick up the dress. My daughter told me they said they would still have the veil ready as it was easy to do. I told my daughter I wanted a discount and the veil free for this terrible last-minute service and that was honored. However, look at the veil. Thank God the dress was ready for pick up four days before the wedding and my daughter was happy and looked beautiful in it. However, she didn't get to have a veil on for her wedding because this person didn't care enough to make sure she had what she needed on time and gave her a badly made substitution. See the photos attached of what she wanted and what she got. It added insult to injury for stressing me and especially my daughter out the week before her wedding. I can't believe how much they didn't care about doing a good job and making a bride-to-be feel so stressed out about one of if not THE most important item in the wedding. I hear there's another person besides the seamstress at this place that is kind of a fixer that gets you tea and tells you "You're in good hands" while you stress out. Not enough. I'm also going to advise the store she bought her dress at not to recommend this place anymore. read more

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This place is awesome! Colleen know what she is doing! Great quality, value and completed onTime! Thank you

I paid over $1k for my alteration. I was told it would take about 3 months to do. I had 4 scheduled fittings. My last fitting nothing was still sewn, everything was still only pinned. I reminded her, I'm coming back in 2 weeks for my dress, she assured it would be ready. I went the day to pick up my dress, still only pinned and no sewing done at all. Thankfully I asked to try it on again because it was too large. She took in the sides more but it was still too large in the back. Would not recommend going here. My dress didn't properly fit me and not only did I pay over $1k but it was not finished on time. She said it would take 3 months to do and did a half a$$ job in a week read more

I had amazing work done on my wedding dress from Colleen. It was a difficult dress due to the lace overlay and needing to shorten it. She took off all the lace overlay one by one and had to shorten it, then re-see it back on. She was on time with her deadlines, professional and gave great undergarment recommendations that worked out for my wedding. I would refer her to anyone getting alterations done especially for wedding dresses! Her prices were also reasonable and i loved that she had online scheduling. read more

Seams - Final fitting! - Sewing & Alterations Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Very fast turnaround and quick appointment! My dress fit perfectly and it was a very easy process.

Colleen and her team are the best! I had two wedding dresses to get altered and she did an amazing job. She had suggestions about how to alter it and bra cups that I had no idea would make the dress even better. I went for my fitting right after I did chicago marathon so understandably the dress was quite snug after I went to try it on after my alterations. Colleen gave me useful suggestions to ensure that the fit would be flawless and thankfully was able to fit into my dress perfectly on the bid day a few weeks later in Mexico. She will be my go to place going forward. Also I loved that she has an online appointment scheduling system which made it easy to set up a time, thank you Colleen. read more

Seams - Sewing & Alterations Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

She does incredible work, is fairly priced and always has my items done on time. I have used her for alterations multiple times and have always been very happy. read more

Colleen is absolutely the best. Despite her busy schedule, she was able to fit me in and accommodate all the alterations that were needed for my dress. With each fitting, she explained each step that she was going to do which I truly appreciated. I could not have been more happy with how my dress turned out. read more

Seams - Sewing & Alterations Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I have gone to Colleen several times now for dress alterations of all sorts surrounding my wedding, including my wedding dress. Every time the dresses are done promptly and the work is excellent. But the icing on the [wedding] cake for me was when I decided at the last minute to wear my real wedding dress for my "minimony" rather than a new dress I had gone to Colleen for alterations on earlier. I went to Colleen three weeks before the big day to see if she could help get my completely unaltered dress to a wearable state, expecting her to turn me away or only be able to do one or two things to it. Boy was I wrong! I was stunned that she was get the job done on not the easiest of dresses (there was a complicated horsehair trim at the bottom), and all throughout was totally unflappable. She knew exactly what needed to be done to it, and got every single thing done -- and on time. Most importantly, it looked perfect. This was SUCH a relief amidst all the stress of being a COVID bride. I find the prices to be very fair compared to some of the swankier shops recommended by the bridal boutiques in Chicago. She always wore a mask when I came in and had hand sanitizer available, so I always felt safe. Also, I found the online booking system to be very convenient. The shop itself is in such a cute part of Lincoln Park and is no frills, but do you really need that?! Colleen is excellent at what she does and a total professional, and has earned my business at every step of the way. Save yourself the stress and snobbery elsewhere and check Seams out! read more

I initially heard about Colleen through a website where she was recommended, just wanting something simple done with my wedding dress. However, I didn't expect her to be one of the most special people who became a part of my day. We bonded immediately, and Colleen is just do professional and truly goes out of her way to make her clients feel special. I couldn't have asked for a better experience. read more

Seams - Sewing & Alterations Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I brought my wedding dress here in august to get alterations after a recommendation from where I bought my dress. I went in for the initial alterations appointment with my mother in early august. I was told then that the alterations were all easy and I only needed to have that one appointment and the dress would be ready by the first week of September. Come the first week of September, I arrive to pick up my dress. Turns out, none of the alterations were completed (sleeves taken in, bustle, seam put in the dress). All that was done was a gem, that was MUCH shorter than what we had agreed on and was pinned at my first appointment. I mentioned that the dress was too short and was told "it's fine I think it looks good, and there's nothing we can do about it". So naturally, I left in tears. I was leaving the state a few days later for my wedding. I decided to not continue with alterations but still had to pay $120+ for the "hem" that wasn't even the right length and waisted a lot of time. This has been a traumatizing experience considering I spent thousands on a dress only to have it ruined by now being too short right before my wedding. The woman was nice & handled my asking for no further alterations to be completed well. However, I don't want anyone else to have to go through this with the wedding dress of their dreams like I did so I am leaving an honest review. I want to add that since posting this review- I have gotten messages from other people who stated the same thing happened to them at Seams. Be careful. read more

I dropped off two items for mild repairs was told ten business days after I dropped off that they would be ready. I came back 15 business days after drop off and the items were not ready. I was told I would get a call when they were ready but decided to let them know it was becoming urgent and I was told they would be ready the next day. I arrived midday to pick up and she STARTED completing the repairs while I was waiting in the store. She does a great job, but no one has time for that when there's a million other places in the city. read more

I bought my wedding dress at Jenny Yoo and found Seams through their list of recommended vendors. Overall, I was disappointed in the final product of my alterations and the poor communication throughout the entire process. I would not recommend them for wedding alterations. I am not shocked that someone wrote a near identical review just a week or two ago. Clearly, my poor experience is not a unique situation. All the details are below. When I made an initial appointment with Seams, Colleen said the alterations could be handled in 7 weeks, and only 1 final fitting was required. I thought 2-3 fittings was typical but trusted what she told me as my dress was on the simpler side (no beading, lace, or major resizing required). As I arrived for my final fitting, the dress wasn't completed. I tried it on, and overall, it seemed ok, but it still needed some final hemming and to be steamed so it was hard to tell. I was told to come back the next day, but it would have been nice to get a call ahead of time that it wasn't ready to save myself a trip. I don't live nearby. I didn't try on the dress when I came back the next day, since she overbooked me over someone else's appointment. When I tried it on when I got home, the outline of the cups that Colleen replaced (at her own recommendation) were very obviously showing through the lining. I had to take it back for her to fix them. Her solution was to sew them to the dress outside of the lining rather than hidden in between layers of fabric. She asked me to come back in two days to pick it up. When I came back, the dress was in the same state as when I left. The pins were still in place, and she hadn't sewn the cups to the dress. This was the night before my wedding. She quickly stitched them in for me while I waited, and it was very rushed. I was happy for any updates to be made to improve how the dress looked, but this literally fell apart on my wedding day. The next day, the cups kept showing as they weren't securely attached. Our photographer was constantly telling me to tuck them in as they kept popping out above the neckline as we took photos. Then, the stitches actually came undone for one of the cups right before I walked down the aisle. This was incredibly frustrating as I would have never suggested changing the cups from the get go from how the original dress was made. I only agreed to this at her recommendation, and this ended up causing so many issues. I sent Colleen three emails over the past few weeks to let her know of the situation, but I have not heard back. I spent $730 on alterations at Seams, so as a common courtesy, it would have been nice to get any kind of response. Our wedding was a small family-only event, and we are planning a separate friends reception for a later date. I was hoping to wear this dress again, but if I do, I'll need to take it elsewhere to get fixed. read more

My dress fit perfectly! I went in to have the top of a strapless bridesmaids dress taken in and they recommended another alteration to help improve the fit! Absolutely great job. The fabric was quite tough to work with. Not to mention the price was so much more affordable than I expected! Planning to take my wedding dress there this spring! read more

Colleen altered my wedding dress and I couldn't be happier! It was a big job and she not only got it done in just 8 weeks but it was perfection! Thank you Colleen for helping to make my wedding day so special with the perfect dress! read more

Seams - Sewing & Alterations Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Amazing! Got my bridesmaid dress tailored here. The bride wanted a train so Colleen suggested a bustle and I am SO glad she did, I didn't even know what it was until she explained! Will save me at reception from slipping on the train for sure! I got a hem, bustle, straps shortened and added cups for a little over $100 total. read more

Seams - Bustle! - Sewing & Alterations Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I dropped off two items for mild repairs and was told the items would be ready 10 business days later. I came back 15 business days after the initial drop off and the items were not ready. I was then told I would get a phone call when they were ready. Because it was becoming urgent, I called to see if I could schedule a pick up date and the seamstress told me it would be ready the following day. I arrived midday to pick up and that is when she STARTED completing the repairs, while I was in the shop. The items were properly repaired in 5 minutes but no one has time for that when there are a million other places to go in the city. RIDICULOUS. read more

I went with my friend here for her wedding dress alterations. At first they seemed accommodating but after a few weeks it became clear that the seamstress overbooks herself frequently. When my friend and I showed up for her final dress fitting, it wasn't ready. When it was "ready" the following week it did not fit. The seamstress makes a lot of promises that she's not able to keep and doesn't finish alterations on time or well. Each time we discussed an issue with her she would say that she has appointments back to back or is really busy. If you're looking for alterations I suggest looking for a seamstress who can manage their time and work schedule well. read more

Could not post a more glowing review of Seams! I called on a Saturday, in a bit of a panic with an upcoming wedding and a bridesmaid dress that wasn't fitting right.. and the women I spoke with on the phone was frank, expressed how busy they were (wedding season!) but she she could fit me in if I could make it before 6pm - so I went, and when I got there, she was so pleasant, professional, and kind. It only took a matter of minutes to pin the dress and they turned the dress around in about a week, and in time for my wedding! I could not be more thankful for their excellent service, accommodating my extremely tight timeline, and being so wonderful to work and communicate with. I could not recommend them more. Very reasonably priced too. read more

I have been going to Colleen and Seams for years and I couldn't be happier! Most recently she was able to expertly fit my maid of honor dress which requires a significant amount of alterations. She did so in a Timely manner and worked with the intricate seams of the existing dress to create the perfect look. 10/10 for years. read more

Seams - Dress fitting - Sewing & Alterations Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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As a bride, trusting someone with your dress is a huge deal. I felt immediately like my dress and I were in great hands. My dress came out beautiful thanks to the expert touch of Seams. It fit like a glove, the bustle was perfect, the little changes to the sleeves and added boning made the dress look better than it did when I saw it in the bridal boutique. I can't recommend Seams enough. Great service, pricing and the owner is absolutely lovely. We will be back for sure for tailoring on other garments. Thank you thank you! I felt like a princess in my dress. read more

Seams - Sewing & Alterations Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Quality, fair priced, and timely work done here! I had a bridesmaid dress altered by having it made shorter and also brought in for the bust. The owner was very easy to get a hold of by phone call. She was also so kind and easy to talk to. read more

She did a great job altering my bridesmaid dress and made me 100% comfortable as a plus size woman.

COVID bride -- needed my Plan B dress tailored on short notice. Colleen was so responsive and helpful during a high stress time. While in the shop, she also helped me troubleshoot undergarments by suggesting sewn in cups (brilliant!) After buying and returning hundreds of strapless bra options -- I never needed one! Competitive pricing and great customer service. read more

Seams - Sewing & Alterations Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I received a message from Colleen after reading this review, which was kind and courteous. She apologized for the lack of communication and offered an explanation and a refund. I called her back and left her a message saying no refund was needed, but rather I had a few smaller things that needed to be hemmed and if we could hem those two pairs of pants, we would be all set. I never heard back - yet again. I respect her work and her business but the lack of communication has been really difficult. So yes - I would like a refund of a portion of this wedding dress. I am not sure how else to get in touch. read more

Colleen made the bridal fitting experience so enjoyable! She is an incredible seamstress; my wedding dress was absolutely perfect. Colleen is a pleasure to work with and she is truly all about attention to detail. I will be using Colleen for all my formal events! She is fabulous - highly recommend. read more

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I have tried a few diff places over the last 2 yrs and have not found anywhere I was happy with until now! Everything is done in great time (I'm never in a hurry though so I don't know about time crunches here). Great quality! I've not had any stitching come loose and it always just fits right. She knows her stuff! Sometimes I go in not sure how it needs to be fixed and she takes care of it! Super friendly and lovely work! Prices seem on par with everyone else (not cheap but not overly high either). With all the work I've had done so far, I just trust the price is worth it bc I'm always happy! read more

Colleen is amazing. I went in today for a bridesmaid dress fitting that needed an abundance of work. I came with a dress that I felt terrible in, that needed to be done in about a month, and she was so accommodating. After being turned down by several alteration shops who stated that the dress was too small to fix, or that I should've thought to buy a bigger size despite measuring myself accurately, Colleen was more than willing to help. She is innovative, non-judgmental, and a real pro. I will never go anywhere else in Chicago to get alterations done and am finally less stressed and more excited to wear this dress. read more

Colleen is fantastic! She was tasked with altering my wedding dress and adding straps. She did an amazing job! She is extremely knowledgeable and works with you to make your dress exactly what you imagined. This is a small alteration shop that takes the time and care to make sure your dress is perfect. I would recommend Colleen without hesitation to anyone needing alterations. read more

Seams - Sewing & Alterations Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Chose this business for my wedding dress and am so happy with the result! Easy online scheduling system.

This tailor is incredible. I gave her an incredibly intricate lehenga, which is an Indian outfit. She knew exactly how to make it look good on me and she only took a week and a half to do it. I was so anxious because Covid delays affected my timeline and when I received the outfit it looked crazy on me. Colleen knew just what to do and I'm so happy with the job. read more

I cannot recommend Seams enough for wedding dress alterations! I had a strapless, low back dress, that was VERY hard to get to stand up... I'm not sure how Colleen did it, but she was able to make it fit like a GLOVE and I could wear it all night with minimal tape keeping it up, all in the Mexico heat. The wedding dress shop seriously must have ordered my dress 8 sizes too big - it initially slid right down my body. I even lost some weight a week before I was supposed to leave due to wedding nerves, and Colleen stayed up all week to fix it last minute. It was like a brand new dress. She also fitted my cape perfectly to my very narrow shoulders, as well as my jumpsuit (shortened the legs to capris and fitted the entire top). Best of all, the entire place just makes you feel so confident and calm - they helped me pick my shoes and my jewelry when I needed an unbiased opinion, and never seems overwhelmed by my million questions and concerns. They are DEFINITELY worth every penny (not that it's expensive - I was quoted the same or above at other alternation specialist in the city). read more

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When looking everywhere to have my wedding gown altered, I found this little place on yelp. I called and Colleen was so cheerful and as helpful as she could be when I asked a thousand questions about my dress over the phone. I made an appointment and went from Joliet to the city. Being a mom as well, I understood... but she was an hour late to our appointment due to family issues. I left and came back. While I was there she made me feel like a princess and a top priority. Colleen was very knowledgeable and her heart is in her work. She radiates her passion for clothing. While I didn't go with her, I would still recommend her to others. She had a great price and I would trust her with my dress. I would just say, this 'hole-in-the wall' wouldn't disappoint. read more

Thank you Colleen for doing an amazing job on my wedding dress! I purchased a gown off the rack two months before my wedding date and Colleen was able to alter the dress in time for my December 2016 wedding. I lost about ten lbs during the initial fitting and final fitting and she was able to work quickly to have the dress fit like a glove. She was also able to spot clean some spots off of the dress that I had because it was purchased off the rack which I very much appreciated. I'd also like to mention I originally went to a big corporate tailor recommended by Macy's and they were going to charge me 8 times more in price than Seams (no I'm not exaggerating). After I picked my mouth up off the floor, I started calling around and luckily found Colleen! Thanks again! read more

Seams - Sewing & Alterations Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I really hate writing this review but feel like I need to. The headline here is - Colleen does great work, but customer service needs major improvement and she may or may not get the work done on time. I realize these are strange times with lots of uncertainty due to the pandemic, but I read a few reviews on this page from years ago and realize that it's actually a consistent theme. Colleen unfortunately is not great at delivering on time. Let me back it up. I brought my wedding dress to get altered in mid-February for my May wedding. She did a bunch of pinning and sizing and I was supposed to come back in late March to try it on again, and then pick it up to take it home in late April. Of course, the pandemic began right around then. I tried calling over the Spring and Summer, and emailed. Probably reached out 5-6 times and could not get through in any way. I ended up moving my wedding to November, but had I not, I would have had no way of getting my dress for months. When I finally heard from her in late summer, she rescheduled me to come back in closer to my new wedding date. I went back in mid-October for the appointment that Colleen had booked with me on the phone, and when I got there, she did not know who i was and hard not started on my dress. She also told me she just hasn't been checking emails for months. After some frustration, we aligned on a plan that I would come back again in a few weeks. So I did, and from there it was fine, I reiterated that I absolutely needed the dress on time and that I couldn't risk her forgetting to do my alterations again. I ended up getting my dress yesterday, and it turned out great. I actually wasn't going to even write a review expressing my frustration, but then when I was leaving, a girl came in to pick up some drapes that Colleen was supposed to be working on and I heard her say that she actually didn't have them done and she just forgot to tell her. I'd be happy to give some relief if this was a one-off, but I'm learning that it's a pattern. So, if you need someone to do good work, I would recommend, but just know that she may or may not get it done on time. read more

Colleen was AMAZING and a total life saver! I came to her in a total panic with a bridesmaids dress that wouldn't even zip up a week before the wedding. She was so calm and comforting and walked me through how she was going to alter the dress. One week later it fit like a dream and the price was so much less than I thought it was going to be. I can't thank you enough (and neither could the bride!) Will be going back to her forever and I can't recommend highly enough! read more

Collen is amazing!!! I cannot stress how grateful I am to her! I found my dress pretty close to our end-of-July wedding date (just about a month). I called Colleen, desperately seeing if she could do my last minute bridal alterations. She made time for an initial fitting after a busy week on a Friday night. The final dress feels and looks incredible. Colleen is great at what she does and so kind and approachable. Thank you, Colleen!! read more

Colleen altered my wedding dress and did an amazing job! I was trying to find a seamstress for alterations about 8 weeks before my wedding, and many other places laughed in my face when I asked for an appointment. Colleen was so calm and welcoming and told me I had plenty of time for her to take on the job. My dress was beaded almost entirely, so the alterations included a LOT of detail work. Colleen had me in three times so she could take in the dress in sections so all of the measurements would be even. It was a costly alteration but the high quality and attention to detail I received for my wedding dress was well worth it. read more