So satisfied about the whole process and the work they did. They were upfront about the prices, and were able to hem my dress given time crunch. I also thought the prices were super reasonable, I am definitely coming here from now on. read more

Quick, high quality tailoring! If you need to try on the item for hemming, I recommend calling in advance or coming earlier in the day to confirm that the alterations specialist is available. My pants and ballgown were hemmed perfectly within 5 days. A great spot with friendly staff. read more

These ladies are great at what they do. However, the customer service and shop environment leaves much to be desired. Staff is not equipped to manage random walk-ins, which every customer is. I went Friday and it was maybe 80 degrees in this little shop, front door closed and fan ineffective, weak, and pointing where no one was near. I was told to put on items for tailoring, while a lovely young lady customer stood on the pedestal getting pinned before I arrived and the 30 min I was there. A young staffer told me to change so she could pin adjustments, despite no room as other person was on the pinning pedestal.. I went into the curtained cubby, stifled by the shop's suffocating 80 degrees, and put on the first item for alterations. While in the tiny changing room, three customers came in with bags of clothes to be tailored. Same staff person who told me to get in dressing room and put on item to be tailored had to, no fault of her own, address the three customers that just walked in. I was sweating and understanding I would not be attended to for at least 20 min while the staff person addressed the 3 customers who came in after I was in dressing room. Sweating and very uncomfortable, I left after 30 min. The oppressive heat in the closed-up shop and the lack of adequate staff was more than enough to lead me to look elsewhere. Sew Elegant is great at tailoring, I have taken many items over the years with satisfaction. But the lack of staff and the stifling heat has led me to find alternative tailors. That was my experience Fri 10/03/25. They're not the only game in town. Also expensive and they charge extra for any payment no cash. read more

Brought 2 pairs of jeans to get them an original stitch hem. They did a fantastic job! Both pairs were ready in one week. Brought my heels so I could try them on and do a quick measure prior to the alterations. Cost $22 per pair. Pay in cash to avoid paying taxes. Been coming here for a few years now and the ladies have always done a nice job tailoring! Thank you Sew Elegant! read more

I've been going to Holly Sew Elegant in Clairemont for years. Holly always does an amazing job. She's reliable, professional, and her work is consistently perfect and on time. Recently, she has a new sweet helper "Bunny" at the front counter, which makes everything run even more smoothly. This allows Holly to focus on what she does best--her incredible sewing and alterations. I just had a fancy black dress altered, and it fits beautifully--I can't wait to wear it! If you're looking for quality, care, and a personal touch, I highly recommend Holly Sew Elegant. Sorry no photo's but maybe when I get dressed up to wear it :) read more

I've been coming here for nearly a decade, but particularly of late the costs have gone up while the quality has significantly declined. I recently had some pants hemmed with the threads falling apart (never happened before). I brought them back along with new pants thinking they would stand behind their work. Instead, the owner was on vacation and her daughter (who lacks any service oriented mindset) blamed the poor work on 'wear and tear' and charged nearly full price (nearly doubled over the past 10 years) to redo the hem. Time to reconsider my loyalty to this previously high quality and efficient establishment. read more

I've never had clothing altered before because I always assumed it would be much more expensive, but finally decided to get some pants hemmed since a lot of pants don't fit me properly due to my weird proportions. They're a bit old school as they handwrite their receipts. But they are pretty quick - I dropped off 2 pairs of pants to be hemmed and wasn't in any rush, but they were able to have it ready within a week. The work was neat and they took off the exact length that we had discussed. A plain pant hem is relatively simple though, so I can't speak to their work with more complicated garments or alterations. Both cash and card are accepted, although if paying with card you'll be charged a tiny bit more just to cover for the credit card processing fee. read more

Great alterations at great prices! Multiple seamstresses work here and they know what they are doing. Couple changing rooms and a pedestal with mirrors ensures you will get fitted properly. Just look at all the business they get, which is apparent when you walk in and see the volume they do. This place has been here for a long time for good reason! read more

Sew Elegant - Store front - Sewing & Alterations Near Me - San Diego, California

My go-to spot for all my alterations, whether it's for daily wear clothes or bridesmaid dresses. They are extremely fast and high quality. I also love how they give you options how they can achieve what you'd like and you can choose what's best or what's more affordable for yourself. I've had many pants and dresses, as well as tops altered here and they have all been top notch and very reasonably priced! read more

Sew Elegant - Sewing & Alterations Near Me - San Diego, California

Holly, The owner of Sew Elegant is wonderful! She altered my wedding dress as well as my bridesmaids dresses and did excellent work for a great price. I am an event coordinator and refer clients to her regularly. I've seen several amazing wedding dresses altered and executed exactly how the bride asked. I highly recommend! read more

My fiancé recommended going to Sew Elegant to get my wedding dress tailored and the ladies there did not disappoint! I was afraid of the potential language barriers but I was able to communicate with the seamstresses, who were Vietnamese, the minor fixes that I needed for my dress to fit me better (shorten straps, let out the waistline a little etc). I had mentioned that there were two tiny holes on the tulle skirt and the lady was honest enough to tell me not to worry about those at all since they were so well hidden and unnoticeable. It was during the holidays and the turnaround was just 1 week! They don't charge tax if you paid in cash, but overall, they still offered competitive prices for their fantastic needlework (my total was $60+tax since I paid with CC). Will definitely be bringing my other clothes for alterations really soon :) read more

Sew Elegant - Prices as of August 2022 - Sewing & Alterations Near Me - San Diego, California

I ordered a jumpsuit online which came and was too long in the straps with no way to adjust. I went to Sew Elegant after coming across their Yelp page and I'm so glad I did! They were able to get me in pretty quickly and the turn around time was about a week which was great. The price was reasonable and they did a great job on the alterations. If I have any further clothes that need to be altered, I will definitely be back. read more

Sooo glad I ended up coming here!! ... after a long ordeal with nordstrom rack and nordstrom... Tailoring services these days at a premium and making an appt. On their website was also a huge hassle... So i did like any yelper would.... started yelping for tailoring services, and ding ding!! Sew elegant... Around the corner in our neighborhood and with great value...popped up!!... Well rated... Easy parking hassle free!! ... Coming in the shop... My expectations were not met but surpassed!!! Friendly efficient service!! They do good work here at great value! Thank you!! I got two jeans hemmed and the work came out great. Measuring took less than 5 mins. they have a dressing room. they have a price sheet that you can see when on the counter. I will also say that they were not super busy and even convinced me to go w. The cheaper option for tailoring as it would be better and hardly noticeable. Thank you for helping me save $$!! As a common courtesy... Come prepared.. with ample time for the business to do their work... And remember that work may take longer depending on the complexity of your garments. Overall blown away.. super excited to have come here and know that they do great work!! Thank you sew elegant! read more

Nope, would recommend taking your business elsewhere. I had a bridesmaid dress I needed altered since I'd gained weight. The lady who helped me body shamed me like crazy ("how did you eat so much and gain that much weight that quickly?") and made me feel awful, when I already felt vulnerable about it. She asked how long I had until the wedding, suggested that I starve myself to lose weight, and to come back again in a week to see if I could fit into the dress then while she made some alterations. She charged me $80 to add some fabric and put a new zipper. When I returned to pick it up, it barely fit with some strong arming of the zipper. She shot daggers at me and proceeded to tell me I broke the zipper trying to zip it up and that she would not be putting another one in. As you can imagine, I felt humiliated. Let me add too that I'm Vietnamese and spoke Vietnamese with her. It could be that she was so spectacularly mean because she felt she could bully me (the fact that we tend to eat our own is a story for another day). I chose this place from the great reviews and left feeling terrible. The dress ended up being passable for my friend's big day, but wow was that the worst possible experience. Might be that she was way harsh on me because of our shared culture, however that's not an excuse and if anything is even more shameful of her. Never returning and steering friends and family away from this business. UPDATE: Holly D, the business owner, responded as you can see. Instead of apologizing or asking for constructive feedback, she chose to gaslight me and say I must be mistaken and this could not have been her business. I went there 2 times and am 100% sure that it was the Sew Elegant on Clairemont Mesa. How condescending. Holly, thanks for showing how you do business and how you take care of your customers. You only further cemented that I will never return and will steer others away. Best of luck to you. read more

Service was quick, the prices are affordable. They did a great job altering my dress for my bestfriends wedding read more

Sew Elegant - Sewing & Alterations Near Me - San Diego, California

Awesome folks who will repair, hem. Size-up, ex cetera all your clothing and Linen needs at a super good value. A++×××!!! WOULD RECCOMEND! THANK YOU AGAIN AND AGAIN GALS! read more

Love this alterations shop and the ladies that work here. They provide honest pricing and they're fast. I moved to Escondido not too long ago and still make the drive to Kearny Mesa because they are so professional. Thank you! read more

Sew Elegant - New prices Mar 2022. Still a good deal. - Sewing & Alterations Near Me - San Diego, California

So happy I found this place! Needed to get a dress altered but only had 5 days until the event. Anyplace in north county was charging a crazy amount of money and they couldn't get it done in time. Sew Elegant took care of it within a coupes days and it was only $35. The dress now fits perfect! Very much recommend this place for alterations! read more

I came in to get a dress hemmed, and they did a great job. Fair prices, pretty quick turnaround (within a week), and the dress looked perfect. read more

Prices are reasonable. Same day sewing for a medium size stuff animal. Fast and accommodating!If you pay cash, you can opt out of taxes with a credit card. Staff speaks limited English. However, they are super sweet! read more

A was looking for a place to get my wedding dress tailor and a co-worker recommended Sew Elegant. I could not be happier with what they did!! The price was amazing compared to what the place I bought the dress wanted to charge. The team at Sew Elegant is excellent! Super professional, they delivered on the time they told me it was going to take. I will highly recommend Sew Elegant. They fix the back of my dress, they hem the dress, and added a bustle. Amazing work! Thank you!! read more

See all

I discovered this place about two years ago thanks to one of my sister's friends. She was getting a bridesmaid dress altered, so I wanted to get my maid of honor dress altered (fun fact: it was for my sister's wedding!) The dress was a maxi chiffon dress and I needed to get it taken it, hemmed, and I added padding to it so I didn't have to wear a bra. The total (in early 2019) was around $50. A STEAL. Ever since then, I have come back quite a few times! One time I got a silk dress altered because it was too long and loose. The straps were metal chains and intertwined, but when I picked it up, the straps were connected by a thread (literally). They sewed the chains together with thread that was not very noticeable. It's funny because I saw the thread, and it wasn't brought to my attention from the workers, but at the same time, the straps/chains were so confusing that I liked their solution better. I didn't even know how to take the dress off because of those straps, so I didn't mind too much. More recently, I brought in two pairs of jeans. One of them I got hemmed two inches ($8) and the other she cut more than 3 inches off and had to sew a little bit. She did that on the spot when I brought them in and it cost $5. They are very quick and efficient! Their work has held up well with everything I have brought in. I would suggest bringing cash because I think there is a fee when using card. I always pay with cash ahead of time. read more

East coast/Out of state bride over here! Holly and the team worked so quickly and efficiently with my rehearsal dinner dress and checking in on my wedding dress (which was previously altered by an out of state seamstress). I visited Holly 3 times in a span of 3 weeks, not because I had any issues but I was worried my wedding dress wouldn't fit me since I had it altered elsewhere and I know pick up for wedding dresses typically are 1-2 weeks before the wedding. I visited her shop once for my rehearsal dinner dress alteration, and twice after just to make sure everything would be great for my wedding. For the rehearsal dinner dress, she turned my high low dress to an even higher high-low dress since I am quite short, changed the neckline from straight to sweetheart, took in my dress, and added a bustle on the back so I could change the look if I desired. (See picture with 2 white hearts for altered rehearsal dress, then mirrored picture for original dress). Her prices are affordable, just a heads up that cash payment has no tax but credit cards will have tax included in price. I paid $100 for my alterations and it was done in less than a week. I had minor adjustments to make when I picked up but they completed it on the spot. Although I didn't get my wedding dress altered from her, she accommodated me every visit to make sure it would fit right for my wedding day! I highly recommend Sew Elegant! :) read more

See all

This review is long overdue but I've been going here for almost 10 years! Everytime I've had to wear a bridesmaid dress or attend a wedding as a guest, I always get my dresses hemmed here and sometimes have them taken in to fit my body better. They also do a great job for guys who need their suits fitted. The ultimate job I had done here was my beaded strapless wedding gown! The bridal store where I purchased the gown from wanted to charge me double what this place charged. I had Holly hem, put in five bustle hooks, and cinch the sweetheart neckline inward. It turned out great! A month later just before the wedding I also came back to have them transform my sequined reception/cake-cutting dress from a size 8 down to a size 2 - long story short, I save a bunch of money buying it at the original bigger size and having it altered. Thank you Sew Elegant! read more

See all

While I haven't been to many alteration services in the past, I must say Sew Elegant really sets a high standard in terms of workmanship, customer service, and speed. I sought out their services when I had a lab coat that I needed sized down. I ordered the lab coat a size too large and as a result the sleeves were too long, the coat was too long, and everything was too wide (needless to say it was a bit of a mess). I walked in with my lab coat on a Monday around 4:30pm (just before they closed at 5:00pm). They gave me a quote on the spot and quickly pinned my lab coat, identifying where the alterations needed to be made. Afterwards, they informed me that I would be able to pick up my lab coat on Thursday. Talk about speedy work! That's barely 48 hr turn around - I was very impressed. Thursday came around and I was eager to see how the alterations turned out. When I received my item (all you need to do is present them with the yellow sheet that has your order information), I was beyond impressed with the workmanship. The skill level hear is really beyond reproach, and in all honestly I wouldn't have guessed it was an altered piece with how clean everything looked. I am extremely satisfied with the quality of the work and I will definitely return for any future alteration needs! read more

I brought my dress in to be hemmed. She did an amazing job. She is very affordable and completed it in a week! Definitely take your dress in! Highly recommend! read more

Sew Elegant - Wedding dress - Sewing & Alterations Near Me - San Diego, California

Very affordable and very fast service! I had two bridesmaids dresses altered, one needed the shoulder straps to be shortened as well as the length. The other just needed the length to be shortened. I walked in, they had me try them on, she cut it while I was wearing them, and had them hemmed in one week. The thread they used also matched the dresses perfectly. Both dresses had three layers and I paid $130 total. $60/dress, plus $10 for shoulder shortening. They said if it was one or two layers it would have only been $40. Highly satisfied! read more

Sew Elegant - Sewing & Alterations Near Me - San Diego, California

Fantastic job hemming a few pairs of pants (jeans, cargos, & satin). Price was ok, time took a week because they were very busy. Wait to get fitted was also not too bad. read more

Thank you Sew Elegant for being a great business. I had an open house scheduled this weekend and they fixed my suit pants that I brought there before and repaired a small rip at no cost. True professionals and top notch customer service. I'm a client for life! read more

Just realized I ended up going to the wrong location. But what a great and happy error. Please make sure to go to the Clairemont one. I needed a patch sewn onto my jersey. They did it on the spot for me and it took 3-5 minutes. Great price. I was in and out of there. It was wonderful! Highly recommend! read more

Good work. Seemed a bit pricey. Says takes credit cards but pushes for cash upon drop-off?? I would go to them again.

I was in my friends wedding on Halloween. My dress came and it was far too long in the front. The bride herself recommended sew elegant to me for service and they did not disappoint. Friendly and very good and a very quick turn around time. I will continue to go here in the future. thanks again!! read more

Sew Elegant - Black dress on left - Sewing & Alterations Near Me - San Diego, California

Holly rescued a 100% bridesmaids dress for me. The alterations look great and make the dress wearable. I am SO grateful she was willing to work with this difficult fabric. read more

Bought some bridesmaid dresses online that needed minor adjustments. Was quoted $15 for shortening the shoulder straps and $20 per layer to take up the skirt length (adds up if your dress has multiple layers). Happy with the one week turnaround and would definitely go back! read more

They perfectly altered my wedding dress and the bustle looks beautiful! Very reasonably priced as well. Will definitely be my go-to place for any alterations! Will post pics after the wedding :) read more

Altered my wedding dress perfectly! Was turned around in 2-3 weeks too. And at a great price

I have been a customer of Sew Elegent for several years and highly recommend their services. The owner, Holly, is very accommodating and takes pride in the alterations her shop performs. On two occasions she has personally assisted me with special requests read more

The owner is really nice and she's very good at what she does. I had two pairs of pants him for my mom. She did an excellent job!

I needed to get my wedding dress tailored. I had no idea what exactly I needed, but the ladies really figured everything out and fitted the dress perfectly: took out a cheap-looking layer of fabric from the dress, fixed the length, girth, and added a bustle-- I went a total of 3 times for alterations, and the final cost was $250, which is WAY cheaper than what you usually would pay for dress alterations. The ladies were kind, helpful, and gentle. They took good care of everything! I would recommend this small business for helpful and fast service. Only thing to be aware of before going is that the full price for alterations must be paid when you drop off your clothing, not when you pick it up. Pay with cash over card if you don't want to pay extra. read more

great and quick service. I had to get a bridesmaid dress altered a week before the wedding, and they got the work done in 4 days! she knew exactly what I wanted to get fixed and quoted me a very fair price for what I was asking for, without charging me extra for the rush. definitely coming back for future alterations and will recommend them to friends! read more