How much are clothes alterations?

[TheChosenTwo]

I’ve got some dresses I need altering, taking in I guess it would be. But nowhere has prices so if i walk into the alteration shop and ask them to do xyz and they say its eg £100 how do I know without them taking my stuff to another shop? Is that just what you’re meant to do? I’m not up on the etiquette!

Alterations are all pretty unique to the wearer/garment combo though. I guess they don’t want to commit until they’ve seen what you want doing. Just ask!!

The only alterations I’ve had done are shortening hems on jeans, which costs £15 in my London suburban dry cleaners. That is the easiest alteration to do, and I pin it to the right length.
Id expect anything more complicated to cost more as it would be more time-consuming and might also involve time spent discussing and pinning before doing the actual sewing part.
Sorry can’t help more.

Some do have price lists for basic fixes, taking up hems and replacing zips so just go in and ask if they do some ‘standard’ pricing.

When I take stuff in for alteration I’m usually asked to try the thing on and its pinned and the work approved by me before they will state a price. There’s no commitment at that stage.

I paid £50 to have a coat hem and sleeves shortened at an independent tailor shop in Scotland (they did a bad job and I never wore it after that but that’s for another thread) and I’ve paid about £30 for trouser shortening, no shaping. I believe alterations at dry vleaning places are generally cheaper.

I just learned to do it all myself, in the end.

Most alterations are quite easy. Have you tried looking for a YouTube video on how to do it? Once you've got the knack you can save hundreds of pounds.

Taking in dresses can be simple if it involves just the waist, or a very difficult job which may not even be possible if the neckline, shoulders and armscyes are involved.

Are these dresses very special? If not it may be more cost effective to sell them on and replace them or use them as practice for doing the work yourself.

I also feel that I should warn that a couple of times having large and expensive alterations done at a shop has not improved the garment for me and has put me off wearing it again and the alteration means it cannot then be resold easily. That really is a waste of money.

I think I’ll have a look at reviews for a few near me and see which one comes up most favourable. I’m happy to pay the price I guess I’m just not sure what to expect. A few of the dresses are quite special and I thought about selling them on vinted and rebuying in the correct size but there aren’t any of the ones I’m looking for in my size so that’s where I’m at with that.
I don’t want them butchered or for the work to be shoddy, they were expensive to buy (queens of Archive prices rather than designer though so not thousands but certainly £250-£300 when I bought them), I just want to be able to still wear them and feel good in them.
I’m the least handy person with a needle and thread so absolutely will not be attempting any work myself 😂 I will leave it to the experts!
It’s quite detailed work with pattern matching and all the adjustments that will need making, I’m not expecting it to be ‘cheap’ and I’d rather pay more for better quality work I just have no idea what to expect so I think you’re right in that I just need to take them in to the shop and ask.
thank you everyone.

It really does depend on the individual business. Some display approximate prices, others don’t. A dry cleaners will usually be cheaper than an alterations service, but their alterations will be more superficial. A tailors / seamstress service that pride themselves on offering a specialist service for expensive clothes can charge pretty much whatever they like.

Photos below of a service I use. Not cheap but extremely good, and rather a nice place to visit.

I love getting clothes altered - but the poster above is correct in saying there is always some risk.

A few years ago I bought a fabulous dress - last one in the sales and clearly too big. Took it to my previous alterations service. They did everything I asked, even providing their own fabric for a necessary lining - but while the finished dress did fit much better, it had somehow lost the element of ‘coolness’ that had attracted me in the first place. I gave it away to someone it suited much better!

On the whole, however, I wish S&B posters were more open to run of the mill alterations.

I had a leopard skirt altered recently and it was £18. I have a lady in my town who does it. My monsoon jacket which now needs taking in and sleeves shortening is going to be £40 as its a bigger job.