Fernando De Manila Custom Clothing & Tailoring

If there was a zero star option, I’d give it to them. Avoid this place like the plague! Took my dress last weekend to get it altered. Informed her that I wouldn’t be able to pick it up until the following Saturday because I work far away. She told me it would be ready, so I paid her in advanced. This morning I walked over and they are f*cking closed because she is sick!!! I told her I needed my dress for an event that evening! I’m so furious! That is no place to run a business. If you knew you were going to be sick, you should have someone available for pick ups. I better get a refund for their Unprofessionalism. Now I have to go buy a dress because the owner is sick! I’d better be compensated for this situation. Avoid at all costs! A place that closes because the owner is sick, shouldn’t be a place that’s even in business. Have a damn back up plan! I will post an update once I’ve had an opportunity to tell them off!!!

Great Tailor… Did great work on my Bonobos pants.

she did a wonderful job for a dress i bought for a christmas party. I also went in there in hopes to see if i can save a dress i try to cut on my own … and let me tell you! WOW amazing amazing job. I will come again if i need anything fixed but overall i enjoyed my service with Laida.

I’m a fan. I would definitely come back here for other needs.
Laida, the owner (and sister of Fernando) is very friendly and was attentive to my detailed requests.
I brought in my somewhat-​casual-​but-​still-​extremely-​important wedding dress for minor alterations. I needed boning put into the strapless bodice/​bra area, and the dress lining hemmed a few inches (and left in place so I could un-​hem it later).
The alterations were done nicely and finished on time, and I feel the price was reasonable.
The dress fits much nicer now and I am excited to wear it. The only minor thing was that the beads of the bodice seemed to dig into the satin area of the bodice and left minor little dents from snagging. I don’t blame them for it too much, as I know the beads very easily get caught (I myself had them caught on the skirt of another garment when they were just hanging in the same garment bag without much movement applied to them). She had them iron the area and it made them less noticeable.
All in all, I was very satisfied with my experience here and would return in the future for any high end alteration needs.

I had such a great experience with Fernando De Manila. I called inquiring about getting a custom dress made for a wedding I was attending in a couple weeks. I had already called around to other custom clothing places and found the asking price to be too high. I had a model dress in mind and the owner told me that I could send over a picture via email to figure out if they would be able to make it and at what price. To my surprise the price was perfect for what I was looking to spend. The owner advised me on the type of fabric that would work best for the dress I wanted made. I purchased the fabric myself and went in to be measured. The owner measured me, took my fabric, half the price of the dress for a deposit and let me know that her dressmakers would start on my dress right away. She was so patient with me throughout the process with my constant questions and inquiries. She even stayed passed business hours for my convenience. I went in for my first fitting and was in love with the dress. Minor things needed to be changed as far as the fit I desired which is normal. I went back for the second fitting and it was perfect. The quality of the dress is so amazing and I couldn’t have been happier with it!

The sales woman was very kind and very helpful. I was stuck in traffic 15 minutes before closing and I called to ask if she would wait for me. She did! And she gave me a great deal for a barong for my son — which I needed for a gala the next day.

I was dying to be Cher from Clueless for Halloween, but the yellow plaid skirt suit was IMPOSSIBLE to find! I found the fabric in the garment district and brought it in and I cannot tell you how perfect my costume fit! All my friends told me I should keep it forever and wear it on a regular day! Laida was so sweet and helpful and I’m so glad I found her. I will definitely come back for all my custom Halloween costumes and anything else!

My experience here was beyond fantastic!
I came in looking to get a custom outfit made for a acrobatic performance. I brought in my own fabric and sketches of what I wanted the outfit to look like, and they took the time to discuss and measure me until they were clear on how I wanted everything to look and work.
This two-​piece, extremely complicated outfit was done about a week later and was truly flawless! Beautiful craftsmanship and attention to detail. Incredible work for the fairest of prices!
For custom tailoring work in Los Angeles, Fernando de Manila is the very best! Don’t go anywhere else!

This review is for the custom clothing part of the store. I had gone to Fernando before and he made my beautiful Maria Clara (that’s a high-​end Filipino gown), a woman’s barong (a traditional Filipino tunic shirt) and he also did alterations (on short notice) on a gown I bought off the rack. As to the first two outfits, they fit me like second skin on the first fitting. On the last one, he worked miracles on a dress, making it bigger to accommodate my large frame and you wouldn’t have even noticed where he did it! Sadly, Fernando went back to the Philippines and his sister now runs the shop with a bevy of dressmaking assistants in the back. Despite the beautiful gowns and men’s shirts on display in the front window, the quality is gone without Fernando’s guiding hand. I went in looking to have a custom woman’s fully lined pantsuit made. Fernando’s sister, Laida, took my measurements and I provided the cloth material as well as a picture of what I wanted made. The assignment was given to a woman who specializes in suits. It was a disaster from the word go. Either the dressmaker mistook someone else’s measurements for mine or she didn’t believe Fernando’s sister’s measurements of me, but the suit ended up looking like a clown suit. It had baggy pants and a jacket that was too small with double shoulder pads. I looked like a clown trying to be football player wearing a top that shrunk in the dryer. Laida assured me that all would be well and to wait for my second fitting. At my second fitting, the pants were still too long and baggy in all the wrong places including the crotch area. Sorry. I’m a female. So, I’ll never be able to fill that baggy area in front of the crotch. Everyone, however, was quite friendly and tried to be helpful. So, they get 5 stars for customer relations. I really wanted to give this shop my highest recommendation because of my earlier experience. I should have read the most recent Unilocal reviews posted here. It would have saved me a lot of money. I did not get my money back – not for the wasted material or the deposit. I was not even offered store credit that could be used on something else because the shop had already paid the seamstress. Laida said that to give me higher store credit (to be used on a different item) would put the shop at the losing end already. I abandoned everything and left the shop extremely disappointed.

The very best tailor in Los Angeles. Hands down. My very favorite. At this point I wouldn’t trust anyone else with my alterations than Fernando of Manila. Great prices & super fast!

I got my measurements done here for my brother’s wedding. The two ladies that helped me were very helpful and patient with me. They joked around and tried talking to me, but I felt like it would be a much better experience if I knew tagalog (the filipino language). Other than that, they were quick, professional and knew exactly what they were doing.

Went here to get my slacks and 2 Chinos altered and tailored. The staff was extremely welcoming and did an excellent job with the alteration. They were able to get my clothes ready even with short notice and the price was cheaper compared to the other places I’ve been. Definitely recommend and will come here again!

I like the women who work there– they are definitely nice enough. I’ve taken a few things to get tailored and most things have been fine. Not amazing but acceptable. A couple of things weren’t so good and needed to be done again. I think the problem is when the tailor isn’t there and the other ladies attempt to do the measurements, it’s always off. So, you go there, make sure to ask if the tailor is actually present and have HER make the measurements.

I used to love this place for alterations and I had gone there for the past few years. Unfortunately, the last two times I went the sewing wast extremely SLOPPY. I’m not sure why the quality has declined so badly but I can’t give them any more business.

I needed two pairs of jeans hemmed. I walked in and was greeted by the girl who apparently does not speak any English which was not a big deal. Then the other girl came out, had me put on each pair while she pinned them up and a couple days later they were ready and perfect! Awesome. Very happy to know I have a place to take my jeans to be hemmed.

To celebrate the upcoming Filipino Independence Day in style, I needed to buy a Barong – a thing my wife had been pestering me about (in her decidedly non-​nagging way) for years.
One of the many things I love about the culture of the Philippines is their formal attire. In Western countries, formal affairs require the wearing of a tuxedo, possibly the least comfortable suit of clothes ever invented, obviously created by some sadistic woman who hated men. My guess is that she was French. However, Filipino men need merely wear this simple shirt over a T-​shirt, along with nice slacks and shoes that will hopefully not embarrass their date or wife.
For those who have never seen one, a Barong is a long-​sleeve dress shirt – usually white or beige, though occasionally colored – made from either the «bark» of a banana tree (that brown fur sticking up from where the branches meet the trunk) or pineapple leaves. It is a stiff, delicate fabric that is surprisingly comfortable and though it somewhat resembles silk, unlike silk it «breathes» very well, so the wearer isn’t usually shamed by puddles of sweat pooling in the underarm regions. This is handy, as most Barongs are worn in the tropics, and you really don’t need extra encouragement to perspire down there.
As I am somewhat herculean in build (which is a nice way of saying that I have the physique of Howard Taft), Fernando didn’t have a Barong that would fit me. The one that came closest cost over $ 90, which, my wife assured me, was a good price for a Barong in the United States. Before I could start crying, fall to the floor screaming, kicking, and flailing at the air in my customary response to disappointment, Fernando assured me that he could custom-​make a Barong for me with which I would be very pleased. He took about a hundred thousand measurements of every dimension of my upper body, wrote them down, had me select a fabric and pattern, then told me the most shocking thing: it would only cost $ 100, barely more than the off-​the-​rack item I had previously tried.
Three days later, I picked up my Barong. It fit perfectly; I could even button the top button, a thing I could not do with any shirt that I owned without suffocating.
Fernando doesn’t stop with Filipino clothing, oh no. I believe he can tailor just about anything you can think of, do an excellent job and will charge you less than just about anyone in town. How can he afford to charge such low rates? That’s simple; it’s the reason so many successful businesses are so successful: high turnover. He treats his customers right, he’s friendly, will joke with you, he exudes an air of confidence and he does great work. This is how he’s managed to stay in business for over 30 years. The day I went in to place my order, no fewer than a dozen other people came in for his services in the span of 10 minutes.
In addition to tailoring, this is a dry-​cleaners. And although Barongs should never be dry-​cleaned, when my Barong needs a good gentle wash-​and-​ironing, I’m taking it back to Fernando’s for the service. While there, I’ll probably ask him to make me a nice Western-​style dress shirt, too, as I can never find one that fits properly and – unfortunately – not all of the formal affairs I attend are sponsored by Filipinos.

I think the problem with this place now is that Fernando isn’t really around much anymore. He used to manage the place and do the tailoring work and when he did it was fantastic. But I never see him there anymore and have seen the tailoring quality drop. They also changed their policy on payment. They now require up-​front payment; which is ridiculous. Since they send the drycleaning out, they don’t take responsibility for damage. I’ve had too many wool sweaters shrunk to childsize.

So, since my last review I’ve taken a BUNCH of other things to be altered with Fernando de Manila. Consistently the work has been impeccable. I lived overseas where getting clothes tailored was a way of life. It was more popular to buy fabric and have things made than to buy retail, so I have some experience with this. I am picky and they are definitely up to par.
I’m moving out of Los Angeles, and will bring things to them when I come visit. That’s how much I trust them! I took one last item today… my last piece to be altered while I still live here. Boo-​hoo!
Did I mention they’re warm and friendly to boot?

I will call this the review of my first time getting *anything altered for me* and will update.
I bought a classic Armani Black velor cocktail dress at a thrift store in Santa Monica. It has that Edith Head feel. Really as close to the dress that Rosemary Clooney wore in White Christmas.
Sans the ass pin.
It was ten bucks. You heard me TEN BUCKS FOR AN ARMANI DRESS WITH THE TAG STILL IN IT.
Yeah I bought that dress.
Here is the thing. That dress is nowhere close to my size. I did not care. It’s a ten dollar frickin Armani dress. My thought originally was simple «Hell…I will wrap this thing around my head if I had to and say it is an Aramni Head Wrap. Christ… I will just keep it on a hanger and take it with me to events and say ‘This is a ten dollar Armani Dress that I own»
My husband said «You can always get it altered»
I knew I would spend a hell of a lot more to get this dress to fit me. So I went on a Unilocal search for alterations.
Sunday I headed to a place called Eddie’s. Very nice people. They took one look at me and then one look at that dress and went «Oh no no no»
Thank you Eddie’s for something I already know. I went out singing the song from Tommy Boy «Big gurlll… in a little dress…»
I started calling (and leaving messages) on Sunday for other alternations places telling them exactly what the deal was.
on Monday… the first callback I got was from Fernando De Manilla.
I tell the lovely woman on the phone my name. I tell her about the dress. She says they could possibly do the Alterations and gives me the times of operations for Today.
Today I head over to the store (which is in great close proximity to my home) with the dress in a bag. I smile, and say «Hi.I think I talked to you on the phone»
Without looking for anything. she says «Hi Shaun!»
Five stars just for that. You are a winner. Nicely done maam!
From there she takes the dress out… does the measurements on me and we chat about a redesign to fit my fat ass. I ask her about how much this is going to run me.
She says about 150.
WHAT! ?! Five stars.
She says she is going to call me if they need anything from the lead semstress (Who I think is Fernando himself). I head off to the post office and get a call to come back in.
I see doom in my future driving back from the post office. «Big Gurrl in a little Dress» starts humming through my head. A guy going «Oh no, no no…»
I head back over and there is Fernando. A dear guy who asks me to try to put the dress on. The dress is small. in my undies I show him how far I can get this dress on… which would be right around my thighs. Yes. It is a small Armani Dress… and in comparison to this dress, I am Godzilla.
He rechecks the dress size to my measurements. He then craftily draws the dress on a piece of paper (I’m a artist fangirl… so that was impressive) and tells me he is going to take it out and match the fabric as much as he can. I joke with him and say «If you can put an ass pin on this like White Christmas… I will be impressed.»
He knew what I was talking about. WIN!
He charges me 160 dollars to do this.
WHAT?!? Five stars.
They ask me when I need it back. I’m in no hurry. but it would be sort of rock star to have the dress back before The Del Close Awards at iO West in Lost Angles on the 21^st. (
)
He tells me he will «Call me next week»
WHAT!!! Can you give six stars to these people.
I don’t know about anyone who has been here… but they were the nicest people in the world. Maybe they like a challenge. Lord knows this one is.
I swear on a stack. If this thing is covered in grease marks and a big chalk line pointing to my private parts? I will be stunned that this dress will even fit me. Hell. I only payed ten dollars and in my mind the most reasonably price amount for a complete alteration of an Armani dress going «Up in Size» instead of the easier «Down in Size.»
Five stars for nice people, great customer service, reasonable pricing and a deadline that even stunned me.
More to come. Pictures of the dress to come too. If they pull this off… not only do they win? But so do I! :)
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UPDATE: Today I called up Fernando De Manilla to check on the dress. They asked me to come in and try it on.
I’m a excitable little go go gadget, as I take a cab to the tailors.
I walk in and I see the dress hanging there. Yup. It’s a lot larger and it looks pretty much the same. HURRAY.
What they basically did was added some very similar material to give it a wonderful shiny feel to it. The zipper was a little «Noodgy» but that can be easily fixed.
I put on the dress. Yes. It fits! They are keeping it one more day to take in the waist to give me a full figured curve look.
I’m so goddamn excited, I can spit! I made Fernando uncomfortable by saying I wanted to have his babies.
It’s what I do. :)
More updates to come.

My husband (then fiancé) is a tall, big, Caucasian South African guy so there was no Filipino store that had his size in a barong tagalog as for some reason pinoy men can sometimes (though rarely) be «tall» and many are «big» but none are «big and tall.» So I had to get it custom fit for my hubbie as he didn’t fit over ‘pinoy’ the wrack sizes. Grr!
This was in 2003 and I was in a pinch, luckily this guy is Filipino and was able to make one custom for my husband’s extra tall extra extra large frame, and it wasn’t much more than a off the rack tall large would have been.
Also he didn’t need much lead time (I think a month or so) and that was a god send too!
The people were a bit gruff though. I am quite loquacious, and even when speaking Tagalog they didn’t always seem to understand me. Furthermore where upon I switched back to English they seem to understand less, so one star off for that. My thought is if I had to learn Tagalog for the last ¾ of high school I did in the Philippines, then they should have to improve their American English now that they are here in the USA.
I don’t however know about their wedding dress skills as I got mine off the rack at a place in Fremont and had it tailored when I was in South Africa before the LA wedding.