Alterations by Chris

Chris is one of the most timely and efficient tailors in the area. I have been using her services for several years and have found her to be second to none in the country.

I stopped by for alterations in a bridesmaid dress. The customer service was awful so I opted to take my services elsewhere. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to see the great work that others are speaking highly of and that’s unfortunate. A little courtesy goes a long way.

Chris wildly exceeds my expectations each time I bring her an alteration. She is not only an excellent tailor/​seamstress, she is a designer with a creative eye. For the last outfit I brought her (a very nice skirt and jacket combo to wear for a wedding), she recommended a couple minor changes to modernize the outfit, and I could not be more thrilled with the result. That’s the benefit you get by going to Chris — she’s not merely taking in, letting out or fixing hems — she knows what looks good on different body types and small changes that make huge differences in the appearance of an outfit or piece. She is also extremely personable and is able to work on tight deadlines. I highly recommend Alterations by Chris and will never go elsewhere!

Overpriced. $ 72 for hem w/​cuffs on 3 pair of pants. Over the phone quote was $ 11 per pair and it changed when I asked for cuffs. It was mentioned that I didn’t ask for cuffs over the phone neither was I asked. Who knew? I’d also like to point out that it took 7 days to turn these around. Also, they wouldn’t take a credit card, only debit. In my opinion, you can find faster and better service at the local cleaners or specialty clothing stores.

So I’ve left a review before and it’s mysteriously been taken down. I’ve come to Chris twice… my wedding dress and then an everyday dress. Both were a solid ³⁄₅. She did not want to take my dress in to the degree I wanted and it was uncomfortably loose on my wedding day. It had a built-​in corset that didn’t adhere to my stomach because it was about a size too big… I wish I would have pushed for it to be taken in more but I didn’t. However, she tailored all other aspects of the dress (floor length, sides).
The other dress I took in I paid $ 30 for and she did a fine enough job… but the $ 30 I paid was just overpriced in my opinion (I know how to sew but was in a pinch to leave town and swamped with work). I had the length and straps altered… pretty simple. She is a great seamstress BUT be very specific with what you want and expect to pay top dollar for the area.

I was a nervous wreck because I needed my wedding dress altered in a couple weeks and had just moved to the area. I found Chris and couldn’t be happier. I didn’t have family or friends with me so she helped me lace up the dress, choose the alterations, and decide on shoes! Way more than an amazing seamstress she’s an awesome person. My dress was perfect and her pricing was right on point for how amazing her work is… And fast!!! If you want to be worry free go to her!

After years of still driving to Nashville for alterations, I was delighted to find Chris! She is a true professional and provides excellent work. For the quality of work, I have been very pleased with her pricing. Chris is outgoing, friendly and has been a pleasure getting to know. I will be a customer for many, many years and will happily recommend her business to others.

I visited Chris to see about having the quarter-​length sleeves of my wedding dress taken out just a smidge to loosen up the neckline and armpit-​area. I have lost about 100 pounds and still have some arm that isn’t svelte, but just needed a teensy bit more room. The dressmaker left a good 1.5″ of fabric on each side of the sleeve seam just for this purpose.
I showed Chris and she had me go into the dressing area to put the dress on. When I came out, I headed over for the mirror to get some help zipping up the back. My mom reached for the dress and Chris said, «No, no no. That’s not going to zip. It doesn’t fit.» My mom zipped it up, no problem. Literally — not a problem. No tugging or sucking in required. All zipped up, I proceeded to show Chris where the problem area in the dress was. This was clearly where the dress needed work; you could literally see where the sleeves were too tight, preventing a comfortable fit.
Chris disagreed and told me to take the dress off. She took us back to the counter and started explaining that the sleeves would have to be cut off and there was a chance that they wouldn’t work at all. Even if I was by some miracle able to fit into the dress, there’s no way I could wear it with sleeves. Her advice?:
«Honestly, if I were you, I would think about getting another dress. This one doesn’t suit you. It is not flattering to your shape. The dress is poorly made. The problem is, with your size, no offense… you’re going to have trouble finding ANYTHING. I don’t know what else to tell you.»
1. It’s a tea-​length a-​line with a fitted bustier, bateau neckline, and ¾″ sleeves. It’s impossible to find a more universally flattering dress.
2. I realize that I’m not stick-​thin. Basically, if anyone ever starts off a statement with ‘no offense,’ they are pretty much expecting to say something out-​of-​line.
3. It’s not up to her to determine what I want to wear in my wedding. I came in for a simple alteration. I didn’t ask her to tell me how she thought my dress looked on me.
My mother, sweetheart that she is, asked Chris for an estimate. She estimated $ 200. TWO-​HUNDRED DOLLARS. She acted like offering that amount was a huge favor.
What did I do? I took the dress home and let out the sleeves a max ¼″ each myself. The dress fits fine and is beautiful and it only cost me the price of some delicate needles and white thread.
Seriously, don’t go here if you’re chubby. She’s rude and unprofessional.
***In response to Chris asking me to remove my review by incorrectly recalling details of my visit and responding in the most condescending manner possible:
Nodding when a «professional» attempts to milk you for more money when requesting a sleeve alteration is hardly AGREEING. It’s nodding so that when you leave, you can ask «WTF was that?» before heading to Joann to buy necessary materials to fix the dress yourself. It’s great that Chris has 30 years of experience. I haven’t had anything altered by her because my BS radar is pretty fine-​tuned, but I can say as far as customer service is concerned, she deserves less than one Unilocal star. My review isn’t of craftsmanship, but of social grace.
Asking a dissatisfied former potential patron to remove a review only leaves me wondering how many other dissatisfied customers have been asked to remove reviews and complied.
I’m lucky that I am crafty and skilled enough to alter the dress myself. It’s a shame that Chris defends her business so condescendingly as to tell me that my recollection of an experience in her store is incorrect. Who has more to gain here? My review stands and Chris’s response only worsens my opinion.