Great atmosphere! Great staff! I had holes in my trench coat pockets and sure enough I was able to get same day! Only took a couple of hours, and they did a phenomenal job! read more

Fashion Center Alterations - Sewing & Alterations Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

I was in a rush as my bridesmaid's dress was having so many issues coming in to the point where the company kept sending me defects and just sent me a measly $25 sorry credit for sending 3 defected dresses (seriously?) It was about 7 weeks out from the wedding, and I couldn't wait any longer. I found Fashion Center Alterations after another place I called was booked out up until the day of the wedding itself. Luckily for me it was walking distance, but in the hot summer sun, it felt a little more than walking distance I walked in and I felt like I was in an old ballet studio in the room where all the hemming takes place and costumes are stored. Mae was very kind, and estimated the dress would be done the date I needed. It was a pleasant surprise that she got it done even earlier!! Mae is a cute Filipina Lola (grandma) that has no filter... she says things as it is - this is definitely a cultural thing. I was sweaty when I tried on this dress walking back to pick it up, and she lightly said as she was zippering me, "you are holding onto water today" which could've meant sweat or bloat haha. She then modeled me like a fashionista and told me how to pose (see attached images), which made me smile. Though I wish it the dress was also steamed for the price I paid, I was in a desperate time and she fulfilled my dress hemming needs as bridesmaid. read more

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I needed two dresses hemmed at the bottom for some special events this summer. Both had ruffled material and needed to be perfect with my shoes. Mae did a fantastic job and listened to exactly what I wanted. My dresses were perfect and came out stunning at the bottom! Thank you Mae! read more

Fashion Center Alterations - Sewing & Alterations Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

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I just went into Mae's shop to discuss the alterations to my husband's jeans and coat. Having worked in fashion for many years I knew the alterations that needed to be done were minimal. To say I was disappointed is an understatement. Disgusted might be more like it. The coats sleeves were taken up, but the buttons were scrunched together and poorly sewn on. Then she folded in the fabric over the button holes and said pressing the fabric so it would lie flat is not something she does. The jeans were cut and sewn back together instead of just being taken up. She asked my husband if that's what he wanted by saying "do you want the original hem" without explaining what that was. When I went back she told me she was going out of town and I would have to wait another 3 weeks to fix any of these things. When I asked her to refund us she said she would only do so if she gave it back to me in the original condition, and then when I said please give me back my things she was holding on to it and told me I could sue her and that she has a lawyer. I was appalled by my experience and I will never go there. I will also actively make sure everyone knows that she should not be trusted with your tailoring. read more

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Rude lady in person, nice lady on the phone however quoted wrong price of $25 then $65 in person the alter some dress pants! Ridiculous. I did not say anything and the old lady tried to go on and on saying maybe $20 in 1950 which I'm assuming is when she was born. Classless establishment. Went elsewhere! Payed $32 at JC Lofton Tailors in DC read more

Wow this place is ridiculously expensive. My daughter brought a crystal pleated maxi dress to be hemmed (dress was lined so 2 hems) and minor alterations on the top. She needed it back in a week and was told there would be a "rush" fee but wasn't told what it would be upfront. Alterations were $300 and the rush fee was an additional $300. If you bring any garment for alterations make sure you know how much you will be paying. $600 is very egregious and shameful. The work is good as my daughter had used this tailor shop before. Just get your pricing upfront and if they won't give you a price go elsewhere. read more

The work is great but the price is exorbitant! She charges $60 for a simple hem of pants.

The alterations for my bridesmaid dress came out great and were done quickly! Thank you Mae!

Be wary of paying big $$$$$... the work was great but when I asked for a quote over the phone they scheduled an appointment for me and they were never clear about the price. I ended up paying almost $200 for 2 inches of a dress hemmed... regardless of three layers I wish the price had been more clearly communicated from the very start. I'm very frustrated - the cost of the hem was 2x more than the dress itself. read more

I had a very large pair of white satin suit pants that I needed to have taken in and tapered with a very quick turnaround time. They were ready before I expected and they fit beautifully! The only downside is that her services are costly, but I can't wait to wear them and I plan to bring in future garments for alterations. Thank you! read more

I've found the best seamstress in the city! Mae is extremely talented, timely, professional, and friendly. She hemmed my bridesmaids dress which was about 3" too long and fit and flared. Mae quoted me at 1.5 weeks and ~$110 for the alteration. Mae was able to get it done in three days and it looks perfect! Highly recommend! read more

Run, don't walk away from here. I was quoted a ridiculous amount for a dress hemming & was not treated well during the process. After I dropped my dress off and left, I realized how "off" the experience was and returned to get my dress. She nearly slammed the door in my face. She originally told me it would take 3 weeks to do. I took it somewhere else and paid 1/3 of the price and got my dress back in 1 week. Go anywhere else to have a better experience. read more

Mae is the best. She gets the job done the right way and more importantly she is an honest business woman.

Truly disappointed. So unprofessional. I saw the great reviews and I was hopeful when I brought a brand new dress - still with the tags on- for Mae to alter for a wedding I was going to in two weeks. I needed the underarms taken in a bit ona sleeveless dress with delicate, shirred fabric. Mae didn't use pins but she said she had all she needed. She called me a few days later to say it was ready but when I tried it on, it was tight and pinching. When I said so, she got angry and told me to take it off. I did and she said she would have it next week. I thanked her politely and left. Eight days after I brought it in, she said it was ready (again). This time, I tried it on and it was a mess. The seam around the shoulder was fine, but she simply undid the rest of her sewing down to the waist so the fabric just puffed out under the arm along my sides. It was a hot mess. I gently pointed it out and said this is a problem. She wheeled away and said she was done and I should take it somewhere else. I actually begged her to please just tack it so I can wear it to a wedding, now less than a week away. I recognized that she works hard and has a lot of customers but I really just needed her to fix it as it wasn't wearable. She told me to take it off. Said she would not fix it. Told me to return it - even though she'd already sewn it (She said -"it still has the tags. they won't look at whether it was altered. they never do!"). I had to laugh. five minutes earlier she was showing me pictures of her grandchildren. But when the dress didn't fit right, she became insulting - labelled me a "type" and said she had too much work. I left and took it to Alexandria Tailoring on West street right off of King in Old Town. Not only did they fix Mae's mess, they did it for exactly HALF THE PRICE. Skip Fashion Center and Mean Mae and go to Alexandria Tailor Inc - Suh's Custom Tailors at 101 S West Street in Old Town, where you can give your business to far nicer people who will do a better job, faster and for less money. read more

Fashion Center receives this Marine veteran's highest recommendation for alterations based on customer service, timelines, and quality of work. I traveled up from North Carolina to visit a friend for the weekend. I was invited on Friday to a Sunday church service that required a suit. I quickly purchased one that required alterations. Several tailor shops told me they were unable to complete the order in the required timeline. I then found Fashion Center, and Mrs. Mae who quickly completed the alterations within the hour. She was kind and professional. The alterations were spot on, and I was able to attend the service thanks to Mrs. Mae. Once again, Fashion Center alterations receives my highest endorsement, and I will travel out of my way to use them again In the near future! 5 Stars Performance. Gabe read more

I needed an alteration to a sequin jumpsuit overnight and Mae is so sweet and efficient. She shortened the pants legs and the torso. My outfit is perfect! I plan to continue giving her business my support! Thank you so much! read more

Told me over the phone they could alter some pieces, took it in store for the lady to tell me she actually Couldn't anymore

WOW, the woman who answered the phone was incredibly rude! I called to ask the price of what alterations would cost and she said she was too busy, then proceeded to immediately HANG UP on me. I am honestly amazed at how badly she treats her potential customers. What horrible customer service and lack of consideration BEFORE receiving my business. If she was that busy, she should not have answered the phone or told me nicely that she would need to call me back when she got the chance. There is absolutely NO chance that I would ever give her my business or recommend this shop to anyone!!! read more

My experience with Mae at Fashion Center Alterations was one of the worst ones I've ever had at an establishment. First, let's go over the logistical nightmares: 1. You apparently have to "bring your own hanger and garment bag" - which is extremely odd. 2. There is only one small fitting room in the shop which is tucked in a corner next to racks of clothing. 3. There is no tri-panel mirror. Instead, there is only one full length mirror - the kind that you'd typically see in a college dorm room. To make matters worse, my experience with Mae's unprofessionalism was unlike anything I've ever had to deal with as a customer before. I took a dress that I was planning on using as a second dress during my wedding reception which was in 3.5 weeks. When I had initially called her on the phone to ask if it was enough time for her to make adjustments to my dress, she said "oh yes that's more than enough time". I get to my appointment and as she's pinning up my adjustments she sees my ring and goes "oh wow thats a huge diamond your future husband must be so rich". Strike one. (Mind you, this shop is small and there was another gentleman waiting as well since she was running behind on her appointment times). She finishes up the pins and doesn't tell me the price right away and gives me a quote to hem the front, hem the lining, add a bustle which she complained was "so hard" and that the dress needed 3 of them, shorten the straps, sew some cups in, PLUS an additional "rush fee" when she had told me the day before she would have more than enough time (strike 2). Mind you, this dress was a super simple long dress with a train, made of very thin satin & felt like a lined slip dress. When the gentleman that was waiting in the shop made a comment about how it was a steep price - Mae responded "have you seen her ring?! whoever has that ring can afford $500 in alterations! how many carats is that?!!?" Strike 3 - but I ended up leaving the dress with her anyway, despite her classless demeanor. After leaving - I thought about it for a few days, and things just didn't feel right. The alterations for my actual wedding dress cost $600 and were MUCH more involved. I got advice from everyone to get it back and just take it to my usual tailor. I call her and tell her that I "found a new dress" and will not be needing her to continue working on my dress. I told her I'd pay her for the work that she had completed - but to cease all other work and that I'd pick it up that day. On the phone, she told me that the entire job would have cost $545, but had only finished the hem and that it would cost $150. She texts me 1.5 hours later and tells me my dress is ready to be picked up, and that she did the hem AND has taken the sides in, and that I now need to pay her $250. She clearly used that extra hour and a half to do some additional work just to get some more money. Simply disgusting. I picked up my dress and examined her work - and it was quite literally the worst tailoring job I have ever paid for. I could still see the chalk marks of the hem, and all she did was fold it over and stitch it. Needless to say, it was not a $150 hem. The sides of my dress that were taken in were also uneven, to say the least. I didn't know that paying a "rush fee" would mean that it'd result in shoddy, obviously rushed alterations. I took it to my usual tailor (who even shook his head at all of Mae's work) and he's doing everything that I had initially asked Mae to do for $120 and turning it around in a week. He also figured out how to put in one bustle and didn't make me bring my own hanger and garment bag. Choosing to give Fashion Center Alterations was a pretty expensive mistake on my part. If you decide to come here anyway - bring in your garment well over a month in advance of when you want to wear it, and don't wear anything expensive - because you'll get absolutely cheated. read more

Fashion Center Alterations - Chalk marks still visible. Terrible hem all around. This is what she considers a hem worth $150. - Sewing & Alterations Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

I left two special dresses in Mae's care and was more than pleased with the outcome. The service is costly, but it's quality work. She takes her time and gets it right... and completes the job in record time! I was able to pick up the dresses in less than a week! read more

Wow! I walked in on Monday to make an appointment and Mae told me I could come right in for alterations on a formal jumpsuit I am wearing to my best friend's wedding the first week of October. She had it done within 24 hours and it fits perfectly. She is so kind and responsive and her work speaks for itself. Thank you Mae! read more

I've had alterations done many times since and all over town, Mae at Fashion Center provided the best service. She hemmed two dresses, one lined, the other vintage, both tricky. I walked in on a Wednesday hoping to turn around and pack them in a weekend bag in three days. She explained her pricing structure, that what I was asking was a rush job and would be charged accordingly, which was totally fair, but I decided I could wait for the normal service time. I planned on packing another outfit for my trip. But by Thursday afternoon, she was finished! Under promised and over delivered! And I was only charged the rate for normal service time. She demonstrated her superior knowledge of dress making. I would highly recommend her services. read more

My experience with Mae at Fashion Center Alterations was one of the worst ones I've ever had at an establishment. First, let's go over the logistical nightmares: 1. You apparently have to "bring your own hanger and garment bag" - which is extremely odd. 2. There is only one small fitting room in the shop which is tucked in a corner next to racks of clothing. 3. There is no tri-panel mirror. Instead, there is only one full length mirror - the kind that you'd typically see in a college dorm room. To make matters worse, my experience with Mae's unprofessionalism was unlike anything I've ever had to deal with as a customer before. I took a dress that I was planning on using as a second dress during my wedding reception which was in 3.5 weeks. When I had initially called her on the phone to ask if it was enough time for her to make adjustments to my dress, she said "oh yes that's more than enough time". I get to my appointment and as she's pinning up my adjustments she sees my ring and goes "oh wow thats a huge diamond your future husband must be so rich". Strike one. (Mind you, this shop is small and there was another gentleman waiting as well since she was running behind on her appointment times). She finishes up the pins and doesn't tell me the price right away and gives me a quote to hem the front, hem the lining, add a bustle which she complained was "so hard" and that the dress needed 3 of them, shorten the straps, sew some cups in, PLUS an additional "rush fee" when she had told me the day before she would have more than enough time (strike 2). Mind you, this dress was a super simple long dress with a train, made of very thin satin & felt like a lined slip dress. When the gentleman that was waiting in the shop made a comment about how it was a steep price - Mae responded "have you seen her ring?! whoever has that ring can afford $500 in alterations! how many carats is that?!!?" Strike 3 - but I ended up leaving the dress with her anyway, despite her classless demeanor. After leaving - I thought about it for a few days, and things just didn't feel right. The alterations for my actual wedding dress cost $600 and were MUCH more involved. I got advice from everyone to get it back and just take it to my usual tailor. I call her and tell her that I "found a new dress" and will not be needing her to continue working on my dress. I told her I'd pay her for the work that she had completed - but to cease all other work and that I'd pick it up that day. On the phone, she told me that the entire job would have cost $545, but had only finished the hem and that it would cost $150. She texts me 1.5 hours later and tells me my dress is ready to be picked up, and that she did the hem AND has taken the sides in, and that I now need to pay her $250. She clearly used that extra hour and a half to do some additional work just to get some more money. It is obvious this woman needs to take a class on business ethics. I picked up my dress and examined her work - and it was quite literally the worst tailoring job I have ever paid for. I could still see the chalk marks of the hem, and all she did was fold it over and stitch it. Needless to say, it was not a $150 hem. The sides of my dress that were taken in were also uneven, to say the least. I didn't know that paying a "rush fee" would mean that it'd result in shoddy, obviously rushed alterations. Choosing to give Fashion Center Alterations was a pretty expensive mistake on my part. If you decide to come here anyway - bring in your garment well over a month in advance of when you want to wear it, and don't wear anything expensive - because you'll get absolutely cheated. read more

I decided to give Fashion Center Alterations a try. While it was very pricey, ($95 - $65 plus an extra $30 because I needed my dress done within a week... oops) Mae did a good job on my dress. She was attentive to what I needed done and altered it very quickly - within a day! And it looks great. She was also transparent when I asked why my alterations costed the amount it did, which I appreciated. If you decid to go here in the future, bring cash or a check. Mae also has a Venmo. read more

Read the reviews and think most must be fake. My house keeper, an Indonesian here in work visa took two pair of jeans with rips in the butt to be sewn. We didn't care about look only functionality. She was told 45$ a pair to fix. Jeans! She left and we took them to another store and paid 25$ total. I just went in and asked them about it and at first she said she remembered her but when I asked why the price was so high she backed off and started asking for my personal information. I told her she had none because we didn't actually use her service she got nasty and just continued to ask for information she didn't have. Bad customer service. Evidently expensive. And I believe they tried to swindle our house because she thought we must have money. read more

I have mixed feelings. It's super convenient and Mae completed my dress in one day (she had a month to do it.). But a few things bothered me...1.) she told me my dress was ugly and didn't "work for me" which I thought was unprofessional. 2.) the price! $85 for a hem. 3.) she finished it so quickly but the quality was so poor. She messed up the hem (I believe she rushed through it) then when I was trying it on she asked if she could keep it another day to fix it (which was nice.) I didn't mind this at the time but it was very inconvenient to go back to get it fixed AGAIN and there was no price reduction for her messing up the first time. ** Probably won't go back! ** read more

Mae did an incredible job on a bridesmaid dress that was two sizes too large. You can't even see where she cut into the bodice of the dress. Because of her careful work, I am certain my dress will look the best out of the rest of the bridal party. It fits me that well! read more

I dropped my bridal gown off one week ago and picked up today! I was shocked when they said it was ready as I wasn't expecting it until early September! They made all of the alterations we talked about. Mae was great with taking and sending photos. She also gave me recommendations on how to hang and store the dress until the wedding. Thank you, Mae! read more

I have come here twice and if I could give it 0 stars I would. If you are looking for a professional experience and for your dresses not to get ruined DO NOT COME HERE. I have never written a bad review in my life but I really don't think this place cares about making sure they take care of your bridesmaid dress. The first dress I had she forgot to write down the instructions so I had to keep coming in 3 times. I was obviously stressed as it was getting close to the wedding date, which made the owner super condescending and rude towards me. To make it all worse the strap broke BROKE OFF during the reception, but I still let it go and went back again because of how close it was to my house. Second time, same unpleasant uncomfortable experience. She Jeeps telling me I'm not standing right, making weird comments on my appearance and get in another haggle war. I come in and the dress looks great but there is a small rip in the front. Could have been me, could have been her but I didn't care just wanted it fixed. She immediately starts pointing the finger at me and saying I must have ripped in the past 2 seconds. She tells me a ring most of got caught on it, I have no jewelry on and she has several rings. She says she's going to "watch me" because i complain a lot and I'm cheap and then starts making fun of me saying I have anxiety problems, I'm stressed, and I'm hyper. The fact she was so defensive made me believe she knew about the rip in the first place. She was attacking me when all I wanted was her to do her job and fix a tear in the dress. Yes, I do have all those issues but what kind of person in customer service says such crude and inappropriate comments? So if you want to be verbally attacked, uncomfortable, and spend way more money than you should on a ripped dress this is the place for you to go! The way she fixes the mistakes is just making the rip worse and now I have to spend more money to go somewhere else to fix it. read more

I was super stressed about getting my wedding dress altered in a short amount of time, and Mae did it perfectly and SO quickly! I couldn't be happier with the friendly service and the beautiful outcome. The price was very reasonable, too! I will definitely return for future alteration needs!! read more

If I could give a negative star I would. The owner is absolutely rude to black customers. She gave me an outrageous price to fix my shorts and told me "go to one of your people that do it at home". How rude. She was throwing around my clothes like they were nothing. Such a disrespectful woman. Do not go here. read more

BUYER BEWARE!!!! READ ALL NEGATIVE REVIEWS BEFORE GOING TO THIS BUSINESS!! THEY ARE EXTREMELY ACCURATE. - She will never quote you a price upfront because she plans to upcharge you. What should have been a $90 alteration turned out to be $175. While I asked her how much she thought it would cost, she couldn't give an estimate until she started to work on the dress. Never have I ever experienced that with a tailor. If they are experienced enough, they generally know how much to charge. But it seemed intentional to not quote price upfront for the purpose of upcharging later on. Having just read other reviews here it seems that she does this often. - When I told her that I was going to write a negative review for her, she said "you guys always say that! Go ahead, tell the whole world!"... I do believe she has frequent negative feedback from her customers. Don't you think that would convince her to change her work ethic and business strategy? It seems not. She is intentionally trying to manipulate you out of your money. - As for the quality of the work it is equivalent to something I could've taken a pair of scissors and a sewing machine to. I needed a bridesmaid dress opened up around the hips and hemmed at the bottom. As soon as I told her what the problem was after trying the dress on for her she said it was impossible. I should have known at that point that she was manipulating me. The work was so easy! I even gave her a few tips on how she could do it, and then she seemed totally on board with my ideas. But her execution was her horrendous. See attached photos. - Even if she tries to respond to this review, I would not believe her. She cannot be trusted. She will claim victim no matter what you try telling her. I plan on filing formal complaints with BBB, and potentially filing legal suit. - Also note she only takes cash or check, inhibiting you from voiding the payment. SCAM ARTIST!!! UPDATE: I filed complaints with the BBB and the Office of the Attorney General of Virginia, Consumer Protection Section. I encourage others to do the same if they've had bad experiences with this business or other businesses. read more

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I stopped in before work without calling to have two pairs of jeans hemmed (too long) and the sleeves of a pea coat shortened. The jeans were a straight-forward alteration, but I was nervous about the sleeves on the coat. It has a nice liner and multiple buttons by the sleeves. 3 days later I received a text (awesome - I love that I don't have to deal with a phone call during work or randomly show up and hope that the alterations are complete) and everything was complete. The sleeves on the coat looked great. You can't even tell the alteration has been done. I haven't tried the jeans on yet, but a hem is a hem. I really liked that she actually cut off the extra material at the bottom of the jean and gave the extra material back to me in case I need to patch them later. Previous tailors either use all of the material or discard it. Aside from the actual work, Mae was very friendly and easy to work with. I liked that she was more conversational. I'm confident that she would give me good advice on where to take in a shirt or a pair of pants to look my best. I've seen a few reviews note that it's pricey. When you enter you'll notice that her shop is *brimming* with items to alter. I think she has a lot of work specifically because her work is high-quality, and she knows what that's worth. I'd definitely come back - the price didn't bother me. I can hem a pair of pants myself for about $1.50 in thread, but it wouldn't look nearly as nice, or likely last nearly as long. read more

Mae (who owns the shop) is truly an amazing seamstress. It is often hard (in my opinion) to find good value for your money when it comes to services. Mae might be the exception to this. (I want to thank my other Yelpers for recommending her. I don't think I would have found her without you.) I have visited the shop several times over the past couple of weeks. I had decided to have my wedding dress custom made in China. The measurements I kept sending to the designer in China didn't seem to work for her . . .in comes Mae. I arrived on 2 different weekday nights (did not call ahead) and asked her to take measurements. She was more than happy to provide this service, free of charge (so when the dress arrived and it needed some slight alterations, I naturally thought of going back to her). She was able to add just enough "pull" in my wedding dress to make feel comfortable and as an added bonus (although she didn't give me the price upfront) the price was very reasonable. Note: if you plan on going to this shop to pay for tailoring Mae does not accept credit cards (cash or check only). read more

Mae is amazing! I had a dress I needed altered within a week. She saw the same day even though it was late and she had the dress altered within 3 day. It looks perfect! She also recommended a place to get my hairstyled- very resourceful! read more

Mae was wonderful. I needed my tuxedo altered before flying off for a wedding. I was lucky that she was able to promise next day service. And then later that day she texted me that it was done. Yep, same day service, but please don't expect that everytime. Call and see what her load is. I drove past 10 alteration companies on my way to Fashion Center, and I am happy I did. read more

Hamza is good but definitely on the pricey side. He's one of the few tailors that I feel comfortable asking "What do you think looks good?" and letting him decide. He's definitely old school but knows what he's doing. I would take suits and shirts to him. Simple jobs like cuffing pants, I don't know if it is worth the extra money. He's cash/check only... SUIT UP! read more

Mae did a truly wonderful job. I brought in a bridesmaid's dress at the last minute to get altered and even though I did not ask for the same day, she had it completed within a few hours! She was very friendly and the dress fits perfectly. I would definitely go back. read more

I cannot believe how quickly and efficiently Mae works! I came in with my maid of honor dress for my sister's wedding, a multi-layered Jenny Yoo gown that needed to be hemmed several inches. I needed it in a month, but Mae had it back to me in under a week! Best of all, when I got it back it was a perfect fit! Incredible service and great results, especially for what I paid. I'll be coming back! One note: this place doesn't take credit cards, so be sure to bring your checkbook! read more

Wonderful! I visited recently to get my bridesmaid dress (for my friend's wedding in September) altered. I only needed the dress to be hemmed. The shop is located upstairs and behind the storefront shops on 23rd street in Crystal City. Parking is very convenient, as the store has reserved parking spots in the lot right behind it. Mae was extremely friendly and helpful with my dress alteration. We had a nice conversation and she was available for an appointment with just a few days' notice. She gave me an excellent price for the hem work. I was also surprised by how quickly she finished my dress alteration - I got a text the very same day that my dress was done! I picked it up a few days later and was impressed with the work done. I would absolutely recommend this place for dress alterations and will plan on visiting again for future alterations! read more