John is so helpful and courteous. I've had 3 shirts and two pairs of pants modified by him to an exact fit. Love having his opinion on clothes. Do your part and keep local places like this open during unprecedented times. read more

I never leave 1-star reviews, but this place has genuinely earned it. I came in before my wedding to get my suit altered and brought my bridal party along. I already had suits ordered and just needed minor work done. My own tailor had told me to expect no more than $40 for what I needed. This guy quoted me $200. When I said that was too high and that I'd take my business elsewhere, he turned on me and my friends and told us we had "wasted his time." He got hostile when I declined paying an overpriced quote. My friends felt so pressured that we ended up agreeing to a smaller amount of work. Even that was overpriced. And the quality? Absolutely unacceptable. The seams were visible. The stitching was clearly not done properly. And on my wedding day, the moment I stepped into my suit pants, the hem ripped completely. On my wedding day... This man was rude, his prices were outrageous, and his work fell apart literally on the most important day of my life. If you are considering coming here for anything, especially for a special occasion, please take my experience as a warning and go somewhere else. I would also avoid the Alameda Red Hanger Cleaners on South Shore, as they appear to be connected. read more

Once again John hit it out the park!! He helped me put together my custom Harley vest. Told me it would take a couple of weeks but did it in about 12 days!! Every time I come up with a tailor idea, Golden Needle is the ONLY place I go. read more

See all

John @ Golden Needle Tailoring provided excellent service, quality and value for my son's Junior Prom. He was skilled, efficient, and professional. Our first experience renting a tuxedo. We loved that it was local. Besides the impeccable service they also gave us an amazing deal- $250 prom package, we got a custom tailored designer Michael Kors Tuxedo for my 6'2 son, that included tuxedo, vest, dress shirt, cufflinks, bow tie and dress shoes (size 13). Highly recommend John and Golden Needle Tailoring for your tailoring and formal wear needs. See you next year for Senior Prom John! read more

Golden Needle Tailoring - Tuxedo from Golden Needle Tailoring provided excellent - Sewing & Alterations Near Me - Alameda, California

The guy called me and asked me about my private life as where am l from and etc. l just gave my number for he fix my clothes and call me. But after everything done and l gör my clothes from there he called and he asked personal questions to me which l didn't like. So as a women l don't recommend there at all. read more

Been here several times and have always been very impressed. The first time was a bit of an emergency - I needed a few outfits tailored before a last minute work trip. They took the time to get all the details right and had it ready by the next day. It fit perfectly, and I was beyond happy. Fast forward to recently, and I needed a three-piece suit tailored on short notice for my own wedding. Same great experience--quick turnaround, expert craftsmanship, and a perfect fit. Honestly, I can't recommend this place enough. Very professional, great service - you'll be in good hands if you stop by! read more

This tailor is truly a hidden gem. I've been very pleased with his work on my suits and if asked, he works very fast. I'm so glad to have found a tailor I can trust who turns things around so quickly. read more

Very nice visit. Shop owner was friendly and helpful. Good value for tux rental. Glad to support a local business.

Amazing service and speed, had both my jeans and leather jacket hemmed in just 3 days both came out perfect couldn't have asked for better!

John did a wonderful Job. The tux is awesome. Made this old man look better than the groom. I'ii be giving away the Bride in style. Friendly, Courteous, and reasonably priced. I saw a bunch of younger people getting alterations. It was a great experience. Everybody looked great. -Dan read more

I got a complete tuxedo setup for a wedding here. I was able to get a second-hand suit custom tailored for me, and he helped me pick out all the random things I needed to complete the outfit, like a bowtie and such. It was a total success. read more

Very happy with my tailored dress. It's a Selkie dress, the caviar Ritz gown. It's made for taller people, and Im 5'3 inches. The tailor made sure to clarify where I wanted the dress cut, and did not start until he was certain about what I wanted. I appreciate that. He was able to finish it the same day. Definitely bringing all of my Selkie dresses here for tailoring. read more

Golden Needle Tailoring - The Ritz Gown in caviar by Selkie. Im 5'3" and not wearing any heels. Dress looks exactly the same, just shorter. - Sewing & Alterations Near Me - Alameda, California

The proprietor of this long standing local business customized a suit for me in 24 hours. I couldn't be happier.

John literally saved my destination wedding. My first mistake was not going to John at Golden Needle from the very beginning. Instead I bought a tux from Indochino. Despite having the Indochino tux completely redone and substantial alterations made on their second attempt over the course of several months, it just wasn't going to work for my black tie wedding. The worst thing was that I was out of time - I was only a week away from getting on a plane and flying to Italy. My fiancee (now/still wife) has been going to John since we moved to Alameda 2 years ago so she dragged me to him - despite how hopeless I thought the situation was. John looked at the Indochino tux and we discussed our options. I ended up deciding to buy an entirely new tux from John, which he altered and finished in under 3 days. John could have charged me anything for this tux given how important it was to us. Instead, he charged a fair price (even less than my Indochino tux) and literally saved my wedding. John's an honest man who does high quality work at a fair price - we've already been back to give him more business and will continue to do so. read more

See all

John was super friendly and helped me fix the sleeve of a jacket that needed some stitching. He was fast, well done and very polite! I'll definitely come back to this place for all my future clothing alteration needs! Thanks John! read more

I picked this place because of the high ratings but this guy made me feel so uncomfortable and really squeezed me out of my $$$. I came in to get a simple alteration done on a very simple a-line bridesmaid dress. I just needed the length shorter and the slit of the dress a little higher and he charged me $130. When I first brought in the dress, he made me try it on. I already felt uncomfortable because he was asking so many questions and didn't feel comfortable with him brushing his hands on my bare legs. When I paid for the dress, he said I could pick it up after business hours (past 6pm) and mentioned that we could grab dinner after. (Already very unprofessional). I came back 2 weeks later to pick up my dress. He asked me if I wanted to try it on but because of the uncomfortable initial experience I had with him, I said it was fine, I didn't need to try it on. When I got home, I was not happy with the alternations so I called him again and he told me to bring it back in. I specifically asked him if he would charge me again if I brought it in and he said no just bring it in and maybe we can work something out. So I bring in the dress. He made me try it on again, this time, I wore the dress over my leggings. This guy asked me to take my leggings off! I told him I was going to the gym afterwards so I don't want to take it off. Then he pulls on to my leggings by where the slit is! So after trying on the dress, I go to the counter and he tells me its another $20 for the alteration. I told him that I already paid him $130 and that he told me on the phone that he wasn't going to charge me then he responds with "you're a nurse, you can afford it." So ridiculous! I felt so uncomfortable with our two interactions that I had to ask one of my co workers to pick up my dress for me because I did not want to have to talk to him again and be put in an uncomfortable situation. I felt taken advantage of! I paid this guy $150 just for 2 simple alternations done even if I wasn't happy with his initial work! No customer satisfaction guaranteed with this tailor. I would never go back to this place and would not recommend him to anybody especially if you're a woman! read more

John at Golden Needle is the best! My son needed some slacks shortened for a semi-formal high school dinner cruise this weekend. I went to another tailor in Alameda (on Santa Clara near Broadway) and explained the situation. The lady was really rude and told me she could turn up the pants by next Saturday for $30, this Friday for $60, and $80 if I wanted them in 1-day. Note: I paid $60 for the pants at Kohl's. I'm all - wow! And with an epic attitude on top of it all. When in Alameda you simply can't beat Golden Needle in for fast, expert alterations and service! read more

Inappropriate touching while in dressing room and my boyfriend was in the store! Do not let yourself be alone with this guy!

These gentlemen have been here with a successful business for decades and are polite, courteous and helpful. I've brought my clothing to them in the past, they've also outfitted probably thousands of young men with tuxedos in their many years here. They've listened to my alteration requests (which are sometimes complicated) and the items have been complicated exactly as I asked. They're professional and appropriate and they'll keep my business. read more

Hands down the best decision I could have made when choosing a tailor for my senior ball dress. I had purchased this gorgeous dress for my senior ball but the only problem was that I was swimming in its train because I am too short. I knew that I needed to find a quality tailor for the job. Everything for this dance had to be perfect. I stopped by in the middle of the week two weeks before my event. I had called ahead of time to see if they had availability and the man on the phone told me "Of course and bring the shoes that you're going to wear". When I got there, I felt welcome and safe. He had me put on the dress and then he took my measurements to accommodate for my 5'0" tall height. He told me to come back two days before my Ball. He even gave me the lowest price he could offer because he knew that I was a student. The total came out to be $230, which I was fine with because the train of my dress had several layers with different textures that he had to cut down and also adjust to my bust. I was really surprised with the results as well. When I put on the dress after alteration, I felt like a princess. This place my made dreams come true and I ended up having a blast at the Senior Ball, compliments about my dress being told to me left and right. I would recommend this place to anyone who is looking for a great, authentic tailor. This place will not disappoint. read more

I highly recommend Golden Needle. The owner John meticulously measured and fitted my partner for a suit. It looked fantastic. We appreciated that he gave honest and expert advice throughout the entire process. read more

No one likes to have to go to the tailor (what a drag!), but these guys do a good job. The first time I was here was with my BF when he got a suit tailored for a wedding. It came out great, doing all sorts of stuff with the jacket and pants. I took some pants here recently and was also really pleased with how they turned out! I love the old pictures on the wall from when the place must have first opened in the 1970s!! (Just wish they were a little cheaper!) read more

Right next to Marti's place I saw this tailor shop that had tuxes. Having failed at Me's Wearhouse to get my tails, I inquired within. No problem. The boss, Dell, was great. For a little over $400 I got complete tails with vest, shoes, etc. What a deal! I recently bought a nice non-tail tuxedo in Germany at the bargain price of 1000 Euros. Dell is great. Good deals. He'll custom-make suits too. Plus the tailors do a good job. read more

Bottom line: go here Brought pants and a dress here to get shortened and the work was high quality and completed exactly on the date I needed them. It's a bit pricey, but was worth it to know the job would be done correctly and in the time frame I needed. The owner clearly values quality and customers and provides personal attention when you bring in items. read more

Thank you Lois Crawford for fixing my daughters zipper on her beautiful dress I cannot thank you enough it made her very happy!!! My daughter saw the dress in a store and she loves it but the bad part is the zipper was broken so I got it for cheaper price but I told her I will look for someone get it fix... This wasn't my first stop to get it fixed I went to Best alteration and they say it will cost me $40-$50!!! I see OK never mind I'll go someplace else then I found Golden needle tailoring, right price and does a very good job specially for my baby girl so again thank you so much!!! read more

Golden Needle Tailoring - Thank you so much for fixing the zipper on this beautiful dress my daughter loves it so much thank you!!! - Sewing & Alterations Near Me - Alameda, California

I had an impressive interaction with seamster/tailor John Najibi yesterday and will confidently steer business in his direction if someone I know needs it. I've been searching for a tailor who will sew silk or satin linings inside two "slouchy beanie" hats I own. I decided to visit Golden Needle Tailoring for a consultation just after being turned down by two other area businesses because, "What you're asking for isn't possible", but neither tailor could express why. Also, a third tailor said he could do it, but quoted an outrageous price. John said it could be done, and explained, in detail, why the job would be a challenging one, but also how he would do it. He made perfect sense. He was very patient with all my questions too. He admitted that he could make more money tailoring a suit jacket (labor per hour) than he would making one hat, but that he would do it anyway, and for less money than that outrageous quote I received. ... He was also clear that it might be easier for me to (continue) searching online for hats that are already lined at a reasonable price, instead of trying to alter these two I already own. Verdict: I likely will come back to get the hats tailored in a couple days. If not, it means I found those dream hats online! Either way, it was invaluable to find a tailor with a strong work ethic, a generous attitude, with an obvious passion for what he does. read more

This guy is incredible. We bought a cheap suit from express and had him tailor it for my husband for our wedding and he made it look like a million bucks. He also tailored a jumpsuit for me that I wore to the out of towners dinner same day since I changed my mind on my outfit. Love him. Will be coming back for sure. read more

Golden Needle Tailoring - Photo by kindred weddings - Sewing & Alterations Near Me - Alameda, California

I haven't been here in years and years, because I haven't needed to. Today I had a piece of line stuck in a zipper and needed help. John, the owner, was super helpful and was able to get the line out without breaking it or breaking the zipper! read more

John. Is. Awesome!! I took my favorite dress of all time to his shop after reading the reviews, and this is not a typical dress. It's a curved seam cowl neck, one of the cornerstones of my wardrobe, I can dress it up dress it down and I've had it for years and I want to save this garment forever. There were holes starting to appear along the seams which are curved, and I needed somebody knowledgeable enough to fix it without sacrificing too much fabric. I brought my dress in around 4:30, expecting him to tell me that I could pick it up sometime next week, and he said can you be back here around 5:15? I said SURE! So I went down the street and had a couple of ciders, came back, and he had made my dress look brand new, he even caught a hole that was not even along the seam, and he patched it so expertly you can't even tell it was there! He's now my tailor for the rest of the wardrobe that needs fixing. If he could fix that dress that quickly and expertly, I trust him with ALL my clothes! read more

John and Del make you feel like family. They have great tailoring skills and advise. Their custom suits are amazing as well. My family has several of them. Old school and small town charm. read more

Such a great experience here! We had two custom pants to be tailored and he was able to finish them in less than a week. They came out excellent! The owner is extremely nice and customer service focused. We highly recommend using the golden needle for tailoring needs! read more

Sam is the coolest dude. Sam of course being the main guy who works here. Is he the owner? I'm not 100% sure, but he's definitely the grand puba at Golden Needle Tailoring. I haven't needed to visit Golden Needle since high school, when I rented 2 separate prom tuxedos from here (I went to 2 proms, super baller- i know.) For each prom I went with two extremely different tuxedo styles(one very conservative, another very hip) and I clearly remember Sam helping me and tailoring my suits like a champ. More recently, I needed a last minute bow-tie and suspenders for the 2nd Annual Yelp Prom! On the day of, I rushed over to Golden Needle to see what they had available in terms of these last minute accessories. Me,"Hi, I'm looking for any clip on bow-ties and suspenders. Do you have any?" Sam,"Of course, what kind do you want?" Like a magician, he proceeded to shuffle under his table to uncover a wide variety of ties, suspenders, buttons, sequences, playing cards & rabbits... wait, maybe not the last two- but everything else for sure. "I'll take the red bow-tie and those clip on suspenders please." "Eh, just give me $20 for em'" At this point I realize they don't accept Visa, just cash only- So i begin to shuffle through my receipt filled wallet looking for dollar bills. I have one $5 bill and thirteen $1 dollar bills. $18 total. Very nonchalant, Sam says with a smile, "Ah, that's ok- just promise you'll bring me $2 later." I thanked him and promised I'd be back with his $2!(Which I brought back immediately after scrounging for $2 in quarters from my car) Golden Needle Tailoring is a small, local Alameda business that I love. Very personal, very professional, and they'll always taken care of my needs. I'm pretty sure i'll always bring my tuxedo business to Golden Needle- 4 GLOWING Stars! read more

We went to Golden Needle on the recommendation, but was very disappointed with the customer service we received. We dropped off my fiance's pants he would wear for the wedding on 9/6/2014 and they told us we could pick it up on 9/20/2014, two weeks to shorten and taken in the hem? Kind of odd, but since they are open on Saturdays we still went with it. My fiance called onThurs, 9/17/14 to see if they were ready, tailor said they weren't, but he could get it done by Friday. We still stated that we'd pick it up on Saturday, which they said it'd be ready by. We arrive at 10:30am on Saturday, they were not able to locate the pants! The tailor told the female tailor that she was working on it but she didn't recall anything. We mentioned that we thought it we saw it on a rack that was located near us, but they dismissed that notion, stating that it was only for incoming items. Tailor finally goes to the owner in the side room to say they can't locate the item. Lo and behold, the pants were on the rack that we previously mentioned (the pants were not tagged without our name, whaaat?). This is where it gets worse, the pants were not completed or even worked on!!!! It took two weeks to do a 45 minute job? Very unacceptable, even when promised to have it by the day before. Since the pants were unmarked/untagged, how did they even know when the deadline was?! Mind you this is a week away from our wedding and added stress is not needed. We had planned our whole Saturday running around w/ wedding errands. They said they could get it done in an hour. We asked for a discount due to miscommunication and inconvenience, and little confidence since they couldn't locate the pants. After going back and forth a bit, they agreed to a discount. The owner made a comment, that we could take the pants elsewhere if we wanted....why was he yelling like we were in the wrong? Story is not over, we come back and the tailor said that they could not give a discount since they had until 5:00pm to do it. Mind you, when we dropped it off they never mentioned the 5:00pm pick up time nor did they say they had until 5:00pm to finish. Again, the pants were untagged, how did they even know those pants were due later that day!? What type of business owners says they will give you a discount then go back on their word? What kind of customer service is that? With the owner's attitude, we will definitely take our business elsewhere. If you read the owners responses to the bad reviews on here, he seems to blame the customer. Definitely not a way to get repeat business. read more

Remarkably disappointed! I recently lost a lot of weight and had to buy all new slacks for my new figure. Now, I know how to sew, but didn't have the time to shorten 4 pairs of slacks. So, I schlepped them to Golden Needle based on the yelp reviews and proximity to my house. I tried on each pair, with different shoes, to make sure they'd be tailored to fit every shoe-eventuality. I like my pants to break at the instep and cover half of the heel of my shoe--a bit longer than some like. The man marked each pair so that they would be perfect. Well, I got back the pants (it took a week) and each pair was TOO SHORT. It looked like I had grown a foot instead of lost weight. All the pants exposed my ankle. One pair has so little selvage that I don't know if I can salvage them. Granted, two of the pairs of pants cost only a little more than the hemming (it was $14 per pair!), but still now I have to go out shopping again to replace the pair that they ruined. Also, I came about 30 minutes before they were to close on a weekday. The man seemed peeved that I brought in something so pedestrian as a pants hemming project! I tried to be speedy in trying each pair on so that I wouldn't delay him, which made the experience none too positive. Next time, I'll hem them myself...sigh. read more

Umm yeah, so my previous review was mostly due to the great service I received from the Mediterranean man I used to always deal with. Unfortunately, he went on vacation during one of my next visits and the service was not nearly as good. My pants ended up getting tailored by the older African-American lady who wasn't as skilled. The hem lines weren't straight at all and looked nothing like the original. When I complained, the manager just brushed it off and was like, "Talk to her (the seamstress). She did it." Yeah, not coming back here. read more

LOVED the tailoring job here. I've gone to other places in the past, and all have disappointed. I've found a new tailoring spot, and it's close to home! The staff was friendly, making conversation about what plans I had for the suit being tailored. We chatted for a bit, got sized up, and I was on my way. About 2 weeks later, I came back, got fitted, paid, and was on my way. All conversation aside, it's a very quick in and out process. 4 Stars. read more

Great service! I got recommendation from a friend and my friend definitely right this place is awesome great attitude and fast service thank you guys for great service! read more

I haven't had any clothes tailored here; instead, I came for their tuxedo rental service. Turns out their tux rentals are entirely though Selix, so it's difficult to review them on the basis of tuxedo quality. Rather, I'll concentrate on the process of renting the tux. I came in, flipped through the Selix catalog, and found something that looked good, which is a little tricky by way of a faded photo in a shiny plasticated page of a dark suited man in front of a dark background. No rush, despite it being very close to the end of their business day. A few quick measurements later, the money's on the table, and I'm told to return the next day. So the next day, I picked up the tux, made sure it fit (which it did), and was off. Very easy, although the employees were a little distracted by their tailoring jobs. The return was even easier-- I came in, was pointed where to hang the clothing back, and that was that. So, all in all, a fine experience. Nothing bad, nothing out of the ordinary. read more

I just picked up my 3 piece suit for friend's wedding and I must say that John and Lois did an immaculate job here. I am in between suit sizes so suits look too tight or too baggy if they aren't tailored for me. This time around I got the cuffs of my pants hemmed and the suit jacket was tucked in at the sides, shoulders brought in, and sleeves lengthened for the low price of $141. Lois and John are a riot and it is a very pleasant tailoring experience. Lois measures and cuts away like a pro. John did the majority of the work on my suit and brings it all together. The suit looks perfectly finished and they do not leave any stray marks or loose strings hanging around. They also press the suit before you get it so that it looks perfect. You will look like a Savile Row bespoken James Bond after you get a slim tailoring at this place. Also, I brought in this suit late Tuesday and the work was done by Friday afternoon. John also took all my measurements and gave me suit and shirt buying tips after I paid. It also feels good to support a solid Alameda small business too. Needless to say, this is my first of many return trips to this business. read more

This is the best place to go for alterations in Alameda hands down. I can only speak for men's suits because well... I'm a guy. I collect vintage clothes and I've taken a 40's tuxedo, a double breasted suit, and a 30's belt-back suit here. All of these were altered to fit like BUTTAH! I thought there was no hope for the belt back suit which was twice as big as me but Sam the Tailor did some major surgery on that suit and now-- to my amazement-- the suit looks like it was custom made for me. Sam is the man. What I like about his approach is that he has you put on the clothes to be altered and pins everything in place. A lot of other places will just take measurements which sometimes doesn't translate well because the construction of clothes and the way it should fit varies greatly. He also has a great eye for catching little areas that need to be worked on. He knows how a suit should fit. Then, when he's done working on your clothes, he insists that you try them on and makes sure it fits properly and that you're happy with it. If not, then he'll gladly rework it. The only caveat is that the Golden Needle does charge a bit more than other places. But if you have an outfit that you love and you want to look good in it, this is the place to go. Btw they do accept credit cards now. read more