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

Sorry for the long delay on the update. The long and short of it is that this shop ruined my custom made dress. I sent it back to the maker, who basically had to put a whole new skirt on to replace the one that had been cut and hemmed so unevenly that there was no way to salvage it as a maxi dress. Obviously this was an additional (unecessary) expense, particularly after having been charged twice the posted rate at Golden Needle. My attempts to resolve anything with the shop were unsuccessful as well. I called repeatedly, and was told that the owner was "not available" or "not there" and when I called when they said he would be back, I got the same response. Having seen how the owner responds to complaints here, I am unsurprised and have no expectation of any resolution. Caveat Emptor on this one, you won't get any help or resolution if they destroy your precious item. read more

This place is amazing! I came here for my 8th grade graduation and rented out a tux and it looked awesome. I looked fit, taller, and the people there were very serious about their line of work. Now that I'm a senior in high school, I came back here to see if I could get my blazer altered. They got right to measuring what would look good on me, and even told me the process of altering my blazer. They told me it was imbalanced, and that having a balanced blazer would make me look a lot better, and a lot taller since I am on the shorter side. Came out looking like a beast for prom, and I have them to thank for it. read more

Like others have stated: Sam is the tailor Jedi master! I've had over half a dozen suits, sportcoats, trousers, overcoat tailored/altered there. Each result has been nothing less than terrific.Golden Needle is my goto spot for tailioring! BTW.. they're closed on Monday. read more

I took several pairs of pants and two pillow cases here for alterations recently. I am less than satisfied. One pair of pants had a hole in the seat. They fixed it. For $10. Another pair of pants needed the pockets sewn down. Fixed those, too. For another $10. The button hole on a third pair of pants needed to be made smaller. This didn't happen at all. The button hole is exactly the same size it was when I dropped the pants off. I don't know if they just forgot about these pants, but yeah, same giant button hole. They charged me for it, though. Lastly, I dropped off two large pillow cases, and one pillow case that was the correct size, as an example. All I asked is for the two larger pillow cases to be made the same size as the example one. A gentleman assured me that he just did this for another customer and that he'd be able to do these as well. For $20. Well, when I got the pillow cases back, they're smaller, yes, but NOT EVEN CLOSE to the same size as the example pillow case. Seriously, they're still huge. If I put the sample case on top of the other one, there's still a good 3" of fabric difference all the way around. How hard is it to make the pillow cases the same size? Apparently, very. I pre-paid for all of the work. When my husband tried to pick the items up, the man insisted that I hadn't paid and that he pay again. The woman tailor finally sorted the mess out and pointed out that "PAID" was indeed written on the ticket. UGH. I'm at a loss for a good tailor in Alameda. The search continues...won't be coming back here again. 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

This is a long overdue review, I've had plenty of time to cool off from my horrible experience. I got married on 8/8/2015 and I went to Golden Needle to drop off my brand new tuxedo dress shirt with my brother who dropped off his suit to get tailored for my wedding, we were helped by the guy from Afghanistan. The guy tells us that it will take a week and a half. My brother picks up his suit and the tailor gives him my tuxedo shirt which my brother takes. When I try on the shirt I notice that there are two stains one right in the middle of the shirt and the other towards the bottom of the shirt. I'm very upset as you can imagine. How did my brand new shirt get two stains? When I try on the shirt with my suite I notice that the length of each sleeve are not the same, this was the whole reason why I took the shirt to get tailored. When I go back to the store, the tailor tells me he doesn't know how the stains happened, and tells me that he can get the stain out with some chemicals in the back. I tell him that I don't trust them to fix the shirt and that I would get it fixed with my dry cleaners. There was another worker, a black lady who also didn't know how the stain got on my shirt. Finally the manager who has an office to the side of the entrance comes out and tells me that none of his staff knows how the stain got on my shirt. I tell him that I would like a refund for what I paid to get my shirt tailored, he was very rude and finally gave me back my money by taking it out of his wallet and throwing it on the counter. When I brought in the shirt it was brand new, still in it's plastic wrapper. These people can't admit when they make a mistake, horrible customer service. Now I know why the tailor insisted that my brother take my shirt with him when he picked up his suit, so I wouldn't have the opportunity to try on the shirt and notice the stain and the uneven sleeve length. The tailor never game me a chance to try on the shirt at the store, I never authorized them to give the shirt to my brother. Who does that? When you get something tailored you should have the opportunity to try the final product at the store so you can make sure everything fits and looks good, I was never given that chance. The last thing you want when you are about to have a wedding is a stain on your clothes! You have enough things to worry about, do yourself a favor and go somewhere else. If you want to have your clothes stained and disrespected by the manager by all means come here. read more

This place is great! I always get well taken care of when I go here. Measurements always on point and friendly service as always. They have been around a long time and have a great reputation. read more

I came in for the Tuxedo rental. I was almost charged double for the tux than what was listed. Chalk it up to a new employee, I am not sure. I'm sure they provide this service more as an add-on to the their tailor services, which appear to be excellent. That being said, it would be nice if someone spent 60 seconds to explain the price chart, the add-on charges, etc. I would suspect that if I was a senior in high school, on a tight budget, I would have walked out of the place without a tux. read more

I dropped in to get some workwear style overalls fitted after being turned away from another tailor who told me the modification was too difficult. I told John what I wanted and he had me try on the overalls to double check, turns out he had a better idea than I did about how I wanted it. I took his advice and I am glad I did, they turned out better than I had imagined and at a very fair price with great customer service. If you need any type of tailoring done I would recommend stopping in here first. read more

Excellent tailoring done here. Del Blaylock is in charge and he's been an Alameda institution. Will tailor clothes for both men and women. Yes, women should have their suits tailored too. Del will also make custom-made suits for men. You pick the fabric. Expensive, but less than other tailor shops. Easy street parking. read more

Let me start by saying I rarely write reviews but felt the need to write one just because of their years of great personable service. I've used golden needle for my Tuxedos for my High School Proms, and since than I've got all my quick fixes to pants/jackets/Shirts and some adjustments done to my clothing. Tuxedo rentals for wedding's as well​. John's been there for as long as I've gone to the Golden Needle, 17 years . The owner Del reminds me of a blast from the past Good Fellas type tailor, he's got a sense of humor. There's also a lovely lady her name escapes me to be honest. But she's great also. Behind the counter there is countless years of experience with whoever helps you. read more

The tailoring in this shop is if the highest quality. Every garment I have brought in for adjustment has been done in an exquisite and perfect manner. The shop proprietor is a very lovely person and makes you feel quite at home well in his shop. read more

First time going to a tailor and it won't be the last! Sadly it might be my last here at Golden Needle since I'm moving. John was more than helpful and humorous. A must-go-to tailor!!! Because of a recommendation I decided to check it out and I was not disappointed in the least! From the moment I called and talked to John I knew it was going to be just fine. I needed some pants tampered for for the next day and they said they would get it done in 12 hrs even though they had a full load and other customers. When I picked my pants up they fit amazingly! I felt munch more confident in them and can't wait to wear them tomorrow! As a favor to a newbie John cut me a huge deal for doing both legs! I am forever thankful as this has become one of my more regular suits. Very helpful in giving advice and making it an enjoyable experience. read more

Two nights before my wedding, I tried on my wedding dress and there was a 2 inch hole in the stretch lace fabric, on the front side of the dress, above the armpit. I called Golden Needle Tailoring immediately about the situation. "I'm having a wedding emergency," I said calmly but slightly panicked. It was nearly 6pm, when they were to close. John answered the phone and said "bring it in right now and let's see what we can do." He fixed the delicate lace in about 10 minutes, and his handiwork was so great, it was hard for us to even tell where the hole was to begin with. I appreciated his help so much, especially since he had to stay past close. He was a total champ and I will definitely be bringing all future alterations here! THANK YOU JOHN!! read more

John was awesome and I cannot recommend this place more highly. I got married last month and we did suits for all the groomsmen and fathers plus mine. John had great recommendations on what would go with the color the bridesmaids were wearing, all the alterations he made were quick and easy, and the suits looked great! We had one groomsman who was a little worried about John being able to fit her in a suit right, but he said he could with confidence and she ended up looking amazing. For COVID precautions he wears a mask at all times in the store that I could see, and I felt like every precaution was being taken while he measured me and my wedding party. I would be happy to bring any of my own nice clothes to him for tailoring as well. We had a lot of great vendors at my wedding, but this place made the entire process super easy and I am very grateful for all the work John did to make my wedding look fantastic. read more

I've been on the hunt for the perfect, vintage leather jacket. After 5 years of searching, I found one that almost fit the bill. It needed some tweaking because it was slightly too long for my petite frame. After combing the internet for someone that specialized with leather, I came across the good reviews with Golden Needle Tailoring. None of the reviews mentioned any work done with leather, but I decided to give them a shot after a consult with John. Turns out that they indeed worked with leather and even had a special machine that could work with it. I was still skeptical because I knew how much work it was going to be, but John walked me through the process step by step (shorten the length, move the pockets up, and keep the side vents) and not only did I feel more confidant about leaving this one of a kind jacket with him, but I was also really excited about seeing the end results. Fast forward 1 month and I'm happy to report that he did an absolutely fantastic job. It's completely transformed and much more flattering for my build, but it still holds the integrity of its original design from the 1960s. I've included before and after photos. I can't recommend John enough! He certainly knows his craft and takes great pride in his work. Go ahead and give GNT a try. You'll be glad you did. read more

Golden Needle Tailoring - Sewing & Alterations Near Me - Alameda, California

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I very rarely write yelp reviews, but I am just so pleased with the service at Golden Needle Tailoring, that I wanted to share my story. I ordered a wedding dress from an online source. Even though I supplied my measurements, when it arrived, it was WAY too big. Like, comically large. Only it's not very funny when it's supposed to be your wedding dress. I knew it would need extensive alterations to fit me, and I thought about just getting another dress, but I really loved the style, so I decided to bring it in to Golden Needle and see what they could do it. I received excellent, attentive service from John. I tried it on and we discussed at length how to alter the dress so it would fit me. They called me mid-way through the process for a fitting, to be sure everything was on track. In the end, they were able to transform the huge gown I initially brought in, into the dress I was hoping for. It was not fast, but it was ready exactly when they said it would be. It was not cheap, but they broke down the price of each part of of the alterations (the hemming is this much, the sleeves are this much, etc.) and the prices seemed fair, considering how much work they put into it. Additionally, my fiance' brought in the pants from his suit (also ordered online) that were too tight. Golden Needle was able to let them out and reshape the inseam to give him a little more room. I sew myself, so I rarely go to a tailor for minor alterations, so I don't have much to compare this to, but I was very happy with their work. read more

$40 and a week-and-a-half turnaround to take in a puffy down jacket - but they got it exactly how I wanted it. Granted, the cost of tailoring was equal to the cost of the jacket itself, but now I can wear it without feeling self-conscious about walking around in a tent. Cash or check only. read more

Simply put, Sam a Jedi Master of tailoring in Alameda. He's not a ball of energy and speaks in awkward english,he's definitely the Yoda of tailoring. I called him to see if he could measure me for a handmade, custom wedding shirt and he obliged. He asked he details of the shirt and I couldn't completely describe the shirt but I popped up a picture on phone and he instantly knew went to work on measuring me. He even took a long look at the picture and adjusted some numbers, so the shirt fit matched the photo. Need measurements? Need a Jedi/Tailor Master - visit Sam on Dagobah, er Encinal and Lafayette! read more

When looking for a good tailor in the Oakland area, I came across a recommendation for Golden Needle on Berkeley Parent's Network. I looked on Yelp to confirm the reviews and reputation, and when I saw the favorable reviews, I thought it was worth a shot. My boyfriend and I went into get a suit tailored for him. There were a couple things that he knew he wanted fixed, and when he put it on these were also the things they recommended altering. A good sign. So there's pinning and chalking and such, and they talk about what needs to get fixed. When we went to write out the ticket, I was a little flabbergasted about the prices, but that said I really don't know know what other places charge for these things. He says that they are "totally booked" next week (there are big X's on the calendar) and offers for us to come back in exactly a week for it, at 5pm (they close at 6pm). The big day rolls around, and I call to see if it's finished. It's not (at about 12 noon). The man seemed surprised that I wanted to pick it up that day...the day I was promised. He seemingly reluctantly agreed to have it ready by 5pm as I was already promised. We show up at 5 to pick it up, and he's frantically "finishing" it up. The "finishing" took a good 20 minutes (it very much seemed like he did the whole thing while we were sitting there). When my boyfriend put on the suit, it still didn't seem to fit correctly. We were examining it to make sure it was okay, and they said "It's good. It's good" and tried to rush us out the door. One of the things that we asked for was getting the seat taken out a little bit-- but it still seemed tight. When we asked about the seat, they said "Oh yes, we took it in just like you asked." ..... Yes. Despite the chalk lines, conversation, and written notes--they took the seat IN instead of OUT. No wonder it didn't fit! When we tried to explain that they had done it wrong and should fix it, they acted like we had changed our minds or were making a new request--not like they had made a mistake. He finally, begrudgingly, took it back to fix it. So now instead of the 20 minute rush job we got initially, we got a "I want to go home and don't want to deal with you" 10 minute rush job! On top of that, the sleeves on the jacket were supposed to be shortened and the row of buttons on the cuff that had to be moved to shorten the sleeve were not in a straight line at all. Again, a hassle to get try to get it done correctly. Unfortunately, this does not seem to me like the type of place that takes pride in their work and wants to do a good job to please their customers. Taking some level of care to get instructions correct should be a priority in this type of business, especially since some mistakes of this kind *could be* irreversible. This was hands down one of the most horrible experiences I have ever had with a business service. I would not trust this establishments with my garments again. read more

I brought my dress in to get it hemmed and tappered. The price was $40 originally but he gave me a 10% yelp disount. Thank you Yelp! I tried on my dress and told my tailor how many inches I wanted off and how much I want it to be tappered. He marked my preferences with chalk and pins and ensure that it was how I liked the dress to be altered ebfore i changes again. The expereince was very friendly and professional. I cant wait to see the reults next week! read more

I am petite (nice wording for short) and need almost all pants tailored. I've been a loyal customer of Golden Needle since 1997. I have since moved away from Alameda but will make special trips there just for Golden Needle. They are friendly, EXPERTS at what they do and I have never been let down. They do a great job on designer jeans and "savvy" or original hems. They know how things are supposed to fit properly and I've had them rework numerous suits, take in pants and jackets, etc. Golden Needle keeps me in that "tailored" look! Thank you! read more

My boyfriend and I both took in jeans to be hemmed. Both pairs came back over 2 inches too short- and they didn't leave enough material to fix it! read more

I found Golden Needle on Yelp when I was in desperate need for a LOT of tailoring (shirts, skirts, jackets, pants). I trusted my fellow Yelpers and took all of my clothes over to Golden Needle. I was not disappointed. The team there took the time to mark and measure each piece that needed modification. Everything fits perfectly now. The owner even helped me carry all of it to my car! The service was impeccable and I will certainly return. Thanks Yelp and Thanks Golden Needle! read more

My husband has been buying his tailored suits here for years and has always had excellent customer service. His suits are very well fitted and I must say he is one of the best dressed men in his line of business and known for looking professional and SHARP. Recently my husband lost a large amount of weight and Golden Needle adjusted all suits to fit his new frame. My husband recently gave me a gift certificate and I'm looking forward to a new ladies suit and tailored shirt! Thanks, Del and the tailors from Golden Needle for your great service! read more

My son decided to go to Prom the Sunday before the event. We waited until Wednesday and the Prom was Saturday to find a place to rent a Tuxedo. So go figure! We were late and I had no idea what to ask for, when it came to tuxedos. We walked in, they gave us a book and we had no idea what to do with it. I said I want a tuxedo, you pick. I don't know his name, but the person who helped us was friendly and fast. We asked can you have it by Saturday and he said I have 5 minutes to call in your order. In less than 20 minutes, we had picked a tux, gotten my son's measurements, paid and walked to the car. The day of the prom, the tux was clean, it fit him perfectly and they charged me $20 less that I was quoted over the phone. You can't beat that! read more

Finding blazers that fit off the rack is challenging for me, so when I needed to have my favorite blazer fixed. I was so glade Golden Needle Tailoring was able to fix the torn lining. Don't know how they did it, but it fits even better, and they saved the quality of my blazer. read more

For me its about service. These folks give you the kind of service other tailors haven't apparently thought about. Dell comes to my office, measures me and the next thing you know I have a new suit that fits perfectly the first time. He brings it to my office. They stand behind their work. Something not right even though you've had too many cupcakes? They come, pick it up, fix it up and bring it back no charge. People notice that my suits look better than theirs. read more

I've been coming here ever since I realized I may wear size 6 jeans but that doesn't mean I have a 32" inseam. Almost every pair of pants I buy must be tailored to fit my stumpy little legs. Everyone in there is friendly and helpful. The prices aren't crazy and their turn-around is very acceptable. I've had them do my pants and they've even reworked large coats to fit me more comfortably. Got my bf going there too for his work suit alterations and fixes. Don't step on your pants! Go to Golden Needle! read more

Excellent and speedy service!! I was in Oakland for work and the hem came out of my pants. I really needed them fixed for the remainder of the work week. John was sooo nice and fixed them right there on the spot. You really feel welcome in this place. Would recommend to everyone! Thank you!! read more

Golden Needle did a great job on a custom job. I brought in special fabric that I wanted made into a pencil skirt similar to one I already had. They supplied the lining and the zipper, and turned it around in 1 week! It looks extremely professional and I get compliments on it when I wear it. The price is a little steep (though comparable with a shoddier looking place I checked out in Oakland), but the quality is extremely high. I definitely recommend this friendly and professional place! read more

I've been to the Golden Needle Tailoring for a couple different services and was very impressed each time. They have a great selection of Tuxedo's to rent or purchase, and their tailoring service is exceptional. Also a couple months ago I had a hole in my favorite leather jack, and took it in, they fixed it up and it looks great. Del and the rest of the staff are knowledgable, friendly, and willing to go that extra mile to help. read more

Golden Needle is the best. Everything I bring into there comes out looking custom made. But their high prices reflect their great skill.

The service is excellent. Sam and the other tailor are just as good as the other reviewers here have indicated and their boss, Del, is super friendly and a fantastic guy. I've had a suit and several sportcoats custom tailored here, and a few things altered, and the results have always been excellent. read more

Golden Needle altered and tailored my suit with professional care, accuracy and speed. Lois reworked the fine details until it was perfect even though that meant staying after closing by 15 minutes. The owner, Del, is an old-school tailor and has a joke repertoire that may come off as insensitive to people who are easily offended. If you are the type to get deeply offended when someone mentions your waist measurements, you probably should avoid tailors. read more

Came here to get a suit tailored for my wedding and it looked fantastic! Really happy with the outcome and with how nice they are in the shop. Actually just dropped off another suit for another wedding too. Seemingly fair prices. read more

Won't be bringing my dress here. The woman acted like she was way too busy to help me and said " why do yall come so late" like I was bothering her. read more

Del & John were amazing. We rented the tuxedos for my daughters Quince from them as well as some alterations on my dress. They provided us with excellent service as well as their expertise. We will definitely come back for future services. read more

John is amazing! I ordered a "custom made" dress from JJ's House. What arrived was an off the rack dress that was way too big. I had one week to fix the dress and John made sure it got done. He worked fast and assured me that it would be done before we left. Thank you so much, I will definitely be back. Highly recommend! read more