I trust Helen with anything and cannot recommend her services enough. She not only tailored, but completely redesigned a cheap wedding dress that I had bought online. She added an intricate bustle that contoured nicely, and added support to the bust of the dress so that it held up on its own when I chose to ditch the sleeves for the reception. Being small chested I've never had a dress hold up so securely - even through an entire night of dancing! And even though the dress was so durable, it was also still comfortable throughout the day. I am so happy I basically got two beautiful dresses for the price of one. And I've already recommended her services to other friends who have also been so happy with Helen and her work! read more

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Helen is amazing!! I have been back to her establishment many times to alter various pieces of clothing (bridesmaid dresses, maid of honor dress, nursing pinning ceremony dress, etc.) and they always come out looking great tailored perfectly. She's very good at accomplishing what you'd like while also recommending what would be good to do. On top of that, she is the sweetest! read more

Helen helped me transform my mother in law's beautiful dress from 1998 into my modern day dream wedding dress. She was so much fun to work with and had us laughing each time we were there. She did exactly what i wanted with the dress and her prices are fair for the work she does. I even had her fix my daughters dress hem it and fix the bust area for her. I will be Coming back to Helen for all my dresses and needs. read more

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I have been lucky enough to have Helen as our alterations expert for the past three years. We come to Helen with very challenging alterations like fully beaded gowns and other challenging items. Her location is convenient with great parking. I highly recommend Helen for all your alteration needs. read more

Got my bridesmaid dress fixed here- just the length. I've taken dresses to other alteration businesses and I end up spending the same price as the dress or more. LUCKILY Helen is very affordable and I spent less than the dress. She also had the dress ready in a week. Definitely will be back! read more

Great experience having Helen alter my wedding dress! She did an amazing job with my overly large train making the bustle, it looks like it was made that way to begin with. I'll definitely return with other clothing items to be altered. read more

I adopted Helen as my auntie and I don't care what anybody says. This lady works magic. She's not just a seamstress, she is a fashion designer. I couldn't be happier with my decision to come here and getting my dress altered. Her work is excellent, she is funny and hip, not a traditional Asian auntie, she is fun to be around! Alteration everywhere isnt cheap but Helen gives such great pricing that you should just come here for all your needs. I also saw men come in and get their suits altered!! I highly recommend Helen! read more

I had a great experience here! I went in to have my wedding gown altered and also asked for her advice on adding some embellishment. She had the most perfect delicate rhinestones that she attached for me. Her prices were very reasonable. I will definitely go back if I have alterations to do in the future! read more

After going to 2 other places for alterations I came across Helen in Walnut Creek. She was actually recommended by Riki Dalal (where I got my wedding dress) but I didn't initially go with her because I thought Helen would be too expensive. Well I was pleasantly wrong! So happy I went to Helen as my third stop for alterations. Not only was her pricing actually reasonable, she really knows what she's doing and is an expert seamstress. She was so patient with me and listened to everything I wanted for my dress to make it perfect. I literally went in to see her 4-5 times (not by her doing but because I wanted to try on my dress with my shoes, then with my boomba inserts, etc... as things started to arrive for my big day). She was friendly, knowledgeable yet reserved and with confidence helped me achieve the look I wanted for my dress. I'm so happy to have found her because my dress was becoming quite a stress point for me as the weeks neared our wedding day. Thank you Helen for all your expertise... I'll continue to use your services for any further alterations and will always refer you! read more

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Being the procrastinator that I am, I waited 5 weeks before my wedding day to decide to look for someone who can alter my dress. I was freaking out because everyone was busy (duh, it was summer and peak wedding season). Luckily Helen was available to look at my dress the very same day I called. My dress needed hemming, some parts needed to be taken in, and it needed a bustle. And my dress was pretty complicated; it was all lace so I was actually kind of scared to take it to someone. But Helen assured me that she could do it. Not only that, but she suggested removing a lot of the inner layer to make the dress lighter. I wouldn't even have thought to remove all that but it made so much sense since I was getting married in super hot Bali weather. 3 weeks later and bam! Almost perfect. Helen is such a perfectionist that she noticed that it still needed to take some in. But I was so happy to have all that extra layer hemmed because the dress looked even more magical than I imagined. A week later and the dress fit perfectly and flowed beautifully; the bustle was super easy to do (all the fittings hid so well!!). I am so grateful to Helen for working so quickly to get my dream dress done on time. Definitely recommend her; she is so professional and she has a good eye for what looks right. I had no idea what I was going in there for and she was like a guardian angel. I'm not gonna lie and say it was cheap. It was more than what I was hoping to pay for, but it was less than what I was expecting from the place I originally bought the dress from. If I could do it again, I'd go back to Helen no doubt. She's amazing! read more

Helen iCouture Alterations - Before - the inner layer was so heavy and there was just too much cloth - Sewing & Alterations Near Me - Walnut Creek, California

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I came to pick up alterations and the store is closed and I need these alterations for a very important event and I'm here an hour before closing and nobody's here.. I've worked with Helen for years and she is simply the best seems just there is and this is definitely a first . read more

Helen iCouture Alterations - Sewing & Alterations Near Me - Walnut Creek, California

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I'm sad to say these were the lowest quality alterations I have experienced. I had 3 minor alterations and was charged nearly $300 for them. The alterations look like zero thought or care was put into it and considering the price, that's unacceptable. One item I can't wear because it looks wonky. I am very disappointed because the customer was great. I'm confused how this place has 5 stars, maybe I'm the only one that's experienced this poor quality. Just wanted to give others a heads up. read more

Helen did an excellent job making my dress fit perfectly for my son's wedding. I was a little worried it wouldn't fit right but she knew exactly how to finish it off including all the numerous ruffles on my high low skirt. read more

Great experience having Helen alter my mother of the groom dress. I highly recommended. She looked at two different sizes of dress on me and determined which one would require the least alterations, and did the alterations very well and very timely! Great service and talent. read more

Helen is the best! I got my dress at Riki Dalal in Walnut Creek and received my dress months late from them. So I had to rush and take it to an alterations quick. They recommended a couple shops, but saw Helen had the most positive reviews. I took my dress to Helen a little over a month before my wedding. I needed the straps adjusted, to shorten the length at the front, and to add a bustle. After trying on the dress so she can make sure what to adjust, she suggested a couple more things that I did not even notice. 1) since my dress was see through on the top part, you can see the pads, so she suggested to add skin color cloth. 2) my dress had a mesh material to show some cleavage and my sides, and there was a thread that would've been very prominent on photos. I mean they weren't like a huge deal, but I loved that she suggested these which shows she knows what she is doing! Definitely recommend! Oh and I dropped off my dress to a wedding preservation shop and the lady looking at my dress said "whoever did your alteration did a great job" A++ read more

Helen iCouture Alterations - Sewing & Alterations Near Me - Walnut Creek, California

I have had 4 bridesmaids dresses hemmed here, along with other items. I am also planning on having her do my wedding dress alterations once I find 'The Dress'. Helen always does an amazing job and I trust her skills! read more

Helen made the wedding dress of my dreams! I brought in a dress that was WAY too big for me, and I was nervous that it would never fit me correctly. She took it in and made it fit perfectly to my body, added a bustle, and adjusted my veil so that it was the correct length. She also worked with me and gave me tips about my shoes to make sure the length worked with my heels and my sneakers. She's wonderful. read more

Helen iCouture Alterations - Sewing & Alterations Near Me - Walnut Creek, California

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UPDATE IN RESPONSE: I still have the message your assistant left me in my voicemail. Never did she ever mention that you'd be leaving town. In fact, she left me a message on 10/16 at 4:30pm that my dress would be ready for pick up on Monday 10/18 after 11am, but you left by 10/17. I'm more than happy to come to your shop for you to listen to on speaker. So be honest, and stop your lies. Be a woman and take ownership about how greatly you failed on this. The only reason I'm giving the star is because the end, the hem job was okay. I wrote her based on the great reviews. I took my dress in, explained that I was in a wedding and that because the wedding was postponed by the Wedding planner due to COVID, I had to buy another dress and it was too long on me. I also made it very clear that I needed it back by the 17th (it says it on my receipt as well) because I would be flying out very early on the 19th. She made a few sarcastic offensive comments towards me but I ignored them because I figured it was just her personality. I brushed it off.... On the 16th, I received a message that my dress was ready for pick up and I could stop by anytime on the 18th. I own a restaurant in SF and was working late so I messaged her on Yelp about 2am after I arrived home from work to see when it would be a good time for me to pick up my dress. Her response was anyones worst nightmare if you're in a wedding... She tells me she's left town and won't be back until the 19th. I'm a bridesmaid in a wedding, I told her that I'd be flying out 5am on the 19th and she tells me she won't return until the 19th. Basically within hours of someone leaving me a VM to pick up the dress at on Monday the 18th, she flew out of town and at NO point did she contact me to let me know she'd be closing her shop. Things come up in life, no problem. I get it. But to be so careless to just leave me stranded with no dress is nauseating. When she realized how badly she'd dropped the ball, she tells me that her flight will arrive at 9pm on the 18th and that there's no choice but for me to meet her late that night after she makes it back in town God knows what time. Initially I was going to go meet her to pick up my dress at 11pm or midnight when she arrived back but then realized it would be impossible for me because I was driving out Monday and staying night with the bridal crew before our early morning flight. Long story short, one of the other bridesmaids had to drive an hour out to pick up my dress for me and fly it out to the wedding destination. I was still charged the same amount, no reaching out for an apology, nothing. If it wasn't for my gf, I would've been the only bridesmaid with NO DRESS. Life throws obstacles our way so if something came up and you had to leave on an emergency basis, it would've taken on simple 1 minute call to give me the opportunity to have my dress on time. You're an absolute disgrace and it's unforgivable how carelessly you handled this situation. read more

Helen iCouture Alterations - Sewing & Alterations Near Me - Walnut Creek, California

This used to be a good place to get alterations done, but it is not as good as it used to be. A recent stitching job resulted in unacceptable puckering of the fabric. The owner was in the phone the entire time I was in the shop. read more

Helen takes great care of her clients and is an honest seamstress. This is rare now and I really commend her patient with all her clients, especially myself. I had her work on two separate bridal dresses. The first dress she changed a tight back to a high open back. The second is attached it had heavy double layered material but she was able to get creative and make a beautiful bustle that for me was also incredibly easy to attach! She was very thoughtful in her choice of bustling as she made not just the traditional hooks but snap buttons! Location: Given it is a plaza owned by a private company- she is located sort of in a hidden strip mall- it is by a bus stop and you need to slow down when driving past. She is open M-Saturday's. Do keep in mind she is located in a plaza and be careful with minor potholes in the parking area. She does prefer cash but takes card read more

Helen iCouture Alterations - Sewing & Alterations Near Me - Walnut Creek, California

I saw Helen for 2 wedding dress alterations. She did an amazing job and was very quick. Even though it was my wedding dress, she gave me bridesmaids dress pricing which was greatly appreciated. After the initial appointment, I came back 3-4 weeks later and tried the dresses on. Any quick adjustments (ex. Strap Length) she did for me by the end of the day. I was so satisfied with my ceremony dress that I brought my reception dress to her as well. She turned a full train into a midi length skirt and did an amazing job. 1 day before leaving for my wedding in Hawaii I brought my ceremony dress back to her at 1pm for a final strap adjustment (needed the neckline raised more) and she completed it for me by end of day. Working with Helen was truly a dream. I'll be bringing all of my clothes to her in the future! read more

Helen iCouture Alterations - Wedding Dress (ceremony) - Sewing & Alterations Near Me - Walnut Creek, California

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Helen is incredibly talented at what she does! I brought her two dresses to have altered for my engagement photo session. I am 4'11 and 94lbs, so she had to alter them quite a bit, including readjusting a wired corset! She's very knowledgeable and takes charge. Her attention to detail is flawless. She altered parts of the dress I didn't even consider, for example, tightening the long sleeves on my dress. I was extremely pleased with the outcome and highly recommend her! She will be the one I go to from now on. Thank you so much Helen!! Photography by: Will Khoury read more

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Helen is a miracle worker - I'm not exaggerating when I say she saved my wedding. I brought my Monique Lhuillier wedding dress to Helen for a second opinion after I was dissatisfied with my original tailor in San Francisco. She quickly identified all the areas in which the dress needed (re)work, and was able to turn around all the work in the extremely tight timeframe required (less than a week). She also charged me a fair price whereas others may have price gouged me, given how desperate and crunched for time I was. She did an amazing job and saved me so much stress - if not for Helen, I would've had to wear an unfinished, ill-fitting dress to my wedding. Thank you, Helen!! I highly recommend her for all alterations, including high-end designer wedding dresses. I will be recommending her to all my friends through word of mouth also. read more

Like many couples facing the COVID challenges ruining wedding plans, I was also impacted as well and had to postpone my October wedding. We decided last minute to do a small, intimate wedding in his parent's back yard and I had to come up with a dress fast. As soon as my dress arrived, I tried it on it and found that it extremely long and the straps felt pretty loose. I found Helen on Yelp and contacted her and she responded right back to schedule an appointment! I went in and she knew exactly what I needed. I left it to her and she even got my dress back to me quickly! I loved the result and she really fit it perfectly to me. Anyone who needs formal alterations, especially as you prepare for your minimonies or unions - Helen is wonderful. She also has a bunch of masks as well! read more

Helen iCouture Alterations - Dress length before. - Sewing & Alterations Near Me - Walnut Creek, California

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My wedding dress came back later than originally scheduled so I had to scramble to find a seamstress. Helen responded quickly and worked with me with a less than 3 week timeline. The dress looked great and it fit! I highly recommend you reach out to Helen for your dress alterations. read more

Helen is the greatest. I have been going to her for years to have miracles done to my cheap clothing buys. She makes me look wealthy. Her work is consistent, fairly priced, and she'll always try to make a crazy deadline work. Highly recommend. read more

Helen did a great job hemming a long dress (that had a lining) for a wedding. She was able to get it done within a week and even steamed it for me. Price was also reasonable/affordable. I originally wanted the dress a little shorter, but Helen did a good job advising me what length would look best. And she was right! I was able to take my heels off later in the night and walk in flats no problem. read more

[TL;DR] Weddings are stressful enough already - avoid going to Helen if you are looking for an easy and positive experience. Helen is a charlatan that should be avoided at all costs. Review: Once I discovered Helen's Yelp page and read the almost hundred 5/5* reviews I knew I had to immediately call her! My dress wasn't falling off me size-wise but did need some restructuring around the top. The first experience with Helen was fine - she was very brash - but I just wrote that down to being straightforward and busy. She was able to meet my timeline and I thought all would be fine. Fast-forward to the next week and second fitting where every time I would mention a change (ex: give me shape on the side) she would respond that it wasn't possible. The part that continued to shock me and serves as the last straw was the many times she insisted that it everything will be fine in photos (photoshop). This is not how I wanted to feel and it was a very aggressive approach. As soon as I got home I started looking at new dresses because that felt like the only option. After consulting with my friend she recommended I find another tailor. I picked up the dress and paid for the charge (at this point I just wanted out) and found a new tailor. It's a night and day experience now that I am at Lusona Alterations & Tailoring. The team there is so kind and was appalled by the shoddy "work" that Helen had done. Helen had charged me for fixing the top when in fake she had just doubled over the fabric and it became extremely bulky. In retrospect, I'm so glad she didn't cut anything and didn't hem my dress. I felt like she was pressuring me to save herself work. In the end, I am not going to think of the money lost, only that I am so happy with my dress thanks to the team at Lusona. However, weddings are expensive and there were many tears that didn't need to be shed because Helen is supposedly an expert at bridal and formalwear. If you care about looking good in the end, but also feeling good throughout the process, I'd urge you to talk to multiple tailors before going with just one - and if you are considering Helen also swing by Lusona to speak with Rose. It is a night and day experience. read more

I've been going to Helen for about 2 years after finding her online. She does a great job every time and will gladly give you her input if solicited. While she can creat custom pieces, I have only needed alterations done - sleeve modification, dress and pants length alterations and zippers. Helen's average completion time is 2 weeks but of course she can rush it if necessary. I never call ahead to try on & drop off clothes, but a lot of folks will call ahead and she picks up the phone whenever she is able. I'd highly recommend Helen! There is ample parking right outside as well. If your hungry while you wait, Morucci's sandwich spot is nearby across the street! read more

Wow! Helen is amazing. She altered my wedding dress to fit me perfectly - she took the top in, dropped the waist, shortened the train and did a beautiful bustle with some difficult fabric. The dress looked like it was custom made for me! We did three fittings to get it just right. She was very patient through my many, many requests. My mom got her dress altered here as well, and I will definitely go back for future alterations. She doesn't just do wedding/formal alterations. I saw many customers come in and out with all kinds of alterations. Thank you, Helen! I know I was a pain but it all turned out beautifully! read more

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I was a bridesmaids for my bestie's wedding but was going to be 8 months pregnant. Rather than getting a different style dress and making the bridal party look inconsistent, I was hoping and praying someone would help me make one giant dress out of two dresses. Helen came through and created a dress that my extra large belly could fit into. Thank you so much, Helen! read more

Helen is a genius. I always take my clothes to her for alterations. I recently took her about ten pairs of expensive, but dated, denim. She tailored them to a more current look and it's like I have ten new pairs of jeans in my closet. I usually take my new clothes to her for alterations as well. Off the rack shirts that are the right length for me are usually too baggy. And off the rack pants are too long. Helen has me try on the clothes in front of her mirror and she pins the clothes to show what the alterations will look like. I'm always very satisfied with her quality workmanship. Buy less. Tailor more. read more

Helen iCouture Alterations - Sewing & Alterations Near Me - Walnut Creek, California

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Helen is an excellent seamstress. I walked in one day in late May with two wedding dresses, tried them on for her, and explained what I needed. Both needed a hem, but I wanted a lot more altered on the second dress, including removing the train and crinoline, and adding off-the-shoulder sleeves. It turned out that my first gown needed a lot of work done on the bodice because of its intricate beading, for it needed to be taken out over an inch and the bust needed to be fixed for a better fit and support. Helen had to painstakingly remove and reaffix each bead and sequin in order to achieve the needed changes, and in the end, I couldn't tell that anything had been touched. There was also a lot at stake, because this gown was my dream wedding dress and a discontinued Alfred Angelo piece. I dropped off my dresses a little over a month before my wedding, but I needed them sooner for travel, so Helen happily accommodated. Her communication is primarily by phone, which she used to keep me updated on her progress. I had two fittings to assess the fit and style, and both times she asked for my input. She was very skillful and fast, which is something I'll keep in mind for future emergency alterations. In the end, my primary gown fit like a glove, and my other dressy and heavy wedding dress was transformed into a comfortable reception dress. Every time I was in the boutique, other clients came in and would only rave about Helen's craftsmanship. Helen shared that she has over 30 years of experience, and her expertise certainly shows in her work. Thank you, Helen, for helping me in a pinch! read more

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Helen is the BEST and literally saved my life. My wedding reception dress arrived a few days before my wedding and did not fit me at all. Helen was able to fix it and altered it to fit me like a glove. She is soooo talented. I will not go to anyone else!! read more

I remember Helen tailored a group of Grooms-mans suits. They all looked up to par and dashing-- their suits looked so good! *ill find a good picture! As for me, I came to her in a rush because I couldn't find anyone in my area (Pacifica-SF) that would do a emergency, 1 day turn around for me. I dropped my dress off Thursday night, with plenty of work for her to do! From the hem lines, the length, making my cleavage area fit better. Ahh, I was so amazed at how diligent and how fast she got it done. I picked it up on Saturday before 12pm and was extremely satisfied with the alternations!! Thank you so much! I promise to come to you in advance. read more

Helen iCouture Alterations - Helen did all 10 of these guys suits. All these guys body range differs and I swear by Helen, she made them look so dashing! - Sewing & Alterations Near Me - Walnut Creek, California

I came in to get a suit tailored. Although I had to wait a while for her attention -- it was just her in the shop, multitasking like crazy -- she gave me honest and helpful advice. It turned out that the alterations I wanted were not really possible given the garments' construction. A dishonest tailor would have accepted the job anyway and done more harm than good. Helen declined the job because that was the right thing to do, and didn't charge for the consultation either. Based on this encounter and the work I saw her doing for the other customers in the shop, I would definitely trust her with future alterations! However, you should be prepared for the type of service problems that naturally occur when one solitary person is juggling multiple customers. read more

Well. What can I say. I need to get attention bc I travel to PBI and then to SFO on two flights in two weeks and in the midst of it... COVID-19. Well I call locations in the area. Asking for help for my ailments. I need a hazmat suit to deal with the crisis of my owner and those humans that somehow deal with bats / Chinese factories that make viruses. So I get this wonderful woman, Helen. She in 1 day made me a full Couture outfit. Here are the results. #LOVE #SURVIVOR read more

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Helen to the rescue! With only 5 weeks until my wedding, I was told by 3 other seamstresses that it was impossible to get my crepe wedding dress to fit right! They claimed that there was not enough fabric to let it out or that doing any more alterations would compromise the structural integrity of the dress. I was so upset! I frantically called around and was so lucky to find Helen. She quickly came up with a solution (drawing on her decades of experience in the wedding industry) that was very creative and solved several issues with my dress. She not only perfected the fit, but also redid the bustle, hem, and added some lace at the top all with just two fittings! She is extremely skilled, efficient, and an absolute perfectionist. She will not let her clients walk out of her shop without looking amazing. She saved my dress and made me feel beautiful on my special day! Thank you, Helen! read more

Helen iCouture Alterations - Perfect fit after Helen's work! - Sewing & Alterations Near Me - Walnut Creek, California

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Helen keeps me current on the men's fashion trend, thank you for your advice! The pants and shirt look great, thanks for taking the extra time to get it really looking good ! read more

Helen iCouture Alterations - Helen hard at work. - Sewing & Alterations Near Me - Walnut Creek, California

I took my dress here because of all the great reviews. I had the top of my dress taken in, tulle removed and the lining hemmed. The lace on the bottom had to be removed and readjusted and when I went to see the results there was a cut in the top part of the cup which she fixed right then and there. Everything looked great till the day of the wedding. However she hemmed the inner liner, failed because before long, the lining had slipped down and I was stepping on my dress. My coordinator had to pin the whole inner lining to keep from stepping on it. Definitely not worth the money it cost. For how much it cost, it should have held up. This happened right after the ceremony! read more