I am very pleased with the work that Hemingway Tailors did on four pieces I brought in: two shirtdresses, one v-neck sleeveless dress, and a khaki safari-style jacket. The dresses were all too large in the bodice, and the very nice alterations lady pinned and checked each one for where it needed to be taken in. One shirtdress also needed its sleeves taken in, and the sleeveless dress also needed the shoulder straps shortened. The jacket was too big in the shoulders and the sleeves were too long. The lady suggested that she take in the shoulders a bit, and that would take care of the sleeve length problem. All items were made of cotton and the tank dress was lined (which makes alterations more time consuming since they would have to alter the lining as well). The jacket had epaulettes, and it was a more complicated alteration. since she would need to cut the shoulder opening, re-set the sleeve, and move the epaulette. I dropped the items off on Thursday afternoon, and asked if they could be completed by Tuesday morning, since I was only visiting town and departing Tuesday afternoon--not a lot of time for them, especially since they are closed on Mondays. Well, the nice lady said she could do it and they'd be ready Tuesday at 10am. I came to pick up my items on Tuesday and they were ready to go. Not only that, but they were flawless. Wow! I could not even tell where the alterations had been done. The lining on the sleeveless dress was perfect, the sleeve reduction on the shirtdress was great, and the alterations on the jacket were flawless. I was truly amazed at what perfect work she could achieve on such a short time frame. Go to Hemingway Tailors for your alterations--they do a great job! As a side note, bring cash or a personal check, since they do not accept credit cards. read more

Had a zipper added to a pocket on a vest. Everything was great about the experience. Will go back again with future items.

I've used them twice and am already looking for more clothes to take to them. The first time I needed the broken zipper replaced in my favorite and indispensable (as in I wear these a LOT) black pants. I brought them in on a Friday on my way to work and not only did they have a zipper there to put in, but incredibly were able to complete the job by the next day!! I recently went back with my senior citizen dad to have two suits taken in as he has lost some weight over the last few years. We were worried that it would cost more to alter than to replace the suits but we got a very reasonable price and again, amazingly, were able to pick the suits up the next day. The two women who waited on us (I think one is the owner) were very pleasant, professional, and skilled. They didn't hesitate to tell me that the pants of one suit really didn't need to be taken in. They were very courteous to and patient with my dad. I can't recommend this shop highly enough. This place is a find. Convenient (on the Waverly bus line out of Harvard Square) and with on-street parking. The establishment is clean and pleasant with room to maneuver (sometimes tailor shops can be cramped and overfull). read more

I can sew so I tend to do basic mending myself like patching a tshirt or darning a sweater but a full length silk gown for a wedding guest dress was above and beyond my abilities. Hannah did a great job on my husband's trousers so I brought my gown (though Nordstrom's offers free tailoring the fix I needed seemed above basic fitting) and I brought the tiny ellie "nap dress" my baby will wear for a lining. We asked to bring in a slit that was way too high and exposing for a formal gown and to fix the length. We also asked to line the ruching of my daughter's dress with cotton. Hannah cleverly designed a way to use all of the extra length of my gown to add a thigh covering panel that looked like the dress should have been designed with that perfectly matched the one other visible bias running seam. She selected a really nice cotton and in a few weeks perfectly improved my daughter's dress to her measurements (I didn't know ruching could be lined and be easy on easy off for a toddler) and reconstructed the side of my gown. When I needed a minor tweak I thought I would have to leave my gown again for another week but Hannah expertly fixed the hip area of my gown before I could change into my street clothes. I highly recommend Hannah at Hemmingway Tailoring for formalwear and clever and professional fixes. read more

My husband and I have brought a number of items over numerous occasions to Hemmingway based on the great reviews we read on Yelp but have found the tailoring to be so-so. The items I've had done - dress hems, sleeves shortened and taking in the sides of a jacket - have been fine. My husband on the other hand, has been quite displeased with the work he's had done on his suits and pants. For the suits, he thinks all the jackets he's had fixed (4) have puckering at the shoulder. When he complains the tailor (the korean woman whose english is ok. we've never encountered the other korean lady whose english is supposed to be good) keeps telling him he needs to press the jackets. Pressing the jackets doesn't solve the problem. Overall, he thought the tailoring was sub-par because the fit on the jackets weren't great. We usually go to Jerry's Tailoring on Newbury Street but Jerry's getting quite a bit older and we had some concerns about him still being able to do the tailoring well. My husband thought maybe Hemmingway is good for women's tailoring (I think all the good reviews were female customers) but not for men. read more

This is a small tailor shop run by two really nice women I know from church. I wanted to wait until I actually used them before I posted this review, though (to be fair as a reviewer). I've had a suit altered there as well as some patching of pants, and they do great work in minimal time. If you're in the area, give them a try! read more

Awesome job! Turned around my pieces quickly and she was fantastic. I had three skirts and a button-down shirt altered. Everything was perfect. The only downside was the price ($30 per piece), which is a bit steep. But it's worth it to know you're going to someone who won't ruin your clothes. Pro tip: CASH ONLY (maybe cash or check) read more

Do NOT bring in anything fancy or delicate here. For run of the mill alterations on durable fabrics, they are fine, and reasonably priced. For anything else, bring elsewhere or risk damage to your clothing. After reading a favorable blog posting about them, I brought in two dresses to be taken in. One was a thicker silk, that needed the waistband nipped. The other was a lightweight lined silk tank dress, that needed the sides and back taken in at the seams. I was in no rush, and they suggested I come back in three weeks. I picked up the dresses, and inspected them when I returned home. The dress with the waistband was fine. However the silk tank dress was not. They: 1) stained the dress along the seam, about 10" down the back of the dress 2) pressed the seams incorrectly (seams were uneven..along parts of the seam there was a 1/8" fold, along other parts none. some areas were also wrinkled) 3) the seams itself were not straight (there were pockets that they just worked around, so the dress no longer flowed outward, but rather went down, and around the pockets, and back out so the effect was a bulge around the pockets) 4) the workmanship was not what I expected - some stitching was not straight, and some areas had uneven/lumpy threading. When I went back and showed them the stain, they said it was chalk. The stain was not chalk, and could not be rubbed off. I showed them the seams and they said it was just a matter of pressing, and haphazardly repressed the top portion. When she returned it, it was still not straight, and it had taken on additional wrinkles. I mentioned the stain again and she kept insisting it was chalk. I was not confident they could correct any of their mistakes, so I left. DO NOT bring any delicate items here. I came here (after a glowing recommendation) for the easy parking and hoping to save a few dollars. They are $20-30 cheaper than the Newbury St tailors, however you get what you pay for. I would have gladly paid the extra money for quality tailoring. Fingers crossed the stain will come out & the seams can be fixed elsewhere. read more

I just joined a martial arts class, and of course, the uniform (called a gi) is not made for a woman's proportions. And heaven help you if you've got hips. The top is made of crazy heavy cotton duck with rubber in the lapels. I can do a little sewing, but I didn't dare give this fabric a go. The ladies of Hemmingway took my measurements; I told them what I was looking for; and they did an awesome job with less than a day's turnaround. I've spent about 20 hours since, in which my friends do their best to grab hold of my gi and turn me into a human pretzel. Those alterations are holding just fine. I will definitely be back next time I need to fine-tune my wardrobe, functionally or aesthetically. UPDATE: Went back on Christmas Eve to get the waist on my gi pants taken in. (I think my explanation was "They don't need to be pretty, they just need to stop falling off.") And the ladies fixed them while I waited. Thank you, Hemmingway! read more

The woman I worked with here spoke almost no English. It took me quite a while to explain the alterations I wanted (getting the fit right on a shirt) and in the end, it turned out there wasn't enough fabric to do it right; I paid $40 for a shirt I still couldn't wear, and had no idea that would be happening until I picked it up. That said, they may have other staff, and for something basic and really obvious, this person might have been fine! read more

This is a wonderful place with helpful staff, quick service and fair prices!! I recently did a search on Yelp for an alterations place that was open on Saturdays, I found Hemmingway and had 2 dresses to be taken up within 2 days (before a vacation), the ladies were very friendly - they acknowledge you when you walk in the door, they have a large dressing room to try on clothes and listen to exactly what you want. Both the dresses were altered perfectly within the time they had committed to and were very well priced. I recently went back to have 2 pairs of pants taken up, I was able to wait (in their waiting area) whilst the pants were completed - $10 a pair and left a very happy customer! I've been to a number of alterations places in Boston, Cambridge and Brighton and these ladies are by far the best I've been to, after having been to Hemmingway I won't go anywhere else and make the trip from Waltham to Belmont anytime I need alterations :) read more

2 VERY skilled tailors whom I trust my most beloved garments with! Pricing is fair, with the basic hem starting at $10, but they do much, much more. I used to frequent the tailor shops at Coolidge Corner, which is still ok for a quick hem, but after having some nice stuff ruined I will never go back. Now that Hemmingway offers dry cleaning, I'm happy I can go to a good tailor and get dry cleaning done in one stop. Prices are reasonable for dry cleaning as well ...$5 for pants and $10 for a suit. Most dry cleaners do offer simple alterations, but since that is not their primary line of business I would not trust them to cut and sew my precious clothes! read more

I just took three pairs of pants there to be hemmed. I have never had anything tailored int he past-but based upon Jason's review, I went to Hemmingway and I am SO glad I did. They finished three pairs of pants in an hour! Very reasonably prices and on top of that-they are offering 20% off until March! Give these women a call-they do great work and are SUPER fast! read more

I am giving these ladies as many stars as I can. I have now had 2 interactions with them. Both were very rushed alterations - 1 for a bridesmaid dress and the other was my wedding dress. They turned around both orders quickly, and did a great job. For my wedding dress, the owner accidentally quoted me the wrong price - the correct price was $50 less! She informed me of a mistake that was in my benefit! Thanks for the honesty and good service. thumbs way up! read more

For the first time in my life, I actually had to get pants hemmed, rather than let out (I have long legs). But all of a sudden size "tall" pants are coming with 36" inseams, undoubtedly to accommodate the giant high heels that are sweeping the fashion industrial complex. Well, I don't wear heels, hence the need for hemming. (Hey! I just realized why they're called "Hemmingway" - I'm a little slow). Anyway, I brought in three pairs of lined dress pants, two of which were cuffed, and one of which was a nice wool flannel material that also needed to be taken in at the hips and waist. The women that run the place were so quick and professional - I tried each pair on, a few quick measurements were taken, they told me it would be $50 (including drycleaning for one pair) and off I went. They could have finished the alterations the same day, but with the drycleaning it took 3 days; no matter since I didn't make it back there until a week later (today). I walked in, they recognized me right away and brought the pants out without even looking at my claim slip (and who doesn't love being treated like a "regular"?). The work was flawless, just the right length for the type of shoes I wear. And, they told me that when you bring in your drycleaning they will do simple mending free of charge. Apparently lots of "young people" live around there and don't know how to sew buttons, so they figured they would throw that in gratis. How nice! And on a final note, when I picked up my pants today it was sunny and 20 degrees. The woman who took care of me commented that she liked winter - especially because of the nice winter clothes you get to wear. I totally agree, and it was so refreshing to hear someone not complain about the weather for once. I love this place. read more

The first time I went, I brought in a coat that's 2 sizes too large for me (mom bought it on sale), and it came out perfectly. After that I've taken in suit jacket, pants, skirt, wedding dress, bridesmaid dresses and they all came out great. They even added beads on the wedding dress to make it prettier. I use their dry-cleaning too, and they could always take off all the stains. Never had a problem with them. read more

They are right at the corner of School/Belmont. Across from the bridal shop and around the corner from Select Cafe. I went in to this shop to have some alterations done on a pair of shorts. The owner, a lovely woman, listened to my suggestions, and offerred some of her own. As I thought, her idea sounded better. She replaced some hooks on a favorite pair of shorts and fixed the hem in them for me. All for only $10 and had them ready for pick up in 24 HOURS! Unbelievable! I will go there for all of my tailoring needs from now on! read more

Fast, friendly, quality service. We've gotten many alterations done here and always had an outstanding experience.

I give highest praise to Hemmingway Tailors for quick work, expertly done. In the past year I have probably used their services a half-dozen times, on items ranging from 'simple' hems, to zipper replacement, to a challenging hole repair in a woolen suit. Apparently magic was brought to bear on the last of these, as the blemish is now nearly invisible. read more

3 pairs of pants to alter, a Saturday afternoon, 10 minutes. Prompt service and great hospitality. Highly recommended.

I needed my suitpants hemmed, and as I'm not accustomed to usually repairing clothing (most of it I just throw away, but this was my suit) I didn't know where to go. This little place just opened on the corner of School St. and Belmont St. in Belmont and I figured I'd give them a shot. I called to ask how much it would cost and it was a very reasonable $10 (though only $8 due to a 20% off grand opening special) plus they said it could be done in an hour--much faster than the two weeks I was told by my dry cleaner! I ran it over during lunch and the ladies there were extremely polite and accommodating. Instead of an hour they repaired it on the spot and even refused to charge me (I guess it was a simple fix). I was perplexed and actually wanted to pay due to their great service, but they flatly refused. I wouldn't expect to go and get free service (how would they stay in business?!) but I felt I should give them a glowing review as payment. Truly excellent customer service and they did a fantastic and fast job. I will be sure to tell all of my coworkers about this place and will take all of my alterations there in the future! read more

Worst. Tailor. Ever. There's a reason they're so fast. It's because they do shoddy work. I brought in two pairs of pants that I ordered on-line through a very reputable company. I took them out of the box and then drove to Hemmingway. The lady, who I admit was nice enough, measured me and told me to come back by then end of the day. I was unable to, but I picked them up a few days later. When I picked them up she asked me why I made my pants so dirty. I couldn't understand her comment, paid and left. The next morning, I put one of the pants on, only to find the stitching was already coming undone! The hem lines were CLEARLY visible, and the other pants were stained at the cuff. I took both pairs back and asked for my money back. She gave me money for one pair but argued that she did nothing to cause the stains. I wanted to like this shop, but they are the worst tailor I have ever been to. Do not use them. read more

i used to take my clothes for alterations and cleaning, and left because it was inconsistent and substandard when it comes to the alterations. My advice is try on finished alteration before you leave the store. People are nice until you complain, then they are really rude. read more

Incredibly nice, very friendly, very helpful. Fast service too! I would recommend giving them a try!

So I went to Hemmingway tailors for the first time last week and got my items back today. I brought a lot of items, some for dry cleaning too. I was always a bit in a hurry because of zipcar schedule so I wanted everything to be efficient and smooth. Today when I took back my items... I don't know what to say. Though they did a good job, certain things really bothered me. I'm certain they lost the belt that came with 1 of my dresses, but when I very nicely raised my 'concern' about it, the head lady (who speaks English well) immediately shut me off, claiming no knowledge of it, basically not letting me speak at all. Then, when it came the pricing time... it was a whopping $425 total. I think it could have been the case because I did bring in quite a few items, but at the same time it was quite reasonable for me to inquire after a clear breakdown. Here was where it went very wrong. She did give me a $25 discount, saying their price was reasonable, but when I asked about 1 specific line item, she got mad... She repeatedly said "you don't have to come back again", adding that why I kept asking about stuff like that when her price was reasonable. Sigh. I thought I asked in very nice manner. I left, she shut the door loudly, and I tried to call after her saying "see you next time!". I don't know if that pacified her, but I left feeling very uneasy, not knowing why I was made to feel so bad. And that lost belt, I guess I'll have to find an alternative. Doesn't she want customers? I don't feel welcome back at all. In fact, the person who recommended me to go there no longer goes there either. The work: I think they know they stuff well, and they do things fast, I could tell about the speed because 2 things were fixed in front of me. That's because when I came back it turned out they forgot to fix some items, claiming that I didn't tell them about it. But what to do, I did, but I didn't have time to stick around the first time long enough to make them write everything down due to zipcar returning. Though don't expect every detail to be meticulous with that speed. Someone below was right: they turn rude when you complain, about anything. read more

Had a suit done here that I needed tailored and ready in a few days. Suit came out great and pricing was good. Very friendly employees.

Did a great job altering a suit for me for a very reasonable price in just a few days.

I have only brought dress pants here for tapers and adjustments, but they have done an excellent job each time. I do sometime have to be very clear how I want it done as I follow the slimmer, euro suit style. But the Korean woman who runs the place is nice. read more