These women might just be my fairy godmother. Who else can take shapeless dresses and turn them in…read moreto beautiful gowns? Tucked away, off of 116th street, in the track houses across from Handels Ice Cream, it would be easy to overlook them, but don't make that mistake. The place is small with a few changing rooms and their workplace, but what they lack in size, they make up for in dependable services and good prices. I have been using these ladies for the past ten years and have always been happy with their work. Their most recent undertaking for me was a lace bridesmaid's dress that was 4 sizes too big and reworking the entire gown to fit me. I can't imagine how many hours this took, but the dress turned out beautiful and fit perfectly.

I really wanted to have a great experience here, but unfortunately, my wedding dress alterations…read morewere filled with miscommunication, mistakes, and ultimately disappointment. At my initial appointment, I discussed several fairly straightforward alterations: taking in the dress, adding sleeves, closing the slit a bit, and adding a bustle. I was quoted for those services. At no point was I asked to put on heels to determine the hem, so I was surprised when I received a call days later with a new quote including hemming--something we hadn't discussed and couldn't have accurately determined without heels. At my second appointment (wearing heels), we agreed the length was perfect and no hem was needed. We finalized the price without the hem. The seamstress was unable to pin through the material to properly assess how much the dress needed to be taken in, but I trusted her judgment and was told we'd evaluate it again at the next visit. When I came back, a different seamstress informed me that the dress had already been hemmed--despite the prior agreement--and I'd be charged for it. I was told the hemming had already been done before my second fitting. To resolve it, she asked if I'd pay to finish hemming the remaining layers and I reluctantly agreed. She also had to take the dress in more--again, something that should've been handled earlier. At my final appointment, we added the bustle. I asked if the dress would be steamed and was told that it wouldn't be, as we hadn't agreed on that earlier and that the dress had come in "dirty" (it hadn't--it was brand new from the boutique). I was offered a discounted price for steaming and accepted it. When I arrived to pick up my dress, they had trouble locating it--it took about 10 minutes. Once I got it home, it was clear the dress had not been steamed. The sleeves that were added were poorly sewn and I had to reinforce them myself. A clasp that was supposedly fixed fell off just days before the wedding. I had to take the dress elsewhere to fix the clasp and have it professionally steamed. I did reach out to the owner about these issues, and to her credit, she reimbursed me most of what I paid via check (since their payment system was down). But even after all of that, on my actual wedding day, the bustle broke less than two hours into the reception, and I had to change. The dress also never fit properly despite asking at every appointment to take it in more. It was visibly too big and I spent my wedding day pulling it up constantly. I would not recommend Donna's Alterations for wedding dress alterations. My dress didn't require anything overly complex, but the experience was inconsistent, the quality was disappointing, and the lack of attention to detail created unnecessary stress during what should have been a joyful time. (All photos are work from Donna's Alterations before having it all fixed) I wish I had taken more photos