I really enjoyed working with Julia. She is truly gifted at what she does and has an eye for this stuff. She really listened to my vision for my dress, and used her expertise to make suggestions. I even had a strapless dress, and she recommended we add very thin dainty rhinestone straps to add to the glam of my dress since I had glam shoes (Amina Muaddis). I was hesitant at first but ended up being obsessed with them! She also added some structure to the dress to keep me snatched and keep the dress up (don't want to say the wrong thing but I think it was boning). You couldn't tell it was there and it felt so snug in a good way. Also, her bustle is so unique and easy to manage which was a plus. I see some bad reviews about Julia but I will say most are speaking to her being opinionated and not to the actual quality of her work. If you go with Julia, just know you are in good hands and can trust her! Feel free to bring family or friends so you have several opinions if that serves you. I loved everything she did to my dress and will say she is very reasonably priced for the quality of her work. read more

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Poked me when doing my measurements. Stitching at the bottom didn't seem as nicely done as it could've been. Thought it would be more reasonable priced for doing service out of her home. read more

I don't doubt her skills as a seamstress, but Julia could work on her bedside manner. She is extremely rude and made unnecessary and unflattering comments about my size, which is particularly puzzling when she is a plus sized woman herself. read more

She made alterations easy for the entire wedding party. We all looked AMAZING on the big day!!! Bride was so happy!! read more

Julia Needlman - Bridesmaid and Groomsman (hubby) in Cabo!!!! - Bridal Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I worked with Julie YEARS ago after she had designed costumes for the premiere production of RSVP Broadway. The next production I was involved in was designed by a less skilled costumer. I am a curvy gal and that woman's idea was to upholster me in a LOT of fabric. Even the opening night reviews mentioned the ill fitting costumes. I came to Julie on bended knee to help me improve the garments. She was able to trim down the volume of the blouse, recut a whole new pair of pants out of the old ones. The improvement was incredible. Later, when I was nominated for an award for the show, she made me a beautiful blouse from vintage lace to wear to the ceremony. She is a creative and skilled magician! read more

Julia did an impeccable job on my wedding gown. She took my gown in with only a work around of 3 weeks. She made me feel confidant that she would get it done. She saw details in the dress that I didn't and made it fit like a glove on me. I was so happy with how it came out. While other bridal stores denied taking me because I didn't have shoes or undergarments, Julia didn't need any of those! I got so many compliments on the day of the wedding. Cutting the train was the best thing I could have done. I danced all night long and was felt great. Thank you Julia!! read more

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I am mixed writing this review. I brought my wedding dress to Julia wanting only a bustle and she offered many suggestions she explained were necessary to improve the dress. Some I was happy to have done and others I did not want. To work with Julia you need to be confident because she feels strongly about her vision for the dress and can be quite harsh in trying to persuade you. In my case, she told me parts of my body looked "pudgy" and "fat" due to the dress proportions. I kindly disagreed with these statements, but she does not back down easily. "No, just look a little closer and you will see it too. It makes your waist look fat". I was happy with some of the alterations like lowering the dress back and replacing the zipper with buttons. But she also completed other alterations, like removing the dress boning (strong strips sewn in for structure and support), that I had strongly refused at the initial consultation. I was bothered when I saw she had done this despite my refusal, but ultimately did not think the dress looked worse in her dim studio and left okay with it. However, now in looking at my wedding photos I do regret that the boning was removed. Sadly, the front of the dress rippled on my waist and chest and looked like a cheaper quality dress when compared to pictures and videos from my initial purchase. The buttons and lowered back looked great, but I can't help but feel sad looking at the front of the dress in photos and not feeling as beautiful as I felt in the photos taken during my initial purchase at the bridal shop. Her prices are great, but some of her comments have a lasting impact that are likely not worth the savings. She asks a lot about the wedding plan and offers many suggestion on what should be different. The body critiques about my waist and "large chin" additionally left me feeling less confident than when I entered her studio. She also has a few cats and one laid on the train of my dress for most of the initial appointment requiring me and my friend to repeatedly get it off which was somewhat concerning. Just some things to keep in mind. read more

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I cannot tell you how happy I am to have found Julia. I had a maid of honor dress that was VERY illfitting, but a short timeline to have it tailored so I just was looking for some hemming to solve the biggest issue, if nothing else. I stumbled across her yelp profile and took a chance, and I am THRILLED that I did. In addition to working in my short turnaround time, she not only hemmed it beautifully, but somehow turned my cheap Azazie dress into a PERFECT gown that looks like it was custom made for me!! Something I was dreading wearing is now something I feel so incredibly comfortable in- I truly can't wait to wear it! Aside from her beautiful work and obvious talent (this is someone who has found her true calling in life), Julia is SO knowledgeable. She knows EVERYTHING about tailoring and even bras, and as a plus size woman with a large heavy bust, that's something I really struggle with. She truly educated me and gave such good advice, and I am so grateful to have found her. She is an expert and I will come to her for every single tailoring project i have from here on out! On a personal note, I just adore Julia. It felt like kismet that we met, and my only wish is that I'd met her sooner. I will send everyone I know her way, and will be back again soon because I want all my clothes to fit the way this dress does! read more

As many have said in reviews, Julia is extremely rude and unprofessional. I went in with a bridesmaid dress that I needed taken in so I could wear it without straps. she didn't take it in, sewed the straps in (not what I wanted), and made it impossible for me to wear it the way I wanted. I told her I didn't want cups in the dress and she argued I needed them. after all this she made a comment about me having a wide ribcage which just seemed so unnecessary. I didn't want her input on what she thought would look good. I wanted her to do what I said since I'm paying her. After the consultation she then forced me in to a 30 minute lecture about BRAS and put a safety pin in my sports bra to show me support *eye roll*. also she has three cats in the studio (her home), which is fine but she doesn't disclose that she probably should as people are allergic or grossed out by that. read more

I highly recommend Julia Needlman! She personalizes every interaction, making you feel incredibly comfortable. Her prices are very reasonable, and despite her extensive experience, she offers affordable rates. Don't let her professionalism intimidate you--she's truly approachable. read more

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Julia has done about 4 bridesmaid dresses for me - every single one she has exceeded my expectation! I always come in happy with the dress, but when I leave, she has somehow made me feel even more like a princess. She knows exactly how to customize each dress specific to your body - she isn't just someone who hems, she makes the dress fit you in a way that makes you feel excited to show it off. She will forever be y go-to for all tailoring and alteration needs! read more

Julia Needlman - Bridal Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Unprofessional, cruel, terrible experience. I wish to God I had read these reviews closer. If you're on the fence, I cannot recommend staying away enough. I came to Julia for a small job: the sleeves on an off-the-shoulder dress that I was wearing to a friend's wedding were a bit too tight. As soon as I put on the dress, Julia began tearing me apart. I am not exaggerating when I say that I stood there and sobbed while she tore into me, a perfect stranger, for at least 20 minutes. The dress was a terrible fit on me- direct quote: made me look like a "stuffed sausage". I told her I liked the way I look in the dress- it's a body-con and I'm a size 12 with a soft belly, so that wasn't hidden, and Julia seemed very offended by that. Worse, according to her, was the color. I looked "orangy" and "drained". I fought back, said I probably looked drained because I was CRYING because of all the terrible things she was saying. She said "No, it's the dress". We never even got to a tailoring consultation, because she so strongly believed that I shouldn't wear the dress. This was the most uncomfortable and surreal experience of my life. Julia literally told me what she thought, good and bad, about every single part of my body, from head to toe ("You have nice hair; your face is cute; your chin is soft, but that could be genetics. Your shoulders and neck... eh." on and on, literally down to my ankles), while I stood there and cried. It was a nightmare- like every worst thing I've ever thought about myself or feared other people were thinking about me said straight to my face. And I truly think she thought she was helping me. I can't even recall or write down every insane, unkind, shocking, unprofessional thing she said to me. And then she had the nerve to tell me I needed to realize there was "nothing wrong" with me, and that I was beautiful. Total whiplash. Julia, if you're reading this, I need you to realize that not everyone is nearly as worried about what people think of them as you are. You desperately need to learn when your advice is unwarranted and unhelpful, and even cruel. I'm wearing the dress this weekend because I like it and I think I look good in it, and also out of spite. And the sleeves are going to be a bit too tight, so thanks for nothing. This is going to haunt me for longer than I'd like to admit. Stay away. read more

I am ambivalent writing this review . Julia is a master of her art but ultimately, the 18 months and $1200 I spent on a jumpsuit for my son's wedding ended in a disaster . Julia was kind enough to agree to design the jumpsuit as I had no luck on line or in store and for purposes of brevity I will not bore you with every detail. Initially, we had regular appointments at her comfortable studio in her home and we agreed on design , color and she found what appeared to be beautiful satin material. The design had a high collar and she beaded the collar and front of the jumpsuit. We met several times over the course of 18 months for design consultations and fittings. As the months went on, Julia felt free to let me know I needed to cut my hair. She lectured me on my hair on multiple occasions. There were many months during which I had no idea when my next appointment would occur. As we reached the end of the process I continued to try on the jumpsuit and felt it eas too long and baggy. Julia resisted hemming it but she finally agreed. Sadly, looking at photos from the wedding the garment hung on my body like a sac and dragged in the floor. The legs probably needed to be more structured and at one point I asked if they could be lined. She dismissed this request and being the approval seeking person I am I did not mention it again. Finally , I took the jumpsuit home and tried it on one more time and the high collar was very loose so a friend of mine moved the buttons over. It looked much better. I saw Julia one more time a week later for another issue and she became very angry that somebody touched her design even though I wanted the neck tighter. Finally, at one point during the process Julia had found a sparkly zipper for the beck of the jumpsuit. I remember offering to pay for it but she admitted it only cost $16. I never tried on the jumpsuit again before the wedding because Julia also admitted she does not like to give clients their garment too far in advance for fear they find issues. I wish I had tried it in a few more times. An hour before photos I put on the jumpsuit and at the same time a good friend appeared at my hotel room. She offered to zip it and the whole zipper came apart and my bare back and spank were exposed. By some absolute miracle the hotel had a woman who was a seamstress and she and another employee were able to secure the zipper at the bottom with a safety pin and get it to zip. I had to take somebody with me to the bathroom all night to unzip and zip me. I e mailed Julia after the wedding to teller her what happened. She said "well, I've never worked with those zippers before." No offer to repair it. Nothing. I recently got the wedding photos and the $1200 jumpsuit looks like a sac on me. Moral of the story. Buy on line or in store. Lesson learned. read more

I came to Julia in tears after having horrible alterations done to my wedding dress in the suburbs. She instantly eased my fears, reassuring me she would fix the dress quickly and it would fit my body perfectly! (It was perfect and I came to her 2.5 weeks before my wedding). She takes her time, she listens, and does not let a single detail go unnoticed. Julia was destined to make brides feel good on their wedding day. Save yourself the stress and take your dress to Julia for alterations!!!! read more

I saw the wonderful reviews on Yelp regarding Julia, so I thought I would take a chance! So happy I did. I had a vision for my project, but Julia brought it to the next level. Now only did she contribute her talented sewing and tailoring abilities, but her creativity added took it to the next level. The end result was show stopping! Added bonus, she is very easy to work with and stuck to deadlines. All in all, a wonderful experience! read more

Loved my first fitting and thought my dress was going to look great. Maybe it was a tough dress to alter but I was very dissatisfied with my bridesmaids dress. The seam at the bottom was not like the other dresses and the stitches in the bust look terrible. When I tried my dress on I asked about the stitching at the bust and she insisted it was fine. I was also the only bridesmaid out of 8 that had weird stitches at the bottom and my dress was not steamed. read more

Julia Needlman - Bridal Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I am ambivalent about writing this review. As many have said, she has a strong personality and as an artist, a strong artistic vision for each dress and how it is to match the personality of the wearer. I was originally very excited to explore this as one of my friends had worked with her and loved the journey. We didn't click, which is fine and to be expected, and I thought my appointment would be over. I tried to politely leave, but what I didn't expect was to be met with 60 more minutes of insults and gross mischaracterizations about me, my culture, my background, and my family. I found ironic that after an hour of explaining to me that I listen too much to my mom's opinion (my mom has a personal vow to never share her opinion with me), Julia began telling me how I should be planning my wedding and that there was still time to change plans. She also lectured me on how I couldn't identify with the cultural background that I do because I wasn't "really part of that culture" I would have thought that she would understand diverse backgrounds, but it seemed that she had some preconceived notions. I think that she felt we wouldn't be a good fit, and I feel dismayed that she decided to berate me for an hour instead of looking inwards at herself or just admitting out loud that it simply wasn't a good fit. I could not look at or think about wedding dresses for several months after this interaction. I'm usually a pretty calm person but this is the first time I've ever had such a bad experience that's left a lasting mark on me. Only writing this review because my friend who recommended Julia told me it could be worth warning others TLDR; as the reviews say, Julia is not for everybody, and definitely don't take it personally. She comes off as a bit of a "know-it-all" which can be off-putting. read more

I found Julia via internet search and I'm so happy I did. I'm pregnant with twins and life is a little disorganized right now. She was super patient with me after getting a few of my dates mixed up and more importantly helped me look beautiful for my friend's wedding on short notice. Thank you, Julia! read more

Julia Needlman - Here I am on the right at 6 months pregnant. Thanks Julia! - Bridal Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Julia is amazing !!!!! She went above and beyond for my sister's wedding dress and our bridesmaids dresses. Julia was able to fix the train, add a bustle and adjust the "poof "coming out of the my sisters dress. The fit of my sisters wedding dress was immaculate. Julia also performed surgery on our bridesmaid dresses that arrived late and were too small. ‍ I wish I had chosen her to alter my wedding dress. Instead I chose an overpriced establishment and had to take my wedding dress to my seamstress to do the final alterations. I hope this review helps someone chose Julie Needleman. Wedding planning can become stressful and dress alterations should NOT be Remember in Cinderella when the fairy godmother waves a wand .......‍ that's how our experience with Julia Needleman was ! read more

I had a WONDERFUL experience creating my mother of the groom dress with Julia. She made multiple suggestions to tweak the design of the dress to make it work better on my body. She is extremely knowledgeable and talented about every aspect of dress design and creation. She also made it such an enjoyable experience. We would chat for a long time. She is caring for her cats, her parents, and her customer. She allowed for me to enjoy the experience of getting a dress. read more

Where to even begin? A friend referred me to Julia as I was in a crisis 4 days before my wedding. Long story short my original gown was ruined by another tailor and I ended up having to purchase a new dress. Yes, you heard that right, 4 days before my wedding I had to purchase a new gown!! I called Julia and I think she could hear the desperation in my voice when I explained the situation to her. Luckily I was able to buy a new dress off the rack at BHLDN and bring it to her the next day. Instantly after meeting Julia I had complete faith and trust in her ability. She calmed every nervous bit of me and assured me she would be able to make the new dress perfect. She is such a genuine woman, full of wisdom, makes you feel gorgeous and is true artist. She was able to alter my gown(in 2days, which is incredible) and make it fit perfectly for my body. The dress was beyond perfect in every way, I've never felt more beautiful and confident. She honestly saved my wedding and I will forever be grateful for her. Brides, look NO further when you need someone to trust with the most important dress of your life. Julia is your girl !!!! read more

Julia Needlman - Julia made my dress perfect !! - Bridal Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Julia is an outstanding seamstress! I came to her last minute and she accommodated my needs and more ! She added in and fixed parts of the dress that were beyond what I was asking and it fit perfectly ! read more

Julia Needlman - Bridal Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I went to Julia for wedding dress alterations right before COVID hit. She is certainly is talented but I was very disappointed when I noticed the lace she added did not match the color of rest of the lace. It's not something I noticed inside her dim home-- but very noticeable in natural light. I was very upset and self conscious in my dress on our wedding day. What was more disappointing is that she never responded or apologized for ruining my dress. Will not use again and would not recommend. read more

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Julia was so attentive and, from day one, worked with me on each detail to design the dress of my dreams. She isn't afraid to try different things and then adjust if they don't work (for example, we tried a red panel in the front of my dress that ultimately didn't work, but I appreciated her creativity). She has a real eye for accentuating each woman's body and is so body positive. She's very chatty, so expect to spend a significant amount of time at each fitting. I personally enjoyed this, though, because it was much more personal than going to a run of the mill bridal salon. Also, if you have the patience and ability to make decisions, working with Julia is SO much better than getting your dress from a salon. You avoid alteration fees because the dress is made to your body and the cost is MUCH lower. The dress she made me is modeled after one in the store that would have cost me $4500+ alterations and a veil. All in with Julia, I paid right around $2500. That includes a veil and my wedding dress was what dreams are made of! read more

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Where do I even start?!? I chose Julia after reading her reviews. I will continue to choose Julia for everything I ever need tailored because of her presence, her professionalism, her personality and her power to inspire her clients. I have been having a very difficult time being a Covid bride, as everything with wedding planning feels twice as hard. Julia made the experience of getting my first fitting for my wedding dress not only a breeze, but SO ENJOYABLE!! I came for a twenty minute fitting and stayed for a three and a half hour long conversation about weddings in general, my vision of the dress and the day, how I wanted to move and feel in it (when was the last time someone asked you 'Just how do you want this garment to make you feel when you're wearing it', and then could make that actually happen??? MIND BLOWING QUESTION...), and how my personality could be reflected in my dress more. If you want an artist, someone who can 'see' you, someone who can bring your vision to life and brings a special bit of sparkle and shine to your day, book Julia!!! She's worth every minute you spend with her. read more

If I could rate my experience below a 1 I would. I'm writing this to validate the experience that other people here have had -- she is a horribly rude person. I brought my dress in to get altered - it was too loose around my waist. What ended up happening was she took my dress apart in front of me and said she had a solve. I came back a week later and she had fabricated a belt that went over the dres (that looked horrendous and I ended up throwing away), didn't sew the dress back up and insulted me when I asked if she could please sew it back together. She told me I was crazy, overly needy and had wasted her time. She also charged me extra for a mask I had never asked for - $100 later I escaped from that hellacious experience with a ruined dress and a mask and belt I never used. Don't make the same mistake I did. Choose someone else. read more

I feel lucky to have met Julia. I purchased my dress at a sample sale. It was very close to what I wanted and I knew I could make it work with a few *simple* alterations. A colleague at work recommended Julia so I met with her a few months before my wedding. When I first met with her she had me put on the dress for a few minutes and then take it off. The rest of the appointment was spent talking to her about the wedding, my future husband, and my life. Julia likes to take the time to get to know you, because that helps her to create your perfect dress. In fact, during many of our appointments I didn't put on the dress or even take it out of its bag. Our time was spent talking about our lives and looking at fabric or beading. I don't mean to make it sound like time was wasted - I believe these conversations were the bread and butter of this whole process. Julia transformed the dress I brought her. A dress I liked evolved into a dress I want to hang in my bedroom and look at every day (and I'm not that kind of bride, I promise!) She lined the bodice with this beautiful shimmery fabric, added strips of lace around the waste, replaced the zipper with buttons, redid some of the beading, added open sleeves, and so much more. She went above and beyond and charged so little I felt compelled to pay her more. I will agree with some of the reviewers that Julia is blunt at times. This always, always comes from a good place. Take comfort in knowing she will never tell you something looks good when it doesn't and you want that honesty when you prepare for your wedding day. She has so many great ideas to make your dress fit better or make it more "you". Go along for the ride - you won't regret it. read more

Julia Needlman - Bridal Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I'm very torn about this review. I needed a seamstress to help reconstruct sleeves on my wedding dress, and after months of looking I came across Julia on yelp. A lot of the reviews were great and promising, while others seemed doubtful. What persuaded me to go to Julia was seeing her work on her website. She was definitely the person that could do what I needed to get done. I ended up bringing her my wedding dress and a reception dress. The wedding dress turned out amazing and I'm dying it to wear it on my big day. However, I'm upset about my reception dress. Firstly, the bra cups she used do both of my dresses are too big, but she insisted they were fine (from the side, my bust looked too elongated and pointy) so I removed them. The dress was floor length, which I loved, and she proceeded to CUT IT right above my feet WHILE GLIDING THE SCISSORS ON THE FLOOR. She did this for both dresses, luckily my wedding dress has a tulle layer so the hemline isn't too noticeable. What bothered me is that she cut it the way SHE thought it would look good... if I looked down to see what she was doing, she'd scold me and said not to look.. Plus, the stitching she did on the hemline I feel is wrong.. the way it's hemmed, the very end is somewhat curled upward with the stitching and it just looks awful. I was so excited to wear my reception dress, but she ruined it for me. And now, the reason why my review is 2 stars. I just want to be clear, what I think Julia does is amazing. She's knowledgeable in her work and very talented. But that's all I came to her for: to work on my dresses. I didn't come to her to be lectured about the choices I made for my wedding: my hairstyle, not using a veil to cover my face, the choice to have a second dress, and to hear about my physical appearance. She kept making comments about me being "big boned" and how my choice of hairstyle wouldn't look good on me... that made me second guess what I wanted to do with my hair. Whenever I would politely go against her opinions, she would just automatically shut me down and say I'm wrong and what she's saying is right. She also made stupid assumptions about me about how being a bigger girl, I probably felt "less perfect and pretty" growing up, which was never the case. She was very rude when I forgot shoes to my appointment, I didn't even know I had to bring shoes because she never said anything about it. Julia, if you ever read this: yes, I can't draw blood from 10 far away, but you CAN hem my dress without my exact shoes, you just didn't want to. FYI to anyone reading, I'm wearing flats during my entire wedding. Needless to say, my experience was so/so, I'm glad I got my dresses. I'm probably going to undo a few things she did. She's very talented, but her attitude and single-minded way of thinking needs work. read more

Julia is a kind, wise, and wonderful person, as well as a true artist who knows how to fix everything and make you feel better about the way you look. I felt so good after our two meetings, not just about my stupid bridesmaid dress, which she definitely made look better, but about the world in general. Everything is gonna be ok. She is just lovely. read more

I wish there were more than 5 stars. I brought my wedding dress to Julia and we agreed that the entire shape of the top of the dress was too narrow for my athletic frame. She reconstructed the top but kept the exact same energy of the dress. She is truly a miracle worker. She is a perfectionist and you can absolutely see that in the end product. I can't believe I was so lucky to have stumbled upon her by accident. My dress is officially the last thing I have to worry about on my wedding day, thanks to Julia. And the value was great for the level of craftsmanship. Julia is a talented and reliable seamstress who you can absolutely trust with your expensive wedding dress. read more

Disclaimer** Julia runs her business out of her home. Felt it was important to note because some might feel uncomfortable. Julia has a sheer curtain for the room where you can change and get fitted. The room allows for privacy, but some people might find the curtain too sheer. I found none of this uncomfortable as my favorite seamstresses who take the most pride in their work seem to work out of their home! I am the bridesmaid in a wedding a week away. With how busy things have been, I realized I never brought my dress in to be fitted. I contacted Julia 1 week before the wedding. She allowed me to schedule an appointment over email for the following Monday. This is the week of July 4th, so I explained I would need to pick my dress up on July 3rd, only giving her three full business days to alter my dress. Most places would turn me away, she told me it was no problem! Monday I show up for my appointment and to my surprise she ALTERS MY DRESS ON THE SPOT! I am not picky, as this isn't my wedding, and all I needed was for the dress to be hemmed. She also explained the hem on my dress was very simple to do with a machine she owns. So I got lucky, both with finding Julia, and with needing simple alterations. She cut the dress to an appropriate length while I wore it. Then she brought my dress to the basement as I waited upstairs. It took her all of 5 minutes- she is a pro. All in, with some good conversation, and the work, my appointment took 45 minutes. I am so relieved to have this completed, and what a shock that I didn't have to come back in a few days to pick it up! Very happy with how fast she is, I will definitely use her again! read more

I had such an incredible experience having Julia alter my wedding dress, she transformed my already gorgeous gown to be perfect for me. She is so kind and really makes you feel Special during the process. She knows exactly what she is doing, so trust her suggestions, the alterations she made really made me look my best. I can't thank her enough!! read more

Julia Needlman - Bridal Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I joked with my family during our visits that Julia sees your dress and turns it into the best possible version. She turns the dress into exactly what you imagined the dress would look like when you tried it on. She works magic and does so with such art and delicacy. She saw areas to fix that I never would have noticed, and the way she fixed it made the dress fit and flow so much better. I would recommend her in a heartbeat. read more

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Julia is truly one of a kind. Not only is she incredibly talented, but she is also passionate about her work. This is a person who truly takes pride in her life's work. Julia will tell you how it is, even if you don't to hear it. And you better listen! The woman has been doing this for 40 years- she knows if a dress works or not. Julia went above and beyond to make me feel beautiful and comfortable on my wedding day! Thank you, Julia!!! read more

Working with Julia is it's own journey (in a fun way!). I had purchased a dress on-line and it was ALL WRONG, yet there was something about it I just couldn't let go of. I went to other seamstresses and some said they simply couldn't fix it while others were going to charge me $900 just to get it fitting properly. I also wanted to change the shape of it some and most people wouldn't even try to fix it. Thankfully I found JULIA! The first fitting I only had my dress on for about 2 minutes before she told me to take it off and said "Ok, tell about yourself" We chatted for about another hour about what I wanted out of a dress and my life in general. From the conversation she stated that I'm too earthy to have any synthetic fabric touching my skin. I thought "Oh my god she's right and I never even thought about that being an issue! That's why I hate most wedding dresses!" Bottom line- we ended up taking the whole dress a part and only keeping the top layer of lace (that was what I loved about the dress!). Julia made me a beautiful lining for the dress out of silk and knit (it felt like I was wearing pajamas and I LOVED IT) She let out the lace so that it was the correct shape that I wanted and the whole dress looked beyond amazing when she was finished! Everyone said that the dress looked like "me" and I literally refused to take it off until 1am, I loved it that much and it was THAT comfortable. Julia even put it tiny ties in the back that I could tie for dancing since it was backless and I didn't want to be fussing with it all night. Know this: Julia is direct about what works and what doesn't and will tell you what she knows. Sometimes it's a little blunt, but it comes from someone with a big heart who just wants your dress to be perfect for your day. She's open to your ideas as well, but if it's not possible or will look horrible she's going to tell you. I felt like we really collaborated to get the dress to be exactly what I wanted. Julia is amazing, and charges a very fair price for the amazing work that she does! DEFINITELY let Julia make your wedding dress! read more

Julia Needlman - Bridal Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Julia is amazing. She knows how to do her job and she does it well. I had my wedding dress that I loved but it just didn't look right on me. After all the alterations were said and done, I finally felt like a bride! The dress fits perfectly and I was able to wear a dress with a deep V back even though I'm busty. She's also lovely and you always leave her house feeling better than you did when you entered. read more

Julia Needlman - I was in a ton of pain the day I picked up my dress but I still felt beautiful. - Bridal Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

She did a great job altering my nieces bridesmaid dress for a wedding. Wonderful work and super fast.

I requested a quote from Julia and she responded the same day with an estimate on how much she would charge to alter my bridesmaid dress. When I arrived she was very welcoming, polite and conversational. I put the dress on and she altered it THE SAME DAY! It took 30 minutes from start to finish. Super reasonably priced, super quick service and such a sweet lady. Will definitely be going back for all my bridesmaid dress alterations. read more

Julia redid my entire wedding dress when I was in a bind due to late shipping. She did a tremendous job and even added embroidery! She charged the lowest quote I was getting from other big box places for the bare minimum alterations. She has a real eye for detail and has so much experience. Can't recommend her more! read more

Julia isn't for everyone--which might be a strange way to start a perfect review--but it's important to state. She's such a master of her craft that she can't *not* be honest about body shapes, dress lines, etc. If it's hard for you to take constructive criticism or if you're not open to suggestions or creative energy, then Julia might not be the best fit for you. That said, if you're able to let an extraordinary seamstress to do her thing, then Julia is like all the reviews say: a fairy godmother, a therapist, a godsend, a genius--whatever you want to call someone who will make you look your absolute best in clothing. I came to Julia after purchasing a BHLDN skirt and top for my wedding. I loved the skirt but quickly realized the top wasn't for my body top. (Julia also agreed at our first meeting that the top was for a "hard body," which we both knew I didn't have.) After discussing my personality, my fiance, the wedding's feel, we explored ideas for the new top. After several fittings, Julia had created not only a top, but a full-on wedding gown. She also gifted me the perfect veil, which completed the look. Julia is honest, fair, communicative, and organized, on top of being a phenomenal talent. read more

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