Mie-Lien is straight forward and will tell you if it can be done or not. She is in semi retirement. So, it is by appointment only now if she can fit it in. She did my wedding dress, and it could only be done by an absolute perfectionist. That dress had to go down 2 sizes and shortened and it fit like a glove. Could not tell the lace hem was cut. If you want affordable or bargain for small jobs like hems, but don't expect it to be perfect, by all means have the department store or dry cleaners do it. If you want to make sure it is done right, ie: shortened denim have the same looking hem as the original, (perfection), then that is what you are paying for. This was never meant to be a bargain service shop. Paying for quality. As far as the comment of daughters are rude and takes a long time for them to do the job... Mie-Lien is a one person show and it has been that way for years. She only has one daughter, who has a different profession. So, I wonder if that person was referring to another business. When Mie-Lien officially retires, those that truly appreciate her craft will cry, as she is one of a kind. read more

Too expensive .. Daughters are very rude.. Takes a long time for them to complete alterations.. I would not recommend.. read more

I've used Mie-Lien many times. Yes, she can be curt, yes, she's expensive, but I have only been VERY happy with the results. She is a really wonderful tailor and has transformed many pieces of clothing for me. She has made many of my boot-cut jeans into skinny jeans and changed the shapes of numerous dresses and skirts to make them more up-to-date/trendy. If you have it in your budget, and if you don't mind the inconvenience of her limited hours/the need to make appointments, she will turn out really wonderful, high-end work. read more

This is one of the most popular alterations shops in town - many of the nicer Chapel Hill stores will recommend Mie-Lien to take up their garments. I've always been happy with the work done here. You can trust Mie-Lien with expensive or delicate clothes, and your items don't come back to you mysteriously shorter or tighter than you wanted ('cause clearly, it's always a mysterious fluke of the tailor or dry cleaner, and not due to fault of my own). read more

I've taken clothes to Mie Lien for years and trust her work completely. As other reviewers have noted, alterations can be expensive, so I take simple jobs like hems to Oriental Tailors in Chapel Hill. I often need extensive alternations that require complicated fitting and Mie Lien has never missed. Sometimes I even take clothes in to get her opinion on how they fit me; she is very observant and honest in her opinion. She has family in Taiwan and closes the shop for several weeks most years to go home for a visit. That's inconvenient for customers, but I've learned to just work around it. I've used several tailors in the area, and for work that requires complicated tailoring, she's clearly the best. read more

To start, I have to acknowledge what others have said about the price. She is definitely expensive, compared to other tailors in the area. That said, I would hands down recommend her if you have a piece that needs major alterations, or is trickier than just hemming and cuffing. She can handle just about any job. I've taken in a peacoat to have the collar lowered, had two suit jackets taken in significantly, and had major alterations made to a pair of trousers. All came out looking perfect. As another reviewer commented, she also has a sharp eye and is willing to give you her advice (though she's never forced her opinion on me at least, or anyone else I was in the store at the same time as) on what an alteration will look like when complete and other options. She takes the time to make sure each customer is fully satisfied with the piece before she works on it. Other stuff: she generally takes about a week though she will take on rush jobs. She's reliably in the store during business hours. I'm pretty sure she only takes cash. read more

Work was done within the time frame, but she charges $22 to hem a pair of pants... I've never seen anything higher than $14. The price was also not given beforehand, and she doesn't accept credit cards. Also is not open during business hours- told me she would only be open two days one week. When I went to pick up my things (on one of the two days), she was closed, even though it was during her listed business hours. In summation, the sew-job was good, but incredibly overpriced, and she is unreliable in regards to whether she will actually be there or not. I will not be going back and do not recommend. read more

STAY AWAY! Inconsistent customer service, has been late in finishing my work EVERY TIME I've left something, and prices get higher and higher. She charged me $20 to hem basic cotton jeans + $6 to sew up 1.5" of a single seam. And, she charges more for "black pants", even if cotton, than other pants - $36 to put a simple hem in a pair of black cotton pants and narrow the leg opening a bit. These prices are far higher than I've paid in San Francisco or Boston, and inexcusable given the delays, inconsistent hours, phone calls (or lack of phone calls), etc. Mie-Lien, if you are reading this, please send a refund. The first time I came I figured the service was poor because I was a new customer, but after going back & STILL having my items delayed (without a courtesy phone call to tell me) and overcharged, no way I'm going back. read more