Very affordable, speedy, and honest. A throwback to a better time. Increasingly hard to find retro tailors like this in NYC.

Highly recommend for a quick and inexpensive jeans hem job. Pricing is absolutely unbeatable at $5 a pair, done in 15-30 min usually while you wait. Really good prices especially since some places I called around to ask quoted me at $35 a pair for the simple hem job! There's a curtained area to try on pairs and they can mark it accordingly and such. It's not the most meticulous hem job, sometimes a bit of loose thread and all, but it's good enough. That being said I probably wouldn't bring your fine dress pants and expensive items here since more care and a very high quality job would be desirable in those cases. Cash only. read more

Dropped by yesterday with four pairs of pants that needed to be hemmed. It took me longer to try each one of them on than it did for the gentlemen here to hem them! I said I would come back for them but they said "Give us 10-15 minutes. It'll be done right now." Total cost was $16 (Jackpot!) and I was out of there in 10 minutes flat. Love this yelp find!!! read more

You pay for what you get. $5 hems are fantastic. Coat linings are a horror story. I was quoted $60 and quick turnaround to reline my winter coat. I was elated. I found out the hard way that the price really reflects the quality. The tailors cut the lining too short, and when I pointed out their mistake, initially wouldn't budge. They agreed to fix it because there was no denying how clownish the coat looked, bunched up on the bottom like a parachute. Three visits and plenty of pleading later, the coat looked like a kindergartener had hacked it. The lining was hastily taken out and resewn by hand, too slack in some spots and completely taut in others. I could have asked them to redo the job entirely but didn't trust them not to butcher it. After nearly three weeks of back and forth, hours spent waiting, and no willingness to just admit poor workmanship, I was fed up; I didn't even ask for my deposit back. I decided to take the coat to 264 Tailor Shop on Broome for a quoted $70 and rebought the lining material for $20 from the lovely couple at 159 Orchard Street. Updates on this soon. Long story short, this place is fine for small jobs where you don't need any detailed expertise. Otherwise, beware. read more

The dollar Chinatown dumplings OF HEMS. Don't take anything expensive here. Don't ask them to do anything complicated. Dumpling stall translation: no date clothes; no Peking duck. read more

A buddy who works in costume design recommended this place when I needed a suit tailored in an emergency. Cheap, and quick he told me. Which, it is. And, like so many other cheap and quick business in NYC, this one comes complete with tiny, tight quarters, and less than personable service. I brought the pants in, and was instructed to go into one of the tiny booths to put them on. Okay. Fine. Next stop, I walk over to where they measure how long I would like them. I instruct the man to make them longer than he had initially suggested, and then back to the booth to take off the pants and pass them off to the guy behind the counter to work their magic. I have to say, the whole place runs like a well oiled machine; and everyone has their place in the assembly line. I handed the pants off to a guy who measured and cut them, who handed them off to a whole line of guys who do the sewing. 5 minutes and $4 later, I'm out the door. Cut to the next day when I put on the suit, I realize the pants are a full inch shorter than I had asked. I went back the next week, brought the issue up to no avail, and begrudgingly spent another $4 to have them lengthen them. This time with some of the shoddiest sewing work I've ever seen, and when I hand them a twenty to pay, they all look around in confusion before one of the guys runs out the door and comes back with my change. My assessment: They get the job done, and they do it quickly, but not well. read more

Wow, this place is great! I came in an hour before close on Wednesday night to get two pairs of suit pants tailored. I was greeted with a smile and asked to go into a dressing room and change. Then a tailor asked what I needed done and he marked them up. I needed one pair of suit pants simply hemmed and then another pair of suit pants, which I purchased at Brooks Brothers last year, tapered and shortened (when I first bought the suit, the Brooks tailor was very conservative with his alterations). Some of the reviews said to not bring anything expensive or complicated here, but I figured that since I hardly wear these trousers to begin with, I wouldn't be upset if they were botched. He asked my name and said I could come back in half an hour. I was addressed by name the entire time I was in the shop, both when I was dropping off my alterations and when I came back in. I thought that was a really great touch. So for two hems and the taper for an incredibly blousy pair of trousers, I was charged only $15! Can I make text bold in Yelp reviews? No? Okay, so I'll say it again. IT COST ONLY $15!!!! I am a firm believer in "you get what you pay for," especially when it comes to things being QUICK AND CHEAP, but I inspected and tried on each pair of trousers before leaving and wow. Such a great job. Now that I'm back home and trying these pants on with their matching suit jackets, I have to say... I look SHARP! Based on other reviews, apparently their work is hit or miss, but I had such a great experience. I will most definitely come here for most of my alterations. And even if mistakes are made, I wouldn't feel uncomfortable asking for something to be fixed because everyone there is SO NICE and accommodating, even though it must be uncomfortable working all day in a shop whose cooling system is a bunch of floor fans. Highly recommend! read more

Bought a new blazer on line in a flash sale. Paid $59, regular Price $450, normal sale price $249. Blazer fit pretty good upon arrival and I wore it the next day. While on the train, I noticed my cellphone sliding around in my jacket's front right pocket. I put my hand in there and noticed that there was a 4 inch gap at the seam of the pocket. Got to my job in the Financial District area and went to New Street to see if I could get it sewn. I've been going to this place for years for shoe repairs and shines and they have been reasonably priced and they do a solid job. I told the owner that I needed the blazer for a presentation by 11AM and he said no problem. The tailor came up took my coat and quoted me a price of $50. I was like "What"? After I explained what I paid for the jacket he agreed to drop the price to $40. I couldn't contain myself and started laughing and told him I could get it done for $10. Long story short, I got my jacket back and left. The owner got the feeling he lost a customer and he did(his work wasn't special or super cheap anyway). Later that day I'm on the Lower Eastside telling this story and some woman who I didn't know told about this place. Once my presentation was over I went here with a friend who's from the area. She began playing mom and told the guy what I needed fixed and how much was he going to charge. Turns out it was $5. He did the job while I waited and more importantly he did it right. I'm heading over there this week with two pairs of pants that need to have the waist, seat and legs taken in. I'll update this review based on this more complicated tailoring. read more

When I anticipate a trip to NY, half my luggage is filled with a stack of procrastinated alterations just waiting for a visit to Orchard Express (formerly Ludlow Express). This place ROCKS! They do an awesome job, usually in about an hour at ridiculous prices. Definitely a no-frills place, you can even say ghetto. It's actually a funny scene since the whole place is run by men taking orders and sewing away. This is one of few places I trust with original hem starting at only $5. Other hems are around $3. They've also successfully transformed a pair of my sister's flared pants to a pair of skinny-style pants...just in time for the season. Drop off your alterations, grab a bite at Clinton Street Baking Co. (.4 mile away) and come back in an hour! read more

I had an almost unreasonably positive experience at Orchard Express. I brought them a pair of pants that were too long, too wide in the waist and had a much "fuller" cut than I'd prefer. My concern was that, while fixing these pants to be wearable might have been possible, it was likely to be an "advanced" alteration that would end up costing me multiples of what the pants actually cost in the first place. The price was far lower than I anticipated - and the work was done just a few hours later. I will definitely bring more clothes to Orchard Express. read more

I'm short. Even when I get the petite sizes my pants tend to drag. Not cute or sanitary. So I have two options, drag my pants all around NYC (eww!) or pay tons of dollars for hemming. That was until I found out about Orchard Express!!!!! This place is so cheap! 4 dollars for pants hemming??? I was a little hesitant at first because of the price, but I took my chances and I'm glad I did. I came and got three pairs of pants hemmed at 4 dollars a piece and a zipper fixed on a pair of jeans for 7 bucks. All together less than $20! You can't beat that price. Service was fast. I was able to get the pants fixed right then and there. Talk about speedy! The pants are done well and fit perfectly. I would recommend this place to anyone! read more

Pros: (+) Quick and fast service (+) Affordable (+) They alter wedding dresses Cons: (-) None. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CASH ONLY. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A simple review for a simple service. Took my wedding dress in to get altered since I lost 40 pounds. I was in and out of the place within 15 minutes. Picked up my dress the following weekend and it was $30 for the whole alterations and I'm happy with it. Done! read more

These guys are terrific in terms of getting your wardrobe tailored in lightening speed - one hour! I literally brought these guys my entire wardrobe and they had it ready the same day. Just be careful and make sure that you explain to them the precise fit you want. I've taken my jackets, dress shirts, trousers and even denim to these guys and they did a decent job on most of them, not all. But for the price and speed I'm not complaining. Also, keep in mind that this is a CASH ONLY business despite what it says on Yelp. Also, it helps if you speak Spanish or mention the Dominican Republic as pretty much every guy in there is Dominican. They'll probably give you a couple dollars off each item. The shop itself has a historical feel with its walls full of pictures with notable people from the New York latino community who have visited the shop. read more

Quick? Yes. But they botched an extremely simple alteration job: a shortened hem for a jersey knit dress. The sewn line was INCREDIBLY crooked. (I could have done a far better job myself, but I don't own a sewing machine.) I now have to take it back to have it fixed. So now the dress will have to be even shorter. For $10, I expected at least an even hem line. Also, despite what the Yelp page says here, they don't accept credit cards. read more

These guys are dirt cheap. And although I've only taken simple jobs to them (hemming jeans, sewing buttons on a dress, cutting a jersey dress to shorter length) they've done a great job with nothing costing more than $6. However, they refuse to give me any kind of a claim slip or receipt to show I did, in fact , drop off items with them and that always makes me nervous! So, overall, they are good for basic tailoring, but I would not trust them with your couture! read more

After going back to Orchard Express recently for the first time in over a year and reading about other Yelper's experiences, I thought I should update my review. From what others have written, and from my own personal experience here, I can say that it's gonna be a crapshoot. I'll stick to what I said in first earlier review: don't take anything you care about to these guys. Why? 'Cos they might do a good job or they might do a bad job. If you happen to go here on a day when they're doing crap work, you're gonna be much more disappointed if it's something nice that they screw up. I cross my fingers and hope for the best every time something is handed over to their scissors and sewing machines and they recently fu*#ed up something that I thought was unfu*#upable. It was the simplest job I've ever asked them to do. The stitching was coming apart on a small section of my NF backpack. First visit: they stitched about 2/3 of the area that needed to be stitched. Thankfully they used the same color thread as the pack (black). When I went back a couple of days later, they ran over the section again - this time using white thread and doing an insanely sloppy job. All I can conclude is that it must depend on which guy you get sitting at the row of sewing machines, and some must be more skilled than others. Aside from my first warning, here are several other suggestions: -always try to be as clear as possible when explaining how you'd like the work to be done (even if it's something as obvious as the color of thread, as was the case with my black backpack). -check the work before you leave the shop. These guys are easy-going when called out on their errors. -I don't think it's my imagination - and they sometimes tend to give Spanish speakers better prices, so if you speak decent Spanish - I'd suggest trying to do the transaction in Spanish rather than English. -don't feel obliged to accept their initial price. I've found that sometimes they ask way too much for a simple job and in the past they've always been willing to haggle a bit. It happened today and they wouldn't go lower - so I went to another tailor across the street. read more

Fast and good and inexpensive. What more could you ask for. Service is friendly and prompt. It's a no frills kind of place do don't go if your looking for fancy. Go if your looking for a few Dominicans with sewing expertise and don't want to venture all the way to the heights. It was recommended by a friend and I've been going ever since although I like closer to the heights. LOL read more

This is my favorite alteration place in the city. It's inexpensive and everything gets done in 30 minutes to one hour. I've been coming here for about 10 years and still make the trip from the UWS. The only reason I give it 4 and not 5 stars is that every once in a while a something will come out good enough instead of perfect. That being said, 'good enough' is still fine. I take all my pants and most of my shirts here. I probably wouldn't take a $1000 suit here though. read more

Orchard Express - Best deal in NYC. Cheap, good, while you wait. - Sewing & Alterations Near Me - New York, New York

Excellent. Friendly, fast, job done right and even open on Sundays! Worth a trip to LES.

I went out of my way to check out this place after reading the positive reviews on Yelp. It took me about 3 transfers just to get there but hey, hemming for $4? I'm down. This place is tucked away into the side of a rather messy street. The decor inside looks old and faded but the back of the store is bustling with activity, as a bunch of guys are busy sewing and altering. The only English-speaking one greeted me and asked what items I wanted to alter. I had brought two pairs of dress pants. One fit fine but needed to be hemmed because I have short Asian legs. The other pair of pants needed to be hemmed, taken in, and de-flared. (Don't ask me why I bought them in the first place, ugh.) The guy waited for me to change into the pants before asking how much I wanted the pants adjusted and marked them with a white chalk-like rock. There were a few people sitting in the shop waiting for their alterations but they told me that it would be easier for me to just pick it up the day after. The next day, I came back in, picked up my order, tried them on - perfect. All in all, it was $19, which is pretty good considering I had 3 things done to one pair of pants. I give this place 5 stars due to price, great service, and job well done. Do note that this is my first time getting clothes altered and that this review is based on this experience alone. I have read in other reviews not to take anything overly complicated here but I wouldn't know. read more

Came here on a sunday to do a hem and taper for a pair of suit pants I needed for work tomorrow. My usual place was closed today so I decided to give them a shot. They managed to finish the job for the suit pants and another pair of pants in 45 minutes... for only $20! However, you pay for what you get; one of the pant legs was slightly wider than the other. It's not really visible to the naked eye so it wasn't too big of a deal but if you seek perfection, this is not the place for you. If you absolutely need something done ASAP and for a very reasonable price on a sunday night, then orchard express can be a lifesaver. They only take cash. read more

Long time user (of Yelp), first time reviewer. Stopped by today to get the sleeves on my jacket shortened. Walked in and was greeted immediately. Explained what I wanted (didn't even get measured). Left my jacket and was told to come back in an hour. Returned to find the length perfect and for $10, I couldn't be happier. The guy in charge even remembered my name. read more

5 stars based on quality and value. I bring mainly paints and shirts here. Been doing so for years. They do a great job and are the nice dudes. You're gonna get your clothes back with some loose threads here and there but it's nothing. Always happy, just give specific instructions. read more

They were reasonable but you get what you pay for!!!! My coat lining needed to be replaced and they did it, however it doesn't feel right and the front isn't aligned properly. I would only go for easy jobs like shortening pair of jeans or hemming an easy dress read more

I always go here to get my pants hemmed or get a coat taken in. They do pretty good work. It's inexpensive even though they did increase their prices. It now costs $4 for a pants hemming. They are very fast with pants hemming, usually done in 45 minutes or less. The best part is that you can go to il laboratorio del gelato which is on the same street for some good gelato and come back to get your pants! read more

Awesome tailor shop if you want something done quick and you're not too picky about the quality. Pickup same day. The men in there are extremely nice too. CASH ONLY read more

Needed a shirt let in so i stopped by after reading a few reviews on yelp. The guy behind the counter took quick measurements and told me it'd be half an hour... i was shocked at the quickness of it. I came back in half an hour and sure enough the shirt was finished and also pressed. I tried on the shirt and altho it wasn't as tailored as I liked it was still better than the original product. If you're wondering why I had to get such a big shirt, it was a corporate branded shirt that only had "select" sizes... meaning BIG and WAY TOO BIG. I paid $10 for the alteration and left him with a pair of pants and another shirt to try out this time I told him that they could take their time. If you need a quick job on a shirt or pants.. then give them a try. If you want a custom tailored fit then they probably shouldn't be ur first stop. hope this yelps read more

I was looking for an inexpensive tailor in the city and my roommate recommended this place. She's gotten her suit pants and jeans tailored here for years and never had a problem - plus, you can't beat hemming for $3-5/pair! I brought a pair of dress pants for a simple hem ($4) and a new trench coat to get the sleeves and length shortened ($30). I was actually very nervous about handing my coat to them after reading the reviews. The bottom hem ended up being a little shorter than I wanted it to be, but with the belt on, it looks proportionate. The only thing is, there is a couple inches in the back where the stitching puckered the fabric so it doesn't flow smoothly... kinda upset about that. The sleeves had loopholes (for a mini belt around the wrist) that had to be moved up and that turned out satisfactory as well - you can see where they pulled out the old stitches... the fabric is thinner there and has small holes from the stitching... but I guess that's to be expected from taking apart that type of material. The pants were fine. While this is no high-end tailor shop, this place is fast and efficient, and the guy at the desk making the alterations even remembered me by name. There was a constant influx of customers at both 1pm and 5pm (when I dropped off and picked up my stuff on the same day), so you can tell this place is well established with loyal customers. Would go back for its service and price, but maybe would not recommend getting expensive things tailored here. read more

The best tailor shop in NYC with the best tailors and cheapest prices around and fast gets really packed even though they moved from ludlow st they lost a lot of costumers but it still maneges to maintain busy all year long and being in the area for more than 30 years plus read more

For easy jobs, I love this place. They hemmed the sleeves on my shirt in 20 minutes for only $5.

I came across this place through a recommendation from a friend. I brought a brand new off-the-rack suit to this place to get fitted. The tailor noticed that one sleeve was longer than the other and offered to even them out, which I said ok. Once I got the suit back, I noticed that the quality of their work was horrendous and they ended up over shortening the sleeve. In addition to that, they accidentally loosened one of the buttons on the jacket sleeve. If you are looking for quality service, please look elsewhere. Pro: Their service was fast. Con: Sloppy work. read more

I was a customer for many years and was generally happy with their work. Their prices are extremely reasonable. Last year, though, they lost my daughter's bathing suit, the alteration fee for which we'd already paid. Although they refunded the purchase price of the bathing suit, they refused to refund the amount we'd paid for the tailoring. It wasn't a lot of money, but it really angered me. Why should we have had to pay for tailoring of a bathing suit my daughter can never wear because of their negligence? Bad move on their part; they lost a good customer. read more

This is the greatest place for fast Excellent tailoring Great service at great prices read more

This is the best tailor shop in the world. I've been going to Orchard Express for over 40 years. Back in the day, Orchard Street was the place to get your back-to-school wardrobe; a badass leather jacket and a pair of Fred Braun shoes. Orchard and the surrounding streets were a "tailors hub" with over 20 tailors offering the best workmanship and prices in NYC. Now only a few are left because they can't afford LES rents. Orchard Express is still there. Their workmanship is still superior and their prices are still unbelievably cheap. I'm a 5'10" female and most pants I buy have to be let down. Also, I like all of my dresses to be tappered and fitted. They've tailored 100s of items for me perfectly. In fact I tease them that nobody knows my body better than my tailors. read more

3 years ago there was a short dude who took your order, really kind. He didn't charge you for coming back when the work wasn't done correctly. This time i went back to get a failed waist job redone, they refused to do it without having me repay. This place is TRASH in every sense of the word. Unethical and repulsive. I'll never go back read more

This place rules. I'm sure there are others like it, maybe even better, but the point is, I got exactly what I was looking for at Orchard Express. Pants hemmed quickly on the spot for mad cheap. It will be my little secret from all my friends who's pants are just a little too long... read more

Came on a Saturday afternoon for a pant hem and they literally did it all in 5 minutes for $7! YAY! Nothing else to say expect great friendly service and will definitely come back! read more

I went down here with a girlfriend of mine during our lunch break. The first time I went, they were great. $5 for a pant hem you can't beat that in NYC. This time around we brought a lot of pants probably 7 pairs each and he tried to charge us different prices for the pants. My friend actually speaks Spanish and could hear one guy tell the other guy to charge me more because I had tags on the pants so I could pay more to get them hemmed. What a rip off! Like you're charging me more Bc I had new tags on my clothes? If you actually took a look at the tags you could see that you were charging me more than what the pants costs! Absolutely ridiculous. They charge what they want to charge you. Will not be back. Just horrible service. read more

Brought 3 pairs of wide leg pants here a couple weeks ago to be hemmed. They did the job in about 15 minutes for a THIRD of the price of my local tailor in Brooklyn. Happy to have found this place. So fast and inexpensive. It's fantastic. read more

Pros: pretty fast, affordable, good quality. My clothes have looked perfect since it was tailored here (twice now). Cons: None, though the place can get packed at times. read more