Andrew / September 21, 2007 12:48 AM

Question suggested by Cinnamon.

Obviously, this assumes you have your clothing altered at all.

David / September 21, 2007 2:51 AM

I do some minor alternations and repairs myself, but mostly I have them taken care of at the place down the street. I have no idea what it's called.

k / September 21, 2007 8:42 AM

Tino's in Pilsen - if you're not getting too much done you can drop off your clothes in the morning, go to breakfast (Kristoffer's is down the street and the Sweet Maple is near by) and pick up your clothes when you're done eating.

Sol / September 21, 2007 8:48 AM

Jackie's on Touhy @ California. I'm about to take a pair of pants there to be cloned - they're quick, awesome, and if not cheap then at least affordable (I never had altering done so I don't know what's cheap or not, but I know how much I wouldn't spend to get a skirt shortened, and they don't charge that much.

DebO / September 21, 2007 9:03 AM

Eve's Dry Cleaners on N Broadway, just south of Roscoe in Lakeview. Super nice, super smart, always does a great job.

editorkid / September 21, 2007 9:05 AM

If anyone has a recommendation around Andersonville or Edgewater, I'd be much obliged.

Mo / September 21, 2007 9:14 AM

My dining room/sewing room.

On occasion I brought jeans to the dry cleaners down the street to get hemmed so they would keep the original hem, but even when they measure while I'm there, 2 days later I always feel like my pants are too short. So I learned how to keep the original hem myself. It's much easier than I expected.

Sol, if you bring a pair of pants to be cloned, do they make the pair from scratch, or do they alter an existing pair? If they make a new pair all together, do you have to bring them the fabric, or just pick out what fabric you want? I have a pair of magic pants that fit me perfectly but just wore out, and I've never been able to find another pair just like them.

Sam / September 21, 2007 9:37 AM

I so small stuff myself at home, but sometime it piles up and I know I'll never get to it, so I take it to the dry cleaners down the street, next to the Logan Square Auditorium.

They're nice, takes a while though. Charged me $40 to hem 5 pants, which I guess is average.

butterfly / September 21, 2007 9:40 AM

Sew Special Tailors,
2921 N Broadway St (near where Broadway hits Clark by the Landmark Movie Theater) hands down. Family owned, both parents and their son know their business amazingly. I have brought everything from my wedding gown, my husband's suits, everyday hems and a random cocktail dress I got for 80% off but was too large - and they transformed everything. They can re-do entire seams, zippers, or, more importantly, you can bring in something and say, 'this doesn't fit right and I don't exactly know why," or "how can I make this dress more flattering?" and they will make excellent suggestions. And do wonderful work. Plus, they have an adorable dog that sometimes visits! I've moved to the far southwest and I still drive up to Lakeview to go there.

Pedro / September 21, 2007 10:12 AM

Miron's Tailor Shop
Lincoln & Wrightwood

Great taylor. Great prices. Understands how the clothes move with the body.

He also does custom suits and clothing, so if you're in the market for a nice suit, he'll do a custom fitted one for under $500 that stands up to anything in the $1K-$1.5K range.

He counts Bill Clinton as a client. Bill. Fucking. Clinton.

kate / September 21, 2007 10:20 AM

At 5'9" I'm not freakishly tall but have to get fucking EVERYTHING tailored as I do not have short stumpy arms or legs.

Don't have a favorite tailor - if I'm at a department store with in-house tailoring I use that, but generally I take it to whatever dry cleaners is in my neighborhood. Currently I go to Jay Cleaners at Damen & Roscoe. They're cool.

Have a bridesmaid dress I need to get fitted... ugh.

Spook / September 21, 2007 10:20 AM

a place called Cinnalimited

skafiend / September 21, 2007 10:21 AM

I buy clothes that fit me, so no need to alter them. Even if I go to a resale shop, if it doesn't fit or has an existing rip or hole, I don't buy it.

Now repairs are another thing. A decent pair of pants or shirt with a tear I'll get fixed. Doesn't matter where (although the cleaners on Bryn Mawr near Sheridan is OK). But the other day I sewed a button back on my shirt MYSELF, so I got that going for me.

annie / September 21, 2007 10:26 AM

when Field's was still around they had a great seamstress department. Anything you bought there that didn't fit perfectly, you could take down to this dept. (some hidden room on the 8th floor) and they did any altering job for free. I'm not sure if Macy's has the same policy but it would be a real shame if all those women working there lost their jobs. Would be worth investigating though.

sky / September 21, 2007 10:35 AM

This is the perfect question for me right now. I am in a wedding in 2 weeks and just received my bridesmaid dress which is too big! Does anyone have any recs for a place either downtown that isn't too expensive or in the wicker park/bucktown/ukrainian village?

G.P. / September 21, 2007 11:28 AM

This is also the perfect question for me as well. Lost a bit of weight and bought new suits to celebrate. I need to get all the shoulder pads removed. If anyone can suggest a good tailor/alteration place in Portage Park?

lizzy / September 21, 2007 11:34 AM

I've had work done at Tails on Wells that I was pleased with. Cash only and reasonably-priced with a quick turnaround. He's also will to do as much or as little work as you're comfortable with to alter any given piece.

eep / September 21, 2007 11:50 AM

My mom. Unfortunately she just moved away, so now I don't know where I'll go for alterations. Maybe I'll actually learn to use those two sewing machines I've been bequeathed.

Spook / September 21, 2007 11:52 AM

Wow Sky how fortuitous!
Need a date? What say Allan? Free Booze! You can also stuff food in yer pockets like Ratzo Rizo in Midnight Cowboy!

alright, I' stop now I know I'm "ruining" the thread

Allan / September 21, 2007 1:13 PM

Wow. I am genuinely surprised and perplexed by this question. Do people really get their clothes altered? Not only have I never had this done, but it never occurred to me that it was even a possibility. I just bought stuff from the store mostly From Target or Sears and however they fit, that is how I roll. Do guys have this done? Straight guys? I have always had a problem with massive snugness in the crotch area due to the gargantuan size of my male genitalia. This opens a world of opportunities for me., in terms of future crotch comfort.

olive / September 21, 2007 1:30 PM

When I needed to reline my favorite vintage wool coat, I went to Davis Imperial on Bryn Mawr, off of Kedzie/Jersey. family owned for two generations. The grandkids also work there as well. They are very pricey for regular dry cleaning. They do a good job with alterations and such. Apparently they do museum quality clothing preservations, like for wedding gowns...etc.

Sarah / September 21, 2007 1:49 PM

Hey I just wanted to say that this is an awesome question. I have lost a ton of weight, so I've been trying to figure out where to take some of my nicer clothing -- party dresses and favorite jackets -- to get them taken in. Other stuff I've sold at my favorite consignment store on Southport.

mof / September 21, 2007 2:33 PM

the cleaners on division, near cabrini. nice lady. does a good job.

Spook / September 21, 2007 3:03 PM

Sarah,

come to think of it, when I consider all the other Gaper questions put forth , this really is an awesome question! Sorry for not recognzing it in the first.

Any way, now that I'm back in the herd so to speak

May I ask how much weight
you lost? I mean you say a ton, which means alot!

roderick / September 21, 2007 3:38 PM

For getting pants hemmed, I go about 20 steps south of my apartment to Fanny's Alterations, at Damen and Ainsle.

I've lost 50 pounds in the past year, so I took some suits I had before the weight loss to the Golden Needle, and the seamstress told me that the suits were WAAAY too large to alter. I was going to take another two suits to her that are only just a little bit bigger (bought when I lost 30 pounds), but after seeing some recommendations here I may go somewhere closer to home.

amyc / September 21, 2007 4:20 PM

Another vote for Jay Cleaners on Roscoe. Mr. Jay does fine work.

(The Happy Cleaners further west on Roscoe, however -- not so much.)

Spook / September 21, 2007 4:31 PM

Rod and Sarah!

Is it true that when people lose alot of weight, they still have folds- lose skin that hangs off thier bodies? And if so does it every go away?

Anon / September 21, 2007 10:38 PM

Spook!

You are a complete asshole!