Alterations and Tailoring in Miami Lakes
Alterations are the cheapest upgrade available to most wardrobes. A jacket that fits properly reads as more expensive than one that cost three times as much and does not.
Why this one needs you in person
Everything else we do can be collected from your door. Alterations cannot, and it is worth explaining why rather than just stating it.
Fit is three dimensional and it moves. Where a shoulder actually sits, how a jacket closes over your posture, where a trouser breaks over your particular shoes, none of that can be judged from a garment lying flat. A hem pinned on a hanger is a guess.
So alterations are arranged at the shop, at 6430 Pembroke Rd in Miramar, about eight miles from Miami Lakes. Everything else you need cleaning can still be collected from home.
What is usually straightforward
- Trouser hems and tapering through the leg
- Sleeve length, from the cuff on most shirts and jackets
- Taking in a waist or a jacket at the side seams
- Dress straps, hems and taking in a bodice
- Replacing zips, linings and buttons
- Repairing seams and small tears
What is harder or not advisable
Letting out only works if there is seam allowance left in the garment, and cheaper clothing often has almost none. Shoulders can be altered but it is a major reconstruction and rarely worth the cost unless the piece is valuable. Going down more than about two sizes usually distorts the proportions, because pockets, buttons and details stay where they were.
We will tell you when something is not worth doing. That is more useful to you than taking the work.
Getting the most from one fitting
Bring the shoes you will wear with the garment, and wear the same kind of underlayers. Trouser length is meaningless without the right shoes, and a dress fitted over the wrong bra will not sit the same way on the day.
If it is for an event, come early. Good alterations often need a second fitting, and the week before is the wrong time to discover that.
Clean first, or after?
Clean first if the garment is at all soiled. Fabric can shift very slightly in cleaning, so altering a dirty garment and cleaning it afterwards risks undoing careful work. We can collect it, clean it and have it ready for your fitting.
Arrange a fitting
Call 954 983 7519. See our alterations page, or the Miami Lakes pickup page for everything that can be collected.
La Mar 1 Hour Dry Cleaners, 6430 Pembroke Rd, Miramar, FL 33023. Monday to Friday 7am to 7pm, Saturday 8am to 6pm.