Lily’s Alteration Service

Lily’s craftsmanship is excellent! I had a pair of winter wool pants shortened here. The pants are wide legged and cuffed, and kinda exquisite. I was worried that it might not look the same after being shortened. But Lily quickly explained to me how she would do it and why it’d look the same. She gave me the confidence that she was the professional and she knew what she was talking about and she knew what she was doing. The outcome spoke for itself! I was charged $ 14. I probably would have gotten away with $ 12 if I had resorted to the old trick of haggling, but overall I’m happy with the end result!
The reason I don’t gave 5 is because, as with most Asian immigrant small business owners, Lily is not very expressive and sometimes could come off as curt. But that’s something I can overcome for the sake of her workmanship. So I would still highly recommend her for similar work, as long as you can get used to her communication style.
One last comment on the store itself. It is literally a hole in the wall… But this ensures that the operating cost is low and the price charged is reasonable. So decide what you want to pay for: a shiny place or her skills :-)

Really good price for shortening jeans or pants. It’s $ 5 to $ 6 for a pair of jeans. And they did it fast:) Though not very neat, but good enough for me:)

Lily does great work and turn around time can be next day. It was past closing and she took my items anyway. She quickly realized what I needed done after I showed her. Parking can be a little tight if you are there during the week at peak hours. On a Sunday afternoon, there was plenty of parking.

Lily’s got business sense. There was no wasted space in this store. The alteration business only takes up a small footprint. The majority of store is the retail space displaying traditional Chinese fashion — women’s Mandarin gown 旗袍 and men’s Tang suit 唐裝.
I love coming here to browse, other than getting my garment repaired. According to an employee, it has been here for over a decade. I remember coming here to get minor alterations done prior to the Bellaire construction.
The parking is kind of tricky. You need to turn into the parking lot as soon you made a right turn from Corporate. If you missed it, make a U turn and try again. Avoid coming here during peak hours. Getting on and off of Bellaire takes a lot of energy.
Lily’s got some talents. I am going to meet her at Lily Massage & Reflexology in Dun Hua Plaza.

I don’t know if I’m disillusioned with my size or what, but I’ve accumulated a few bags of clothing that I don’t wear because they fit awkwardly. Since I can’t bear the idea of giving away these barely worn items, I started searching for a tailor to make my best friend.
I found this place using my Asian connections (aka family). The «store» is located in an apartment complex. When you walk into the room, you’ll see two Asian ladies sitting in a room surrounded by sewing machines. The place isn’t large and, if you need to try something on, one will show you into the kitchen that is also the makeshift dressing room. Not the most professional place but I’m just looking for a cheap good job.
And this place gets it done for a good deal! I had a shirt taken in for $ 6, a silk dress with two layers hemmed for $ 15 and a zipper on a dress that had to be completely replaced for $ 18. Cheap from what I’m told!
Definitely more visits to come until I buy my own sewing machine and figure out how to work it.