Fragile Fit Alterations

Darcy was wonderful and so easy to work with! She took my dress which was a few sizes too big and made it a perfect fit. I will be a repeat customer in the future. :)

Working with Darcy was one of my favorite parts of the entire wedding planning process. My gown arrived six weeks before my wedding, and there were two rather lumpy seams across the bust area. I had chosen a very modern, structured gown made of Duchesse satin with peplum detail at the waist, and with barely any adornments (no beads, no lace, etc) for my urban black tie wedding. So, any strange-​looking seams would show up even more dramatically given that there were no other details to conceal them. I was concerned about the lumpy-​looking bust area and also needed to get the waist taken in. In addition, the dress had originally come with a skinny little waist sash in the same heavy satin, which I didn’t like. I asked Darcy for her opinion, and the next thing you know, she whips out a length of wide ivory grosgrain ribbon and wraps it around my waist — it’s PERFECT. I agreed to have her remove the original sash and replace it with the grosgrain, stitched onto the gown so it wouldn’t budge at all during the day.
Because my husband and I were dancing the Argentine tango as our first dance, I bought a white halterneck eyelash-​lace jumpsuit to wear for the reception so that my legs would be free to move. This was the garment that needed the most extensive alterations; as it happens with jumpsuits, it’s hard to make them fit perfectly off the rack. Mine needed to be taken in at the waist and hips pretty extensively, even though it fit perfectly up top. It also needed bust cups, and some alterations to the halterneck itself (so that it wouldn’t choke me…). Incidentally, it was the consultants at BHLDN in downtown Seattle, where I bought the jumpsuit, who first told me about Darcy. I had asked them which seamstress they recommend most highly (since BHLDN doesn’t offer in-​house alterations), and Fragile Fit was at the top of their list.
The first fitting took all of 30 minutes. I didn’t feel rushed; I simply felt I was in the care of someone very experienced and confident. I even added a third dress to the workload (for the rehearsal dinner) which needed its long sleeves removed. At this point, we had four weeks to go before my wedding. Darcy took it all in stride — she said to return in two weeks for the second fitting. A few days before the second fitting, she called to say she’d had surgery not long before and would need just a little more time to complete my alterations. We pushed the second fitting back by a week, which was just fine with me. I arrived at the second fitting to find that my dress (which had also been thoroughly steamed since the first fitting) had been completely transformed — the bust seams were perfectly smooth, the grosgrain waist sash was attached and looking gorgeous, and the dress fit like a glove. Despite (I’m sure) the demands of recuperating from surgery, Darcy had exceeded all my expectations. We made a few small tweaks to the fit of the jumpsuit, and I returned the following week to pick everything up, including my cathedral veil (which Darcy kindly steamed for me as well) and rehearsal dinner dress (which looked fantastic without sleeves). The jumpsuit fit so perfectly that I got tons of compliments at the wedding on my outfit, which friends swore was custom-​made for me.
Darcy has such a warm and kind demeanor, and I felt I was in highly capable hands. When you first arrive at her house, you’d never imagine that there is such a magical realm of wedding-​dream-​fulfillment in her basement. But it’s true, and I was so excited each time I pulled up there! Thanks, Darcy, for taking a pretty dress and turning it into *my* wedding gown. I highly recommend Fragile Fit!

Based on her reviews, I thought Fragile Fit would be worth the drive from Bellevue to Lynnwood. Up until the day of the wedding, I felt pretty darn happy with Darcy’s services. Darcy is very nice and did a very good job hemming my dress, removing the train, and cutting out one layer of crinoline. She also made a great suggestion of changing the buttons on my cardigan, which I wore over my strapless dress. I also appreciated that Darcy let me come back a third time so that she could show my mom how to tie the corset in my dress (my mom lives out of town & wasn’t available until a few days before the wedding). There were a few issues, however… first off, I have a larger bust and I was concerned about wearing a strapless bra with my dress. At the first fitting, Darcy and her assistant let me try on the dress with two different bras, & they made a recommendation on which one to use. However, that bra kept sticking out above the neckline. At that time, Darcy suggested waiting until the second fitting to see if it was still an issue. She thought we could move it down and if needed, pin the dress to the bra. At the second fitting, the bra still stuck out so she said to just pin the dress to the bra and gave me 3 little safety pins. I would have rather seen her pin the dress to the bra or have had her sew the bra into the dress, but I didn’t have a chance to do either of those because every time I was there, Darcy rushed through everything and gave me the impression that I needed to hurry up and leave. I will admit that could be in my head, although both my FH and my mother said the same thing.
On the day of the wedding, putting on my dress became a disaster. It took 4 of us to try and hold the dress up and to insert the pins. Every one of them was too small to fit through my bra and the dress. We managed to find a large safety pin and while trying to push it through the bra and dress, the pin bent to the point that it was unusable. Thankfully, my Maid of Honor saved the day by sewing my dress to the bra while I was wearing it, but by then we were already an hour behind schedule.
I think Darcy does a good job, I would just say that considering how important the day is, make sure everything is perfect before you leave.

Darcy is an Alterations Genius! I ordered my bridesmaid dress online and it was extremely tight in the waist, even though the stylist recommended the size according to my body measurements. I accidentally called in during a closed day and left a voicemail, but when I called the second time to leave another voicemail (I got cut off since it was timed), Darcy actually picked up. She thought it was an emergency bridal phone call, but took the time to listen to my situation during the phone call (Thanks you so much for doing that!). She conducts her business in the basement of her house and has her own Etsy business online. She was extremely friendly when I entered her home and the fitting literally took less than 10 minutes. The cost was expensive (took out an inch in the wasit + hemming + tweak the belt), but the quick, excellent customer service was worth it. In addition, the wedding date was only two weeks away, so I was pretty desperate on getting the dressed fixed in a timely manner. I picked it up the next week and the dress fit like a dream, in exception to the zipper, but that was the designer’s fault for creating a poor zipper. The length was also a great fit when I tried the dress on with heels.
If you’re a bride or a bridesmaid, I highly recommend Fragile Fit. Your fitting will take less than 10 minutes, and you will feel so comfortable with Darcy attending to your needs. Moreover, it’s always great to support local businesses :)
I only knocked off a star due to the cost, but everything else was wonderful.

Darcy was such an amazing person to work with for alterations on my wedding dress! She came highly recommended from my wedding planner, so I decided to give her a try because she was so highly recommended online as well. I even called her up really late (definitely after the deadline one should be calling to get their wedding dress altered) and I was able to work out a time slot with her to get on her calendar. She was such an awesome seamstress and made the dress fit PERFECTLY! When I got it from the boutique, there were some things with the dress that just didn’t… fit right, and let me tell you, Darcy is a miracle worker. She made that think fit like a GLOVE. I will be taking more dresses and clothing items to Darcy to be altered in the future — I was so impressed with her professionalism and cheery disposition. I honestly picked the best seamstress for the job, and I would recommend her to absolutely everyone.
Fun fact, she also has hair pieces, belts, jewelry, and garters for sale — so she is your one stop shop for all things wedding! Definitely give her a call and try things out — I guarantee you’re going to love it.

Definitely want to start by saying Darcy is a great gal– she definitely knows what she is doing in the alterations dept and she is very fair in her pricing. With that said, I had a similiar experience to that of Geena L– with the hard-​to-​find hooks for the bustling and having them just fail within a few minutes. However, on the flip side– i had a sheath style dress with very very delicate organza and lace overlay that darcy was able to take in (2 sizes) and some how fuse the orangza and lace over top– LET ME TELL you it was flawless– absolutely beautiful.
The only other hickup i expericend was that I mentioned to Darcy that i was planning to use a ribbon sash, which i thought i would just pick up at hobby lobby. However, Darcy urged me to use the ribbon sashes she had in-​house. She only had one in stock– i needed a second one for my daughter’s dress, but she assured me she would have plenty of time to order it in– cost for these $ 20 per. here is where i dont know what to think– I left the first sash with darcy to pick up 3 days prior to my wedding– I never heard from her that there was any issue with the sash, but when my friend went to pick up my dress, Darcy told her (and showed her) that the sash that came was the wrong color. The good thing is i only ended up needing the one sash because i chose not to wear mine– but I was still a little frustrated that she never reached out to me in advance to let me know — what would have happened if I was planning to wear it???
The only other things I would like to add are — 1. be careful in there with accessories– it’s very easy to be upsold– i ended up spending double what i would have if i had just stuck to alterations :) and 2. when arriving to Fragile Fit– JUST GO IN. This business is run out of the owner’s home and… well…it’s a lived in home. if you aren’t expecting it, you might just drive up and then decide to leave. her shop inside her home is very lovely and her work really is great.

I had a great experience working with Darcy. I went in for 3 fittings and in the end the dress fit me perfectly. It was easy to make appointments, and the space she has in her house is very well set up and welcoming. Every bride is eager to see her dress, but try not to show up early, Darcy’s studio is designed for one bride at a time.

This was a wonderful experience. They were warm and friendly and entirely quick to see what areas of the dress needed work. They also were great listeners as far as understanding my vision. The dress is beautiful on me and I owe it all to them. Their pricing its totally fair. They charged me once and didn’t add on things as we continued. She also met with me numerous times without adding costs for changing something on the bust. For $ 275, she took in the waist, altered the somewhat complex bust, created a bustle and shortened the dress. All of this included lace work. Incredibly affordable! I would recommend them to all my friends!

To start, I do have to say Darcy was very friendly and great. Every time I came in she had a different assistant, but all of them helpful and attentive. I started getting my dress altered very early. My wedding was in March 2015, and I think my first appointment was in December (late December). It did take a little bit to get a-​hold of her in the beginning to set up an appointment, but I completely understand how busy it can get around the Holidays.
When I bought my dress, I was 40 or so pounds heavier than when I was getting it altered, and I was still losing weight to be honest. I also brought in my veil to complete the picture, as I had bought my veil separately and had never had both to try on together. I took my mom with me to my first appointment, and I think the second or third after that. I had a lot of appointments with Darcy. I tried the dress on and still loved it, and honestly they couldn’t even lace it up all the way with how much weight I had lost.
The next time I came in (I think a month later) the dress was fitting better, but I still had many concerns. I have to admit my boobs got kind of smaller and the dress was HUGE in that area. Darcy kept saying it was because they had to lace me up really tight in the dress and it had to be held up high when it started lacing. So when I brought my maid of honor (who is a godsend really) to the next appointment we finally were taught how to lace it correctly and I had to admit the dress looked way better. Though, when I asked to try on my veil, they had no recollection of me bringing it in with my dress. I almost freaked, but they found it 10 minutes later behind another bunch of dresses. Though the other issue was I still had lost weight (5 more lbs at this point) and I think at this time it was February, so getting close to the time the dress needed to be done. She had to take in a little shawl I had to wear over my dress a little more and the bustle had not been done. (Which worried me) My dress had a HUGE train, and it was 3 layers of lace and heavy. She only had three tiny fish eye hooks for the train which also worried me, as she was trying to put 2 parts of the dress on one. She finally decided that wouldn’t work and added 2 more hooks on each side.
When I finally picked up my dress it was the day before the wedding and I was hoping everything was okay. It fit great the day of to be honest, though we had major trouble lacing it up (nerves I think or too many mimosas in the morning!). Luckily I had this amazing photographer that saved the day with that. When it came time to bustle after the photographs were done and it was dinner… we couldn’t find the part that you hook onto the fish eye hooks for 3 out of 5 of the hook ups. I mean they literally were gone I don’t know if it was from the steaming or what. But we finally got the dress bustled after 20 minutes of trying. Unfortunately, the bustle lasted 10 minutes. Two of the hooks broke completely off and that is where my disappointment came with the alterations. And the bustle broke immediately after hooking it up. So I had to hold my dress the whole night, and I slipped on it quite a few times.
My sister told me that is normal (I swear her bustle held up until she changed), but I still feel that if I am paying a decent amount to get my dress altered, it should at least hold up. I did tell Darcy I was a dancer (not a real one or anything), so thought that it would hold through dancing. It didn’t, and the dress was being stepped on all night.
Oh well I guess, but I just thought I would review. Darcy is a sweetheart, but I think if you have a heavy duty dress you may want to beware.
To sum up the work I had done on the dress:
I had cups added in so I didn’t have to wear a corset (though to be honest, they didn’t really matter).
It was shortened because of how long it was and I am 5’2″
Taken in
Bustle
My shawl was also taken in
And at the end she steamed it and the veil.

Darcy is the best. My wedding planner, Katy Roberts, recommended her and I am so glad I trusted that advice! From the moment I walked in it was clear that Darcy loves what she does and is a pro at it! I have a strapless gown and I wanted to create a low V back line, take out the corset and put in buttons. Done! Darcy had no troubles with the request and completed all of the work on time as promised. She went above and beyond to make sure that my dress fit perfectly and that all of the details came together for me. If I needed a little fashion tape around the bust line she gave me some of hers to use on the wedding day! If my shoes weren’t coming together she whipped out her needle and thread and adorned them herself. Darcy provides one in a million service and her prices are reasonable. She’s my go to gal for alterations!

Darcy is amazing! She gave great suggestions for my dress and is so sweet to work with. She definitely knows what she is doing and I would strongly recommend her for any bridal altering that you need! My dress was SO PERFECT for my big day!

Darcy’s the best! Best prices & awesome services, she was also very honest with the jewelry pieces I brought with me to the fittings since my dress was fully of 3D decorations.
I bought my dress online, it was a sample that was about 3 – 5 years old that was tried on a million times at a store on the east coast, and it was 3 sizes too big for me. Darcy just made it fit like a glove and gave it a very elegantly complicated 9-​point bustle.
I was very happy working with her. She also took care of dry cleaning and pressing before the big day. The quote she gave me was half (or more than half in some cases) compared to the other 9 alteration places, which included dry cleaning fee (I drove my dress around to 9 different places for estimates/​quotes all over town).
Darcy also spent time showing my bridesmaids how to get me into this complicated dress.
Having Darcy work on my dress was an easy decision to make and it was surely the correct one. Thank you, Darcy!

I purchased my dress from Belltown Bride, so it wasn’t quite my size (too big) and it needed to be hemmed. I also wanted the neckline altered into a sweetheart.
My appointments were quick, the service is friendly, and my dress was altered to perfection. I appreciated that she steams the dress prior to giving it back– it was perfect for my wedding day (BTW, it did not smell like mold, as another reviewer commented).
The shop is in a house, which at first threw me off, but I appreciated that it allows for Darcy to give personal and attentive service to each and every bride. I have referred many friends to her, and all of them have been super happy as well. Her prices are definitely reasonable too.

This was a really cute place to go to! They are a small place, but that allowed them to give me the attention I needed as I was trying on my dress. They were so polite, and very courteous. I was concerned about my dress being too long, and they told me that this was the normal length of a wedding dress, but were more than happy to help me see what my decision of a shorter wedding dress would look like.
The place is set up for one bride at a time. They have a cute dressing room that is set up, and when you come out they have a platform to stand on and have a chance to really look at what you’ve got on. After the various alterations, they have a very wide selection of accessories to offer.
They are not pushy, they get very excited for you, and I walked away feeling as if they were my girlfriends! And the price was very affordable!

I’m not sure if I could have had a better alterations experience anywhere else. Darcy is FANTASTIC. Her shop is small and run out of her home, but she is a pro. She suggested a few alterations to my dress — one included not wearing a corset under my gown and sewing in cups to the bust for a better fit. It really made a difference and made my gown fit perfectly, like a glove! I also brought her belt and she recommended sewing it on and did such an amazing job that it looked like it was made with the dress.
Darcy is extremely friendly and makes you feel wonderful. Her shop is well stocked with all kinds of accessories that I hadn’t seen anywhere else. Although I had already purchased all of mine, my sister and Mom both had their dresses altered here as well and purchased jewelry to wear. Again, she did a phenomenal job on both. Alterations cost exactly what I had budgeted and although may be a little on the high side, for the customer service I received I would gladly pay the same amount again

What a wonderful place!
I went in, panicking, after I realized I had less than a week to get a dress altered (just a bust taken in). Not only did Darcy make me feel right at home, but she was able to get the job done in 2 days! And she steamed it, which the dress needed (Thank’s for the wrinkly dress, David’s Bridal)
Her team of ladies was incredibly friendly, and warm. I will definitely come back for all my future alteration needs!

Darcy at Fragile Fit was a dream, quick, accurate and happy to suggest and make minor changes. Her attention to detail was awesome and very much appreciated.
I was left in the lurch when the shop I bought my dress from (Molook’s Bridal at the Seattle Bridal Expo) and she left town before my wedding and before I got my dress altered. Darcy was a bit pricey (especially since I’d already payed for alterations, grr) but she was so meticulous and speedy. When I went in for a final fitting she noticed that my beaded dress should come in another ¼″, I said it was fine but she insisted that the end result be perfect. And it really was!

Like many other reviewers, I purchased my dress at Blue Sky Bridal. It had been ‘wed’ before (code for being a used gown), which meant that it was tailored to another bride’s figure. It was a few sizes too big and a few inches too short, so the ladies recommended Darcy at Fragile Fit to do the alterations.
After the check was written, I had a few doubts. Did I just make a really dumb decision, buying a dress that was too short? I mean, it’s easy to take fabric OFF of a dress, but adding it? It could have turned out disastrous.
But when I met with Darcy, she didn’t even bat an eye. She said we could find fabric to match, but I suggested adding a little peeper of frill at the bottom. You know how I like my peepers. She enthusiastically agreed, which was a load off, and it only took about 5 minutes of discussion before she knew exactly what to do to make the dress fit me perfectly. (Which may or may not have included adding a wee bit of padding in the bust – wink!)
Before I left, she gave me the bill; something around $ 275. I’m not sure how that compares to other seamstresses, but it seemed very reasonable, especially when the dress would need a major overhaul.
I scheduled a 2^nd appointment for a fitting a few weeks later. It turned out that she got really sick, so we rescheduled. It wasn’t a big deal, since it was still months before the wedding. And when I did go back, it was exactly how I envisioned it! I tried it on and it fit much more snugly, plus it was a bonus that my dorky ankles weren’t visible. We decided she’d also hem the top layer and do some other minor adjustments. (No extra charge for that.)
Other than that, it was just one more appointment to try it on, and then she kept it right up until I was ready to pick it up a few days before the wedding. She steamed it so it wouldn’t be wrinkly and provided a longer bag so it wouldn’t rumple in the one I had. So thoughtful!
As a side note, I happened to show up for one of my fittings and another bride was there finishing her appointment. It was clear they’d been at it a while; the bride had bought a dress and then had major regrets afterwards. They’d pulled out a bunch of flounces and whatnot before I’d gotten there. Anyway, the point is that by the time I got there, the bride was happy and excited about her dress again. So if you are like her (or me) and might need some changes to your gown to make it perfect, you should definitely take it to Darcy!

I can not say enough positive things about Darcy! From the moment I stepped foot in her shop, I felt completely at ease and like I’d known her for years. She’s so friendly and open.
I went to Darcy for alterations on my wedding dress (taking in, adding bustles — top and under). She also took a seperate jacket and lined and beaded it so it would match my dress. Both turned out beautifully and fit like a glove.
I found her prices extremely reasonable for the high quality work that she produces. This lady has some SERIOUS skills!
I would recommend Darcy and Fragile Fit Alterations to anyone and everyone!

Darcy and her assistant were truly wonderful! After a week of researching alterations, and fretting about finding a great seamstress, I decided on Fragile Fit. So glad I did! It’s a tiny shop located in her home (which was easy to find), and its very cozy, cute and has a LOT of fun sparkly accoutrements for brides (I ended up purchasing my fascinators and a fun garter from Darcy).
I arrived early, but don’t do this– her shop is made for one bride (and maybe one friend) at a time, and you have to wait in your car until your allotted appointment time due to limited space. My advice is don’t try and show up early, just be right on time :) She put me immediately at ease, and like another reviewer said, was very quick. No measurements, but she didn’t need them– she deftly pinned up a beautiful bustle and took in the bodice in about 8 minutes. She was personable and we laughed and joked about Vegas (where our wedding took place), and was just a cool lady. She gave me a little time to check out her pinnings, I gave the okay, then I got dressed and was out the door!
My dress was ready within 2 weeks, which was great because we had a destination wedding and needed it in a certain time frame. When I arrived for the final fitting, it fit PERFECTLY. Couldn’t have been more pleased. The bustle hooks were expertly hidden in the lace, and she took care to make sure the lace detail on the train still showed even when it was bustled. The bustle held up well (we were in Vegas, and it journeyed with me bustled up in all the limo rides, casino walks, etc. after the wedding was done). The chest looked perfect after she took it in about two inches.
The pricing was VERY reasonable, and I felt I got what I paid for. I highly recommend that any bride who is concerned about finding someone great for your alterations contact Darcy– I think you’ll be very happy with the results :)