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How Long do Dress Alterations Take? Answered

When you sew any piece of garment and take it to a professional tailor, there are fitting schedules that you should follow strictly and find out whether you need to do any alterations. However, people need to learn how long alterations take, especially dresses: the reason I am here!

In this article, I will tell you how long dress alterations take so that you can have a clearer idea of what to do. Let me tell you everything you need to know without wasting your time!

Key Takeaways

  • Everybody has struggled when their dress isn’t as they wanted, but the good thing is that tailors help us do everything!
  • The most common time you may need to wait for the alterations to be done is two to four weeks.
  • Some main alterations that people need to do on dresses include the hems, waist, and adding details.
  • If you hate to deal with alterations, make sure to do things properly and explain to your tailor the exact thing you want.
  • Make sure to give your tailor the exact time they need; in the end, you will definitely be happy!

How long does it take to alter a dress?

Dresses are of many kinds, and alterations are different as well. I know that everybody needs to know everything, but I want to give specific information here: it all depends on what alterations you need to make; yet again, dress alterations, generally, take from two to three weeks!

I will dive into deeper details, with specifications regarding what changes or alterations you need, and tell you the exact time you have to wait!

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Hemmings Needed

The first and most common change people need in dresses is the hemming part, which is done when dresses are too long! I am sure that everybody has sewn a dress and when they wear it, they notice that it is long enough that it doesn’t even allow you to walk.

When you take your dress to a professional tailor regarding hems, you should wait for about four to five days which is an acceptable amount of time.

Non-Fitting Waist

Is your dress too loose on the waist, and do you hate DIY projects just like me? You better take it to a professional. They surely know to make it fit perfectly on the waist, but there is a time that you should make for that.

To tighten the waist of your dress, a tailor needs two to three days so they can do the job correctly. I think that it is a short time for you as well.

Making Dresses Bigger

It is strange enough to mention this fact, but a tailor can make a dress bigger, around one to two inches, which is perfect. I know that many girls out there feel bad when they gain a little bit of weight and cannot wear the dress they love, but the good thing is that you can make it bigger.

To make a dress bigger, you should give your seamstress a little time, around one week, because they might have to use extra pieces of fabric or find the perfect zip.

Include Details

Nowadays everybody loves details in their clothes and dresses are the best example! It has happened to me as well! I have taken my just-sewn dress home and noticed that I should have added more things to it, tiny cute details, and I have taken it back to my tailor/seamstress!

The word details refer to small pieces of things being added to a dress; interestingly enough, they take the longest time. You should wait about eight to ten days to have all the details ready.

Neckline and Back Changes

Another alteration many ladies need to do on their dresses stands on the neckline (front part) and the back of the dress.

To make these changes, you will have to wait for at least one week and have your dress in your hands made perfectly.

What to Do: How to Make the Perfect Dress in One Fit?

To not go under alterations, it is essential to know what are some key things to have in mind before sewing any dress!

Think Firstly

When I say think first, I only mean one thing, and it is related to the details-adding part! Once you choose to sew a dress and take the fabric directly to your tailor, you should always have ideas in your mind.

It is better to find everything you want to do with your dress, especially if you want more details. If you do so, you will ease the tailor’s job, and it will help you too. That way, you don’t have to wait for alterations regarding details.

Fitting Schedule

A specific schedule is always something that you will have to strictly follow! Tailors do not deal with only one dress; they may have many clients and choose a specific time for you and the others.

Once you miss one fitting, you must do alterations and wait for the fixes. Always stick to the schedule to avoid alterations.

Wear Proper Shoes

Many people sew dresses to wear with high heels, right? In this case, if that is your concern, too, you should have the heels with you whenever you try your dress on.

Once you do so, you can have a proper idea of how the dress will look if you plan to wear it on a specific occasion.

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Final Words

Dress alterations are surely something that makes you angry and sad simultaneously! But that’s what tailors are for: to help you deal with everything you need to do and every change you want.

In the last part of this article, I want to mention that you should give your tailor some time, of course, if you want your dress to be perfect in the end. Again, if you hate alterations and waiting for your dress to be ready, make sure to do things properly.

Here, I am concluding today’s article with the main topic: how long do dress alterations take?