Beautiful dress!

If you look at it, it has two layers of skirt and the top. You could ask around, but it probably will be expensive no matter where you go.

A good seamstress/tailor is worth their weight in gold. I am not sure why she asked the price of the dress. I have never been asked this.

That be as it may, it might be a bit high for this dress, but then I don't know what is involved in this particular job. I would start asking friends/neighbors who they use. You want someone reliable.

I have a really good tailor, but he is very expensive. He shows me no mercy. My question to myself is, do I want the item? Or should I return it and get something else? Sometimes my tailor will suggest that I return something because it would not look right altered.

If I want the item, then I have it done and don't look back.

I have also used a seamstress who works out of her home. She is not as good, but adequate for everyday things. I wouldn't give her a prom dress.

I agree with Sammy. You have to take what you paid for the dress out of the equation. The labor involved is the same whether who paid 125 or 1,250.

If you are hemming, you want it to look the way it is now.

That sounds perfectly reasonable to me. That's a complicated dress.

My DD told me she paid $80 to have DGD’s prom dress altered. It had similar material in the skirt. I think 3 layers, strapless, so no strap alteration, and the dress was also on deep discount. The store where she purchased it did the alterations so of course they knew the price. So the price you paid for the alteration seems fair.

For the amount of time it might take to do the alternations, It sounds fair to me.

She probably asked the price of the dress figuring that most folks aren't going to want to double the cost of the item by having it tailored.

I went by the shop today but the lady had already hemmed it so I had to pay the $95. There is 2 layers of tulle but it didn't have a hem, I think it will just be trimmed. I do have a cousin who's wife does alterations. We'll check with her next time.

In addition to the layering, the fabric is probably a really hard fabric to work with and hem evenly. My guess is that she asked how much the dress cost because if the fabric is hard to work with and she ruins it, she’d have to replace it.

That dress is beautiful! What a classy and elegant look!

The alteration price sounds a little high, maybe 1.5hrs worth of work, double what I'd have expected, but if it was done right....

I hope she has a great time at the prom!

It costs just as much to do work on a $90 dollar dress as on one test costs $4000 if one is doing the same thing. My dressmaker/alteration lady always asks the prude if she thinks it was inexpensive as she hates to see people pay the price of the dress for an alteration.

Cutting tulle to shorten it is far trickier than just a simple hem. Frankly, I think she gave you a good deal.

Hemming is a huge pain. A rather large area for hemming too, so that sounds pretty good on price.

Not to be disagreeable, only food for thought! but it also depends on what the garment is made (trying to sew slicky material is awful, and I'd charge three times as much were I to have to make something of it) when doing the work, not just the exercise itself :) If that makes sense. Hopefully

Interesting thought....she asked the price and maybe actually charged less than if it was more expensive.

It cost about $115 to have my daughter's prom dress hemmed this year. Seems like a lot of money, but I hemmed last year's dress, and I was more than happy to pay someone else to do it! Not only does the seamstress have to charge for her time, but also supplies, equipment and business expenses.

My daughter paid 350.00 for grand daughter's dress. She was not happy with the shop so looked elsewhere for hemming. So far her quotes were 300.00 for hemming. Dress has 3 layers of tulle and one underskirt layer. No other alterations are needed. There is no way I would pay so much for a prom dress. I think the op's dress is gorgeous and will look perfect for the dance.

I do lots of alterations. When I do hemming on a full dress, it is about $20 per hem. So if it is 3 layers, I would estimate $60. As far as taking in the top, that can be very time consuming.

The dress is gorgeous, and you got a wonderful deal on it. As for the alterations, I don't consider the price too high, given the material and the amount of work involved. You absolutely did the right thing to have a professional do the work. I hope she has a wonderful prom! When you look back on it, years from now, the pictures will be remembered, but the alteration fee will long be forgotten.

I think many things affect the charges for alterations. If it is a busy store that did not sell you the garment, charge will be greater. A person working from home with little expense will most likely charge less. Prom time is peak time for a tailor to have a mountain of work. Prices usually will go up if demand is greater. The area in the country would have a bearing. Common practice in some areas to have alteration. A nice finished garment requires a very good tailor. Cost seems reasonable.

One more question, we picked up dd's dress today. Don't they normally iron/press the garment after working on it?? I asked if they were going to steam, iron, press whatever...but they didn't. I honestly could understand the lady due to her accent. All I understood was something about taking it to a drycleaner.

Alterations can be expensive, it requires a special skill that few have.

The dress is lovely, by the way.

I would think a seamstress would steam, iron, or press the garment after altering as a steamer and a good iron is essential equipment for them.

The dress is very nice and tasteful.