ALTERATIONS Tailor in SAN FRANCISCO

[Aquafortis]

If it were me, I would ask to have these issues fixed. I think if you bring up the issue nicely, it can be a reasonable request. Assuming the fault isn't with weight gain.

Agreed. You should certainly ask to bring it back in and have him look at those issues.

 

[Jnarcane]

Tangentially, as this probably doesn't deserve its own thread: what tailors (whether for alterations or bespoke) do you recommend on the peninsula? That's where I live and I don't much relish trips into the city, especially with garment bags in tow.

 

[PilotStyle]

To bump this thread, I've continued to use Jonathan over the past year. I finally trusted him with my tuxedo, and he did a fabulous job, though to be honest it was a much less complicated job than I expected. He altered one sleeve slightly, but had to basically redo the pants entirely. When I was walking to the opera wearing it for the first time, I received several compliments on his work from people at the opera.

I just dropped off another interesting job for him. I'm normally a 42L, and I found a Loro Piana cashmere overcoat in that size for $50 (the fabric is Loro Piana, but the coat is not LP-branded). The coat is nice and warm, but it was too small. The sleeves were surprisingly short for a long coat, and the shoulders were really tight, such that it was hard to get my arms raised above my shoulder. I took the coat to Jonathan, and he pulled it apart right in front of me to see how much extra fabric is in the coat. He suspects it began life as a 42L that would fit me pretty well, but then was shaped up to trim in at the waist and shorten the sleeves, so I'm basically having him undo the work of a previous tailor...

@stuffedsuperdud - one more note on parking. There are a ton of metered spots in the neighborhood that are restricted until 6 pm for delivery vehicles. If you show up at 6 pm, most of them are open. Jonathan is open until 7, so plenty of time to see him before he closes up shop, and you can park at no charge!

 

[gimpwiz]

Jonathan's website is down. Any idea if the guy has an email that he shares publicly? I have a jacket I'm quite attached to off ebay, that I'd like to work ... better than it currently does. I want to send him some photos, because it's a PITA to tromp up to SF from SJ on a weekday, and I'd hate to do it and be turned around with a "sorry."

I've found a phone number on yelp, which hopefully is accurate, which I'll try calling, but figured I'd ask here first.

 

[stuffedsuperdud]

Jonathan's website is down. Any idea if the guy has an email that he shares publicly? I have a jacket I'm quite attached to off ebay, that I'd like to work ... better than it currently does. I want to send him some photos, because it's a PITA to tromp up to SF from SJ on a weekday, and I'd hate to do it and be turned around with a "sorry."

I've found a phone number on yelp, which hopefully is accurate, which I'll try calling, but figured I'd ask here first.

The # on Yelp is accurate. It's his cell phone and he's pretty good about replying to texts.

 

[konoyaro]

I'd been using Martinez Tailoring for the past few years and had been mostly happy but the last few projects were a surprising disappointment.
It's a shame I won't be able to use them anymore.

 

[gimpwiz]

Can you elaborate?

 

[Aquafortis]

I'd been using Martinez Tailoring for the past few years and had been mostly happy but the last few projects were a surprising disappointment.
A bit disappointed I won't be able to use them anymore.

Can you elaborate?

Agreed. Saying you were disappointed is somewhat ambiguous. What type of alteration was it and of what complexity?

 

[konoyaro]

I'd brought two pairs of newly purchased chinos to have the legs tapered from the knee.

Trying them on after the alteration I found that they had actually been taken in AT the knee and done in such a way that the outside seam was twisting inward.

I mentioned that there must have been a misunderstanding and that'd I'd wanted it tapered from the knee. Johnathan became agitated and told me that I got what I'd asked for and that anyway it was my fault for not noticing where the tailor's pins were placed if that wasn't what I'd wanted.

He finally relented and said he'd taper to the hem. When I asked how much they could be taken in at the hem he kept insisting you have to tell me precisely how much. So he wasn't willing to give me a professional opinion and was still clearly agitated.

When I went to pick them up after the redo, it was like nothing ever happened. I tried the pants on and although they were better than before, they still had a twisted seam and on the darker pair, the visible thread where alterations were made was not a very good match IMHO.

While previous projects went ok, there were enough issues with the above transaction to keep me from wanting to go back.

 

[comrade]

Tangentially, as this probably doesn't deserve its own thread: what tailors (whether for alterations or bespoke) do you recommend on the peninsula? That's where I live and I don't much relish trips into the city, especially with garment bags in tow.

Tailor Maid in the Stanford Mall.
I was a long time client of the tailoring genius
Bob Stankovic in Menlo Park who Covid took in
11/.21. I was recommended to Tailor Made by
Nieman Marcus or Wilkes. So far, I haven't brought them
anything complicated. Just some trousers tapered and jackets
let out a bit. So far, so good. I was thinking of Martinez for
more challenging work should it come up. Now, I am not so sure.

Home - The Tailor Maid Palo Alto CA

Call Us at (650) 328-8858 or Click here to Email Our Store Manager Nina Tran CUSTOMER SERVICE & QUALITY The Tailor Maid is about bringing professionalism, consistency, and creativity to the alterations business. We are a place where the customer feels welcome and taken care of and the staff...

thetailormaid.com

 

[gimpwiz]

I went to Tailor Made. She charged me $65 to shorten the sleeves on a linen jacket by a couple inches. I cannot say I'm stoked about that.

 

[stuffedsuperdud]

I went to Tailor Made. She charged me $65 to shorten the sleeves on a linen jacket by a couple inches. I cannot say I'm stoked about that.

Lulz then you're not going to like the $80 that Jonathan is going to ask for. At this point I'm eating the cost because I get it, rent in SF is crazy and hashtag inflation, plus he's a purist who seems to only know how to do things the slow "correct" way without any shortcuts. Also, I have been going to him long enough now that he knows how I like things and I don't want to start over with a new tailor, and it probably helps that I get new things very sparingly these days. I would probably find someone more affordable if I was just getting a wardrobe started and picking up new things relatively frequently, especially if I don't yet know for sure what I will like or not like.

 

[gimpwiz]

Given I live a solid 1 hour drive away without traffic, I'd only want to visit Jonathan when I require something special. I have a jacket (that I am overly attached to, got it off Ebay) that seems to sit right sometimes, wrong other times, and the chest just seems tight in the back-to-front direction. I wouldn't visit him to shorten my sleeves. I'm still figuring out if there's a decent alterations place less expensive than the $30 Muia's Custom (a ten minute drive for me) charges for sleeves.

Honestly, I should be asking my usual tailor first. But there's a difference between making jackets and adjusting them, versus altering someone else's jackets, so I figured for an "interesting" alteration maybe I should be going right to Jonathan. I'll figure it out soon enough.

 

[comrade]

Over a decade ago I went to Ricardo's in Sunnyvale for
a "second opinion" before I had a jacket altered by Bob
Stankovic. At the time Ricardo's had been recommended
by whom I do not recall. Seemed to be a serious tailoring
establishment. But around here standards are so low that
it is risky getting a referral. My trick, which worked in the past,
is to go to the nearest high end men's clothier, in the Peninsula
it is Nieman's and Wilkes Bashford, and ask who they use as an
outside tailor or special alterations expert. Both Stankovic and
Tailor Maid came that way.

 

[Mr Stevens]

Over a decade ago I went to Ricardo's in Sunnyvale for
a "second opinion" before I had a jacket altered by Bob
Stankovic. At the time Ricardo's had been recommended
by whom I do not recall. Seemed to be a serious tailoring
establishment. But around here standards are so low that
it is risky getting a referral. My trick, which worked in the past,
is to go to the nearest high end men's clothier, in the Peninsula
it is Nieman's and Wilkes Bashford, and ask who they use as an
outside tailor or special alterations expert. Both Stankovic and
Tailor Maid came that way.

I go to Ricardo's as my usual tailor. I think he's pretty good and it's in line with SF preferences. He does good work, but isn't the cheapest. Sounds less expensive than Jonathan though. I used to go to Andrea's fine tailoring in Millbrae. In his hay day, he was probably one of the best, but he's up there in years and can take forever. Sometimes his work is the best thing out there; other times it's WAY off. Haven't been since COVID. I like both these guys but I still feel like neither is perfect. I'm pissed I never went to Bob's. He's literally walking distance from where I live.