Ette: The Wedding Tailor

fix my straps/cups very often throughout the night of my wedding. Not ideal, but the dress looked gorgeous.

ogether. After my first fitting, I went home and realized I should've been more vocal about aspects of the dress I felt needed to be adjusted – namely, feeling like it wasn't hitting at my waist and was tighter in the hips than I expected! Liliana was completely understanding, happily accommodating an additional appointment to talk through our options. She kindly heard my concerns, recommending creative solutions like using heat to slightly stretch the dress and offering advice on how I could better move around in the fitted gown. At my second fitting, I was amazed at how her small, recommended adjustments made me feel MUCH more confident in the dress. By the time my third fitting rolled out, the dress fit like a glove. I felt SO gorgeous on my wedding day, never preoccupied about the fit and comfort of my dress, which is exactly what I had hoped for. I received so many compliments, too. THANK YOU Liliana and the Ette crew for making my wedding day all the more magical. 

s Feb 2024 so way late) that I loved the beading on but hated the thin straps at the top. My wedding planner said, take it to Ette, tell them what you really want and they will tell you if it can be done or not. I showed up for my first appointment mid panic attack crying because I was just so scared I was going to have to settle for something less than my dream dress, but they immediately calmed me down when I got there, and got right to work figuring out how to make this dress top into a halter. Not only did they completely understand what I wanted but they were excited by the challenge! They are truly incredibly incredibly talented ,and turned the dress I liked into my absolute dream dress. Jamila, thanks for being my fairy godmother and making all of my dress dreams come to life. You are a true artist and an absolute master at what you do. Thank you to the full Ette team for all your support/taking all my dress stress away and ensuing every single dress and veil detail was perfect. Thanks you all I had my dream dress.

ti-point bustle, and I also had a la carte sleeves that I wanted permanently attached to the dress (I didn't want them to be removable). Ette's 3 appointment method worked great for me. In my first appointment, Cindy really took the time to get to know me, my dress, and my hopes for it by the end of the process. She really hyped me up, and did a great job of explaining what the journey would look like from point A-Z. My second fitting was an absolute DREAM. Kyndal is the sweetest human on earth and it was so awesome to work with her at the midway point. By the second fitting, the straps had been shortened and the bodice fixed up, so it was really cool to see partial progress while knowing the best was yet to come. I left feeling beautiful and super confident that my dress was in great hands. The amazing owner Kpoene' actually helped me at my final fitting, and it was the best. The dress was absolutely perfect, beyond the vision I had in my head. It was so fun to get to do a big reveal with my mom there, and I seriously felt like the Ette team was the greatest hype squad. I actually loved working with multiple people along the way because it made me feel like the whole team was tapped into the details. I can't thank the team enough for all of their hard work, and I highly recommend them for your bridal alterations!!! Photo Credit: Photography by Lauryn

worked to make my wedding dress fit me perfectly. They are so creative in their alteration solutions! I was blown away at every step! Highly recommend!

high quality performance when it came to handling my wedding attire. The first issue came to light when, a month after my first fitting and a few days before my second, I received an email from Ette stating that they found a snag in my dress that likely happened at the factory. I'm fairly meticulous about these things and never noticed a snag myself, nor do I see one in any of the photos I took of the dress before taking it to Ette, but I wasn't 100% positive. Ette was helpful about reaching out to the designer to order more fabric and re-paneled the dress with the new fabric at no extra cost. I appreciated this greatly regardless of where the snag originated from, but my subsequent experiences make me question this experience now. My second issue: the dress was uncomfortably tight during the second fitting and needed to be let out a half inch at the side. Unfortunately, the dress now has snagging all along the line where the dress was originally taken in. Their advice for fixing this issue was to take it in again, which would have made the dress too tight again. Not really a solution, in my opinion. Further, I did not notice until my wedding day that the bustle points they put in caused the fabric to bunch up in various places on the train. (Ette does not allow you to bring a guest to fittings until your pick up day, and it is hard to see the details on your own.) The bunching on the train was noticeably visible when walking down the aisle. To make things worse, I opted for a hidden bustle, which looked great from the outside, but, when bustled, left large swings of fabric on the inside which meant I was constantly tripping on loose fabric and needed to lift my dress to move around. I am told that this was a poorly constructed bustle. I am extremely surprised that these basic wedding dress alterations were so poorly done when working with an "expert" tailor. What finally made me the saddest was that I took my veil in for my final fitting to try the ensemble on in its entirety. Ette reps offered to steam my veil, which I accepted. I incorrectly assumed that they specialize in bridal and understand how to handle bridal accessories and fabrics. When I later took out the veil, I realized that there are now frayed ends all around the edge of the veil, causing it to snag, and the rough edges now stick onto the veil so that it no longer flows freely. After listening to my complaints, Ette did offer to fix the snagging and trim off the edge of my veil, but I did not trust them to touch my items again and declined. All in all, they did deliver a dress that fits me well, but the level of damage and mishandling left me incredibly disappointed in their level of "expertise," especially at the prices they charge. I should also note that the pricing is not transparent. When, after my first fitting, I asked for an itemized bill with pricing for each requested alteration, they initially refused. The price breakdown they finally sent me did not equal the final total, so it is unclear how much they charge for service fees, etc.

had purchased my Suzanne Neville ceremony dress from a boutique in Austin and brought it to Ette to tailor. I was obsessed with my dress before but once they were done with it it fit so beautifully and I felt amazing in it! The staff is also just a pleasure to work with and the shop made me feel very comfortable. Highly recommend going to Ette if you're looking for a wedding tailor!

around the neckline of my very structured bodice, which was tricky around the boning and it turned out great. They also took in the straps and added grips so they wouldn’t slip down, hemmed the skirt and put in an American bustle. I wasn’t able to have anyone come with me to the final appointment to learn how to do the bustle, and the seamstresses took tons of pictures and a video so that my sisters (who live out of town) could learn how to bustle the dress. All of the staff members I worked with were super kind and made me very comfortable. The charges were transparent, and my invoices all reflected what I was quoted at my appointments. Ette did a wonderful job and I was able to wear my beautiful dress with absolute confidence due to the small but perfectly executed alterations they did. Photo Credit: Maura Black Photography

on wedding gown revamped by Kpoene' and her team. The entire experience was truly spectacular, and the end result is a work of art. The 60 year old dress needed quite a bit of love-- stains, fit issues, and a very stuffy lining. Ette made me feel like anything was possible. They are professionals to the highest extent- I felt so comfortable handing over my family's heirloom gown into their care. The people (mainly Moriah and Kpoene') at Ette meticulously and creatively worked on my dress during each of my fittings. The craftsmanship of their work is unparalleled. I cannot rave about them enough. Thank you Ette!!!!

tings and each one was great and listened to my concerns and offered recommendations. It fit pretty well during the first try on but we tweaked a few things to make it even better. For my final try on and pick-up it was a little tight and uncomfortable around the armpits because of some of the adjustments we had made to the straps. The seamstress fixed it right there while I waited and it was perfect! They also provide a cleaning and preservation service which I’m also using. Highly recommend trusting Ette with your wedding dress!

y frustrating experience. I had 4 appointments. They told me my mom could only come to 1 of the 4 aptmts I had. Keep in mind she doesn't live in the US & was staying with me before my wedding. I had her come to the 1 aptmt which they made a HUGE deal out of, when I saw many other brides during my 4 times there having their moms AND friends come in on their aptmts. I was told by them that they usually only let 1 person come in at the last aptmt to learn the bustle. The brides I saw were still in their alteration phases & no one was learning how to bustle, so you can imagine that I was very upset as they told me I wasn't even allowed to bring more than 1 person in. The person who I had on my 1st appointment somehow misquoted & told me the wrong amount. She told me it would be about $900. They have you pay half the invoice after the 1st and last aptmt. I got an invoice that same week for $572.50 with no explanation. I called them multiple times, no answer. I emailed them & their response really bothered me as they said "we apologize for the mistake; the construction of your gown is quite a bit more intricate than the fitter realized so when we looked over it with the lead seamstress this is what she advised." I am upset as there was absolutely no communication on this & I wouldn't have found out until they told me. In the email they said the cost should have been $500 not the $230 they told me. On my 3rd aptmt, they said there'd be additional charges of $510. I explained my frustration & she said she would see what they could do & got the charges from $510 to $280. This was now the 3rd contract I signed. I requested they send an invoice of $280 that week so I could pay & not have a ton due at the last aptmt. They sent it & I got a receipt confirming I paid. At my last aptmt, we were charged $800+. I thought this included my veil so I didn't question it but I pulled up my contract just to make sure. The lady then said she forgot to add the veil after we already tipped & paid, & had us put down our credit card again for the veil. I explained how they double charged us & she said she'd speak with her manager & if there's a refund then she'd get it back to us. She later sent an email saying they'd refund me $280 & I thanked her as she was nice about it. You'd think that that would get returned to the most recent credit card that was accidentally charged for. No, they refunded the first credit card I used. The only reason why I found out is because I emailed them as they said "please let us know if you don't see it for some reason." So I did & they sent back that the refund was sent a week ago & there was an email confirming it was sent & "You'll have to double check your bank statements to see which card you used & emailed me again confirming what card. No apologizes or anything. I know they won't respond back to my email & that proves my point. Overall, very disappointed with their customer service & felt ripped off/unappreciated. I gave many chances with the amount of changes made but in the end it didn't change my frustration. The only reason why I'm giving it 2 stars instead of 1 is because they did a great job on my dress. Their poor customer service, communication skills, & overcharging customers was just a headache. For the amount charged I expected more.

. On top of that, it was an unforgiving silk fabric. But they altered it to look exactly as I'd hoped! I worked with different seamstresses at each visit, but they were all great and really worked with me to figure out exactly how the dress could fit the way I wanted while still being comfortable to wear. At my last fitting they even made one minor alteration while I waited to help alleviate some concerns I had (and gave me tips for sitting down in the tight dress!). I got tons of compliments on the fit of my dress at my wedding and felt really confident in it that day. Ette was organized and responsive in terms of scheduling and never rushed me out of appointments. It ended up being more expensive than I initially thought, but they were clear with me about the pricing throughout and offered options for cutting costs. Overall, very satisfied!

espite altering so much of the dress, you would never have known someone did! There was not a single bead out of place. I would recommend them 10000x over, especially if you have a dress with beading/lace that you’re concerned about altering. Thank you again ladies for your fabulous work!!

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re professional, up front with timing and pricing and deliver the most incredible product! I had very specific changes I wanted to my dress straps and bodice and needed them to create a bustle that I had envisioned and my dress was even better than I could have imagined! I even had some bodice fit changes that I felt uncomfortable with at my "final" fitting 2 weeks before the wedding and they had no problem making the fixes and having my dress ready ASAP! Love the team at Ette!

ht my dress almost 2 years before my final wedding date (postponed due to covid) and my body definitely changed during the pandemic. I was skeptical about how my dress would end up fitting, so I took every suggestion that this wonderful, professional team had and my dress ended up fitting like a glove. I will say I spent more on the alterations than the dress--but that's also because I got a fantastic deal on a designer sample and it needed a lot of work. The work was worth every penny--the dress fit just as perfectly as when I got it (or even more perfectly), and the strapless gown stayed put throughout a very hot August night of dancing. I was also able to pick up my dress earlier than expected, which saved me tons of anxiety during my wedding week. Thank you so much to everyone at Ette--every person I interacted with was sweet, helpful, professional, and thoughtful. You all helped me feel so comfortable and beautiful on my wedding day!

cess, they were so communicative, kind and responsive. They did a fantastic job altering my Haley Paige dress (removed a few layers of tulle as well as a bit of the train). I also highly recommend working with Autumn as she was warm and definitely understood what I was looking for!

of town but wanted to keep my dress in Chicago where I was getting married. They were also great with updating pricing and making changes as the fittings progressed to ensure my dress was flawless. My planner and bridesmaids also appreciated how they color coded the bustle points to make it a breeze. I couldn't recommend them enough.

t was definitely pricey but they did wonderful work and it's a really nice shop in a convenient location. My advice for anyone looking for wedding dress alterations - contact them early (several places I reached out to were not accepting new clients because they were already booked up!), and make sure you speak up about anything that you don't like or want changed. There was one seam in my dress that just wasn't sitting right at my final fitting and I had to call it out and insist that it get fixed. The team at Ette fixed it immediately but it's on you to communicate what you need from them!

owed me how to adjust and use tape to make sure that my bodice looked perfect. They were incredibly accommodating and kind. Also beautiful and reliable work. Not enough kind words to say!

nd explaining the alterations process. Due to Covid, I attended all of my fittings solo (I was very glad that Ette was taking appropriate precautions, requiring masks, etc.) and Goli always offered to take pictures for me, ask about wedding plans, and went out of her way to make each appointment still feel fun and exciting. The whole team at Ette was very organized, responsive, professional, and transparent about pricing. When my dress needed some last-minute alterations, Kpoene was wonderful about working with me to come up with a plan and reassuring me that my dress would fit perfectly. The best part: it did!!! My dress fit like a glove and was perfect for my wedding day, thanks to the wonderful team at Ette!

They were welcoming and made me at ease. They truly were a pleasure to work with and I would recommended everyone to use them. The amount of time, care and concern they took on me and my dress will never go unappreciated. Thank you so much to the Ette team- I truly would have not known what to do with out you ladies.

only took two fittings. Very professional and beautiful space - can’t say enough good things!

ling and Goli took lots of pictures and videos for my family and MOH. Goli made me feel so comfortable and excited for my wedding with all the uncertainty of being a COVID bride. I can't wait to get my dress back from them after cleaning and preservation!

wn. I really ordered the custom dress for the lace detail along the skirt. I was shy to speak up when I didn't love how the bodice sat on my body. The Ette team could tell I was overwhelmed but hesitant to speak up. They reached out after my second appointment, asked me to come back unscheduled, and offered options to reconstruct the top to fit my body-type and truly make me feel beautiful. They went above and beyond and even used excess lace that I loved so much from the bottom, and incorporated it into the bodice. It was my dream dress and it is thanks to this dream team. Don't hesitate in choosing Ette!

y were also incredibly flexible when I had to reschedule two out of the three meetings. The shop is very beautiful, warm and stylish. During my meetings at the shop; Autumn was attentive during all the meetings and she was very kind to take photos for me each time to ensure I could share. They also took a video of the bustle to show my MOH on how to do it the day of the wedding. Their prices are reasonable and they are straightforward about their contract and pricing (no hidden fees or hidden agenda!). Thank you Ette Tailor for all your help!! I couldn’t recommend this shop enough.

ndemic because they made it so simple and the outcome couldn’t have been better. I was extremely nervous to have my beautiful Floravere dress altered after some bad experiences with alterations going awry at other shops, but I quickly trusted Autumn and the Ette team’s expertise and I was thrilled with how my dress turned out. They were very clear about what they’d be doing to the dress every step of the way, offered recommendations on fit and under garments and how best to bustle the dress based on its style. I felt absolutely beautiful on my wedding day thanks to the team! Process wise for the bride it’s a breeze. I love that they set up all 3 of my appointments in one fell swoop so I could “set it and forget it” and just show up when planned. When I visited the shop each time it was warm and inviting, the space itself is beautiful and I felt so glamorous. Even though I couldn’t have guests with me due to COVID I was able to FaceTime and Autumn took a bunch of photos for me each time to ensure I could share. They have straight forward and clear cut pricing for alteration services and post wedding cleaning and preservation. In my experience with tailors in the past I always feel like the pricing is so ambiguous and I appreciated Ette’s transparency. Thanks for everything, Autumn and team!

ronavirus and they were so accommodating during the entire process. There was a lot of uncertainty during those first few months and we ended up rescheduling our wedding. They were flexible and worked with me to coordinate new times for my second and third appointments. Even though the pandemic was still very much active, I felt they were taking all the necessary precautions for my safety and theirs. During my final fitting, they took a video on my phone of them bustling my train. Absolutely genius! And, so helpful on the day. I highly recommend them to any bride needing their dress fitted. They are very professional and made sure every little detail was flawless.

ly compared to other tailors I researched. My dress looked gorgeous and fit like a glove!

, temperatures were taken, lots of hand sanitizer. They did a great job of fitting the dress to me. Plus they took a video of how to do the bustle, which was very clever and very handy!

rations as well as a very thorough breakout of cost and level of work. We decided that due to some customizations, that I’d need 4 fittings. When I came back for my second fitting, the dress fit nearly perfectly already. The biggest adjustment was the arm hole as I had to reduce the amount of fabric in the shoulder straps for my shorter statue. By the final 2 fittings we were well into Covid but there was nearly nothing we needed to edit, just super minor seams only the seamstress could see. The Ette team is taking their precautions so seriously and I felt so safe in their space. I completely trusted them with my dress and the alterations. On the day of the wedding, my dress fit perfectly. I even had a matching mask from remaining fabric from my dress. I would send any bride to Ette!

ess and walking us through the bustling process in the shop, I had some concerns about the complexity of the bustling for my wedding day. And unfortunately those complications definitely came to fruition... I spent most of our cocktail hour with my bridal party trying to bustle my dress and we still weren't able to figure out how to bustle it correctly. Then, throughout the night, my guests kept trying to help me tie it (literally in knots!) up so it was at least off the floor and not getting stepped on, which resulted in it looking not at all as I had hoped for a large portion of the night. I know that the Ette team are experts in the space, but unfortunately I think my dress was too delicate to bustle in a sturdier/less complicated manner which left me disappointed with the result on my wedding day.

extensive bustles. My bustle was unfortunately the only snag on my wedding night that resulted in a lot of missed time with friends and family. Providing color coded ribbons or other options instead of clear beads would have really helped. My overall experience with Ette was amazing and I took such comfort in knowing that my dress was in good hands for alterations! Thank you for everything!

with only a couple months' notice and said they could alter it no problem. It did take a lot of work, but they got it to look amazing! All of the ladies there are so nice and I looked forward to all of my appointments. You can tell they really want you to be happy with your dress. Don't hesitate to go there for your alterations!

ilored the dress to fit perfectly and flawlessly (which included multiple layers of lace)! The bustle was also super gorgeous. I highly recommend them!

ing and deciding which cup to sew in. The second session was the bustle and minor touch ups. The final fitting was trying on and admiring the dress, and one of the staff took a video of the bustle for my MOH. Let me tell you, I’ve been to other tailors for myself in the past and I’ve also tagged along to wedding dress fittings for a couple of my friends, and Ette is the most professional and fun environment I’ve been in. I was especially impressed with the bustle, since I’ve seen some… not so pretty ones. The staff at Ette tried a couple bustles and said things like “oh god no gotta try something else”, and really worked at it until it looked good. It looked amazing!! I loved it almost as much as when the train is down, which is so awesome. For those thinking about their budget, Ette is comparable to other locations in Chicago, I did lots of research :)

mend - great team and super friendly!

was custom made to my but when I brought it to Ette they wanted to take out the built-in corset which was one of the things I liked best about the dress. In the end, I think it was the right call but their communication left me feeling stressed and like my dress might turn into a disaster. They also misscheduled one of my appointments causing me to come by the studio just to be turned away but Kpoene made it right with a discount. All in all, they did a great job.