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| - "Jesus Christ! Jesus Christ! Jesus Christ! "
I can't count the number of times those words came out of Rita's mouth while I was there. I don't think she was trying to be rude per se, maybe funny, but it was hard to tell. The bride being fitted when I arrived couldn't make up her mind on whether or not to wear shoes or go barefoot during her ceremony and wanted Rita to hem the dress so she could go either way. In Rita's cute little Asian accent, she repeatedly said "Jesus Christ, you need to pick one or the other - If I cut for bare feet it will be too short if you decide to wear shoes." Again, I couldn't tell if she was trying to be funny, or if she was being rude.
I called Rita on February 16 to see if she required an appointment and she said no. She asked when the wedding was and I told her June 12. Again in her cute little Asian accent she said, "Oh my, so soon! You come in today before 5 and bring shoes." Immediately I was panicked with worry, fearing 4 months before the wedding was cutting it close, so I hurried down on my lunch break.
Through their conversation I learned that the woman being fitted when I arrived was getting married in 2 weeks - and this was her first fitting. Rita assured her she could have it altered in a week and not to worry. So, I don't understand why she made me worry on the phone that 4 months was not enough time for my dress.
While I was waiting my turn, Rita complained about not having time to eat lunch. I felt this a bit unprofessional, but also felt bad for her at the same time. She does after-all accept walk-ins. If she wants to guarantee a lunch, she should require appointments for fittings, or close the business for a lunch break.
When it was my turn to try on my dress she complimented the beauty of it and how well it fit me. I pointed out an area in the bust that was a little baggy and asked if she could take it in. That's when I realized Rita likely wasn't going to be the person to alter my dress. She insisted that the bust area looked fine and it didn't need altering. However, the baggy satin material behind the lace protruded significantly making my breasts look lumpy and uneven. When I mentioned this, she said, "I can't help you have no boobs, you wear silicon cups". Um, ok... I took that with a grain of salt because I'm not offended easily and I know I'm fairly flat chested with a B cup. However, there is no reason the bust couldn't be altered to look more flattering on me. She even went as far as to tell me I should wear higher shoes (I was planning to wear cowboy boots) and that I wouldn't need to alter the dress at all. I had already tried the dress on with 4" heels and it was still way too long. Lastly, I had asked her if she could replace the 6 missing buttons on the back, but she said she didn't have any extra buttons and unless I could find them and bring them to her, she couldn't help me.
I asked her how much it was going to cost for just the hem and she told me $350. I felt that was high for just a hem, but I hadn't been anywhere else and had no idea what the market rate for wedding dress alterations were. I ended up taking the dress with me as I needed to make sure it could be cleaned before paying $350 for alterations (I purchased the dress used and the lace was quite dirty at the bottom). Before leaving, I asked Rita if I could stop somewhere and buy her lunch as I was still feeling sorry for her from the earlier complaining. She was genuinely appreciative of my offer, but respectfully declined noting that her husband had made her lunch and it was in the back waiting for her.
Fast forward two weeks. I was able to clean the dress myself, so I started looking for another place to take it for alterations. After a long search, I found Kathy's Alterations in Ahwatukee that had promising reviews; especially in regards to customer service. I called on a Monday to see if an appointment was required and was informed that they take appointments on Mon, Wed, and Fri and were able to get me in the following Wednesday at 10:30. I ended up having to call in around 8AM on Wednesday to reschedule due to unforeseen circumstances. They were very flexible and arranged for me to come in at 12:30 instead. I'll make a long story about this tailor short as I'll write a review on her own Yelp business page once I get my dress back, but Kathy was wonderful during the fitting; agreeing that the bust DID indeed need to be altered, the sides taken out slightly (so I can sit in the dress), shortened (even with the 4 inch heels I decided to wear after all). Plus she had extra buttons and could replace the missing ones on my dress, was including 3 American bustles for the train, and patching two small holes I created in the mesh that the lace is attached to while trying to clean it. All for......... $330! $20 less than Rita wanted for just a hem!
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