The Little Black Book of seamsters and tailors in Calgary, as recommended by fashion insiders

Having trouble finding clothing that fit you the way you want? Looking to update a vintage evening gown instead of buying new? Have a closet full of clothes bought a few years ago that are just a bit small or slightly too big now? A great tailor or seamster (the gender-neutral term for seamstress), might just offer the expertise you need.

It can feel challenging to make the time and financial commitment to take your jeans, suits or dresses to an alterations shop, but even small tweaks can make a big difference. You can make repairs and custom alterations a part of your wardrobe-maintenance routine — I normally wait until I have a small bag of clothes to take in before I make an appointment with my seamster. Your clothes will feel better on, fit as they are intended, and may even last longer with the help of a trusted tailor.

It's not always easy to find a great alterations shop, especially when online reviews can vary so widely even for the same business. So we asked local style and fashion experts for their personal recommendations — here are the Calgary seamsters and tailors in their address books.

Westhills Alterations, 222 Stewart Green SW

Recommended by: Alena Tran, sustainable fashion blogger

The review: "I've only used one tailor, Westhills Alterations, but I keep going back because I've been really happy with their work. They will accept all kinds of clothing and repairs — I always see people bringing them pairs of jeans, which I know can be tricky to alter. The first item of clothing I ever brought them was a gorgeous vintage camel coat that was too big for me, and they were able to alter it to fit perfectly. A couple of my more delicate items have even had threads badly pulled out in some areas, and they were able to patch them up beautifully."

The insider tip: "I find that most pieces I bring in are ready within the week, but items can be rushed for an extra cost."

Wai's Alterations, 2312 4 St SW

Recommended by: Leah Van Loon, fashion stylist and founder of Fashion Experience Tours

The review: "Wai's is the best and has been around forever. Even back when I worked in retail it was always where we would take our repairs for the dress shop I worked at. They are really great at most alterations, especially womenswear, and I have clients who have taken their wedding dresses or special-event garments there with great success. Not the fastest, as they are quite popular, but they are good and the location is great."

The insider tip: "If you just need a hem or something simple it might be a bit expensive or too long to wait but it's worth it if you need a tailor you can trust with very expensive or special garments."

Antonio's Tailor Shop, 401 9 Ave SW

Recommended by: Lauryn Vaughn, president of The Upside

The review:  "They do men's and women's clothing of all types. The proprietor is one of Calgary's most trusted tailors; every time I am in there I run into someone [I know]. I have had beautiful designer pantsuits I have got from The Upside fully tailored. It was not cheap — I think it was about $240 — but the craftsmanship and quality of work is second to none."

The insider tip: According to Vaughn, this is a cash-only establishment.

Umberto's Custom Tailors, 321 6 Ave SW Unit 107

Recommended by: Katrina Olson-Mottahed, content creator and director of the Canadian International Fashion Film Festival

The review: "My husband uses Claudio at Umberto's Custom Tailors in downtown Calgary.  Their specialty is bespoke, hand-made men's suits. They are a father and son team and the father is a master tailor. You can take any type of clothing there to be tailored. [I appreciate that] even in a time where majority of custom suits are made in factories and only finished by hand, all of their suits are made completely by hand on premises. There are a minimum of three fittings before you pick them up to be worn in public. They have an incredible selection of fabric from the most renowned mills internationally."

The insider tip: "Give yourself about 3 months for a custom suit, a week for other tailored items you are bringing in to get tailored."

North American Quality Purveyors, 1207 10 Ave SE

Recommended by: Marielle Terhart, slow-fashion blogger and photographer

The review: "I'm Edmonton-based but I love the work done by NAQP in Calgary. They offer denim repairing, both invisible repairs and a visible mending style. You'd be hard pressed to find any other business in Calgary (or, dare I say, Western Canada) more interested in the construction of clothing, sourcing of fabrics and how things can be created to last a lifetime."

The insider tip: Call or visit to find out more about NAQP's in-house denim repair services, which are not advertised on their e-commerce site.

Calvin Butts Bespoke, 709 11th Ave SW #102

Recommended by: Megan Szanik, CEO and founder of espy experience

The review: At her Calgary fashion boutique, Megan highly recommends the services of the shop's in-house master tailor Renee Finholm, who is available to do alterations of clothing acquired elsewhere when her schedule allows. "And when Renee is full we also send work with Calvin Butts, a local bespoke tailor that works on menswear on the side," adds Szanik.

The insider tip: Calvin Butts Bespoke offers made-to-measure suiting and custom dress shirts for men and women, as well as alterations. 

Stitch It, 6455 Macleod Trail SW Unit 107B (Chinook Centre) 

Recommended by: Ania Boniecka, style and travel blogger 

The review: "[I] take a lot of things for alterations to Stitch It at Chinook Centre, who always do an awesome job. Prices vary depending on the item and amount of work but it is reasonably priced. Turnaround is also very quick and they are flexible with your schedule if it's something time sensitive as well. Plus, the ladies at the shop are so friendly and always remember me. It's a tight-knit and talented team."

The insider tip: "They fixed a whole ski suit for me last year, and did it perfectly. Performance wear is hard to do ... they can make it work."

Truc Nguyen is a Toronto-based writer, editor and stylist. Follow her at @trucnguyen.