Michelle’s Tailor

I am 4′ 11″ tall, and therefore require tailoring on most items I purchase. Michelle is the best. I have been going here for over 10 years. She is a perfectionist, she absolutely knows what she is doing. I trust her completely to advise on what is needed to create a perfect fit. I would not go anywhere else in the city.

Yikes! I took a coat here to ask about having the shoulder pads replaced. The woman was watching a television show with the volume turned up so loud I could not even hear myself speak. She finally turned it down, but only after I said how loud it was. When I tried the coat on for her, she insisted I needed more tailoring than a simple shoulder pad replacement. I said I’d prefer to start with the pads and see how it looks. She became extremely agitated and started ranting at me that the coat would not look good without the extra alteration. She finally agreed to start by replacing the shoulder pads. I asked if I could see the shoulder pads she was going to put into the coat, so we could make sure they were the right size for me, but she said she did not have them in the shop. Concerned about whether the pads would fit my frame, I asked what would happen if she put them in and I didn’t like them. She flew off the handle and started yelling at me, saying over and over again, seriously at least six or seven times, «You don’t trust me!» She then accused me of trying to get away with not paying for her services. Needless to say, I left and took my coat with me. Wow. Scary place. Scary lady.

I love Michelle’s. The services are on the expensive side (it is Noe Valley), but she does amazing, fast work. I won’t take my dry cleaning or tailoring anywhere else!

I’ve been going to this shop for over ten years and is the best tailor in the City. The owner may not be the most warm and fuzzy person initially, but she is extremely competent and the most detail oriented tailor I’ve ever patronized. Her service charges are very fair, she has a loyal customer base, and has been in this exact location for almost twenty years. You don’t stay in business that long (especially in Noe Valley) if you aren’t great at your trade. I’ve gotten to know her better throughout the years and she is super friendly and accommodating. I’ve referred several of my friends and colleagues to her and they all thank me for recommending her.

I’ve avoided going here for the four years I’ve lived in Noe Valley because of the reviews. My hemming backlog got to the point where it was worth it to take a chance.
She’s a fast, capable, tailor, which is exactly what I wanted.
The bad reviews are probably a combination of personality clashes and people who want to keep her services for themselves.

So glad I’m not alone in finding these business owners rude. I used them a decade ago and swore I’d never use them again. Recently went in to inquire about an alteration and had the same experience. Two stars because they are at least competent.
We can best vote with our wallets: I’m finding a less convenient alterations store elsewhere.

I forgot a dress here for MONTHS before I remembered to pick it up. When I walked in, Michelle knew exactly where to find it & gave me no gruff whatsoever.
I’ve had several dresses tailored here & she is excellent at spotting a subtle tweak here or there for the best fit for your body type.

The reviews are fascinating.
No doubt that Michelle has a personality that one might not describe as warm.
But, she’s been good to me.
I walked in there a few months ago to have a button put back on my coat. She wanted a few bucks to sow it on, which she did on the spot, but I had no cash. She let me return and give her the cash, on a trust basis.
Went recently with a bunch of pants and the work was fine. I forgot my stub and she didn’t give me much grief about searching for them.
There’s no doubt that I feel like I’m walking on eggshells around her but I’ve had 2 interactions where she could have blown up at me, and she didn’t.

I can t believe someone like that can run a business. Horrible woman, yelling at people. I will never never come again. Bad work. Awfull tempered.

Michelle does not want dry cleaning business. It was very strange. Not sure why she is so rude other than she must have more than enough business. Maybe she’s a good tailor and that’s why she isn’t interested in taking cleaning jobs (at $ 4 a piece), although from reading the other reviews that does not seem to be consistently true. Weird!

I am a financial analyst who has had to wear suits to work and have them well-​fitted for client presentations, etc. I am relatively slender and if I buy a standard suit size, I need extensive alterations (would buy trim-​fit more if they weren’t so pricey).
I was referred to Michele’s for tailoring and I have been very happy with her work and prompt turnaround. I have been using her for at least 10 years and started when she and her late husband ran the business. She has tailored several of my suits (and my tux) including several pants recuts and taking in jackets from the back center seam instead of the arms like many tailors do. I think the latter alteration requires great skill and I have never been to a tailor that does that.
I have lived around the US, have used tailors everyplace I lived, and haven’t found a tailor that has been as consistent. I think her prices are reasonable and competitive (much better than downtown tailors). I have also had her repair torn textiles and misc clothing items. I have never had to take back anything to be re-​altered. I highly recommend her. She hasn’t been rude to me, though I have heard differently from others. To me, it’s an issue of communication. Listen to what she recommends and inquire. If you don’t see her point about how something should/​can be altered, be diplomatic in expressing your opinion. I have found she responds similarly. (Also, I have never lost my yellow pickup slip/​receipt, so I can’t speak for what happens in that circumstance.) In sum, I honestly don’t take the time to write reviews unless I am really impressed and satisfied and feel Michele is very deserving of my effort.

Brought in two blazers (nice, lined blazers) to have the sleeves shortened. Michelle was efficient and altered them for $ 30 a coat. It was exactly the price I imagined. Definitely affordable. The work was well done and completed in a few days, as promised. I’ll be going back.

For easy alterations, basic hemming and repairs take your things here. She gives honest recommendations on how things will turn out and has creatively fixed fit issues I’ve had on multiple occasions. After going to her for years, she has warmed up and while I know customer service isn’t her strong suit her turn around time can’t be beat.

Horrible woman. She hemmed my pants badly and when I expressed dissatisfaction, she started yelling at me in front of two other patrons. She told me to take my pants and get out and never come back.
As I walked out she kept yelling at the other patrons that she did what I wanted, I just didn’t want to pay. It was a pretty bizarre situation. I would have liked her to have offered to fix it as I now have messed up pants, but she didn’t seem to speak English well enough to understand what I wanted.
I don’t recommend this place for either service or work quality.

Michelle’s Tailor is great. The work is high quality and fairly priced. And, frankly, I don’t really want to drive to another neighborhood to get my pants hemmed. I’ve been going to her for nearly 20 years. And, for those of you who have complained about her attitude, please know that she has gotten friendlier over the years! :) Yes, she is a bit stern, but I just try to take it in stride.

I agree with Jeremy S. (post from a while back) —- LET IT GO PEOPLE! Michelle isn’t the warmest person but she works hard and does a REALLY GOOD JOB!
My boyfriend and I took in several of our favorite pieces of clothing that were torn and tattered as favorite clothes are. I picked them up yesterday and they look brand spanking new and I can tell just by looking at the work that it will last!
And back to the part about letting it go … You never know what someones story is so give Michelle a break!
If you want good repairs and alterations she is a great choice!

The owner here is very rude. I once couldn’t find my ticket number and she said she wouldn’t look for my clothes. She then hung up on me. When I called back. hoping it was some sort of technical issue, she didn’t pick up the phone. I would never go back to this place again. There are many other places in the area where you can get quality service and much better customer care.

I went to Michelle with high hopes — she was highly recommended by a clerk at a fussy men’s boutique in the neighborhood. On one pair of slacks, she insisted on not listening to my guidance on length and hemmed them such that they are too short. This is a reversible problem but it will be expensive to fix based on the type of fabric. On the second pair of slacks, I put my foot through the stitching first time I put them on and half of the hem came undone. Another re-​do… So now I’m 0 and 2.
Reading other reviewers’ comments about what happened when they brought back their defective alterations, I can see that Michelle most likely will not stand by her quality, and I have decided to take them elsewhere.

I find it disturbing how people defend her outright rudeness because prices are cheap and she works so hard. This is the type of business that would flounder, if it wasn’t for the fact it is convenient and located in a neighborhood that quite frankly is too wrapped up in their own world to let it bother them.
I am not necessarily bothered by non cheery people, but I am bothered by disrespectful people. My first interactions where such that I surely wont defend it by saying it’s just «who she is.» Screw you too lady.
Our family will be taking our business elsewhere.

I have been going to Michelle for alternations for over 15 years. Her prices are really fair, lower than they should be. She gets her work done very timely and within a week. I don’t rate people for the bedside manner though she is not a perky or cheerful lady. Let that go, folks. She works hard. Really hard. She has come up with good solutions to ideas I have had when I needed to let out a dress and there was no fabric to work with too! That made me happy!
For the prices she charges I don’t know how she put her daughter through college and now medical school. Of the all the garments I have given her from expensive designer jeans to really nice clothes, expensive clothes, she has done a very good job. Only twice has she taken in a dress too much. I am very petite and everything I buy needs altering. Everything.
After using a very nice, chatty and fancy tailor recommended by Neiman Marcus who actually missed delivering my honeymoon clothes to me in time for our flight over 17 years ago, I appreciate people who not only get the work on time & do not have excuses. And Michelle is a no nonsense let’s get it done kind of lady.
She has never yelled at me, but being from the East Coast, I don’t mind brusque. I have actually learned more about her each time I visit Michelle. I ask her how she is and how her daughter is.
And I have more clothes to bring her, dresses to get done in less than 10 days for Miami Basel. I disagree with most of these reviews and I appreciate her work ethic and the quality of the job she does. The expensive Russian tailor lady that I tried in Pacific Heights was no warm fuzzy lady either and charged three times what Michelle does. She charged almost more than the dress cost!!!
So lighten up, folks.