Clothing Alteration Process & Terms

What to Expect When You Book an Alteration

At Brighton Alterations, we want you to feel confident and excited about your clothing fitting journey.

Here’s everything you need to know about how our alteration process works, what to expect at your fittings, and a few important terms to keep things running smoothly. If you have any questions along the way, we’re always here to help!

1. Appointments and Timelines

• Booking In: All fittings are by appointment so we can give you the time and attention you deserve. Please try to book at least 2–3 weeks before you’ll need your garment (wedding dresses need longer, read more here).

• Turnaround Time: Our lead time is 2–3 weeks. Need it faster? Just ask — we’ll do our best to help!

• Cancellations: Life happens! If you need to cancel or reschedule, please let us know at least 24 hours in advance using the same link we provide to book your appointment.

2. Fittings and What to Expect

• How Many Fittings? For clothing, normally you’ll need two fittings: one at drop-off and one at collection. Some garments may need a little extra attention depending on the design, fabric, and fit.

• Getting the Perfect Fit: If it’s not quite perfect at collection — don’t worry! We’re happy to make further adjustments to get everything just right. Tailoring is an evolving art, not a predictable piece of engineering — it’s the collaboration between the seamstress and the client that creates the perfect fit.

3. Honest Talk: What Can (and Can’t) Be Done

• Tailoring turns your vision into reality — yet it’s not like shopping. You can’t try on different versions and request a refund. Once you approve pinned adjustments during a fitting, we work precisely to those measurements. If the final fit matches what was agreed but doesn’t look or feel how you imagined, we will do whatever we can to match your vision within the confines of the garment, but we can’t refund completed work. Tailoring requires confidence in your choices. Know your body, your style, and understand that custom work means taking responsibility for the outcome. If we make a mistake, we’ll always fix it.

• We do our very best to make your garments look and feel amazing — but we’re also working within the original design, fabric quality, and construction of the piece you bring in. If there are tricky seams, delicate materials, poor-quality stitching, or challenging design features, we’ll have an open and honest conversation with you about what’s realistically possible.

• All bodies are beautifully unique! Natural differences (like hips, shoulders, posture, or muscle asymmetry) can sometimes affect how a garment hangs or fits. If you know of any particular differences, please let us know before we start — it helps us tailor your garment even better.

• No matter what, we’ll always work with you to find the best solution ❤️.

4. Payments and Adjustments

• Payment: We take payment in full and upfront at the time of drop-off.

• Further Adjustments: If you’re not 100% happy at collection, we’re happy to make additional tweaks to get everything just right.

• Refunds: Because alterations are a custom, hands-on service, we’re not able to offer refunds once the work has been completed according to the agreed specifications.
  We understand that feelings about a garment can sometimes change — but once the tailoring work has been completed, it reflects the plan we discussed and agreed upon.
  That said, if there’s ever a mistake in the craftsmanship or if something isn’t finished as agreed, we’ll absolutely do everything we can to make it right, including offering a refund if necessary.

5. Final Notes

Please make sure you fully understand the tailoring process before we begin. If you have any questions or special concerns, we’re always here to help — just ask!

Our goal is to make sure your clothing fits you beautifully, so you feel confident, comfortable, and completely yourself, whatever the occasion.