Whether you’re a vintage-clothing lover looking to modernize a new treasure or a young professional seeking the perfect tapered trouser, one thing is for certain: you need a good tailor. With a slew of crafty clothiers across the city, all you have to do is take your ill-fitting piece in and let those nimble fingers work their magic. Here is our west end edition of Toronto’s top tailors. [Image credit: iStock.com/solidcolours]
Tailoress, run by New Zealand native Michelle Turpin, is the trendy go-to shop for tailoring and alterations on the Roncesvalles strip. A sign reading “Sew Glamorous” greets you at the door and sums up Michelle’s approach. She exhibits a keen fashion sense in everything she does including her own Karamea line. Tailoress offers custom tailoring, alterations on bridal wear, wardrobe consultation, and ready-to-wear fashions to boot, all at affordable prices.
Sew Perfect offers a wide range of services to meet your tailoring needs, including alterations, embroidery, dry cleaning and wild card: t-shirt printing. Since 1999, they’ve served clients in the west end, offering competitive prices and professional service. Located in Dufferin Mall, they are best known for their alteration and clothing repair work. Their expert tailors work with everyday clothing and formal attire, including dresses and gowns. Hot tip for uptowners: Sew Perfect hosts a second location in the Dufferin Business Centre Plaza.
Lina’s Sewing is a professional dressmaking and alterations shop at the corner of Dufferin Street and Eglinton Avenue. Sewing runs in owner Lina’s family, and she first began sewing as a child in Russia before bringing her passion for clothing to Canada and opening her own shop. Besides designing clothes, she also offers custom alterations for both men’s and women’s garments, including resizing (up and down) and remodeling. Need a last-minute repair? Lina offers an emergency repair service with same-day drop-off and pick-up.
The acclaimed Labl Studio seamstress shop has been featured in Chatelaine, The Globe and Mail and WedLuxe. Offering custom-tailored clothing for men and women since 2002, this spot boasts a celebrity client list that includes Shania Twain and Ron Sexsmith. With a background in European styling, owner Elizabeth brings that flair and philosophy to everything she does. She attracts a discerning, international clientele and provides appointment-only clothing services for each customer. Her tailoring and design services include business and bridal wear, costumes, and wardrobe restoration.
Professional Sew & Fit is committed to quality and consistently offers clients the best tailoring services possible. With 15 years experience, their well-trained tailors are ready to meet all your alteration needs. Every piece is carefully attended to and custom tailored to order, using the most current sewing machines and equipment. Customer satisfaction and affordable pricing take top priority at this Wychwood-dwelling studio, and families in the hood love that they’ll work with any kind of garment or material, for men, women and children.
With locations peppered across the city (from Kensington Market to Bloor West Village to Parkdale to Trinity Niagara), Sun King Cleaners is well loved by west enders – especially for their free pick-up and delivery. They offer expert dry cleaning and tailoring services, calling themselves the “full service garment care specialists.” Their tailoring department is outfitted with the finest machines, luxurious fabrics and a wide selection of threads.
Just a hop-skip from Bathurst and the Lakeshore, this downtown shop is one of Toronto’s top dry cleaners and tailors. In 2012, they gained several prestigious corporate clients, including Porter Airlines and Skyline Hotels; in 2013, they received the Top Choice Award for Toronto’s best dry cleaner. Their impressive legacy spans four generations, and they’ve been offering expert tailoring services for over 30 years. Passionate about the environment, they use organic and eco-friendly products, including biodegradable poly bags for packaging. They also offer free delivery and pick-up.
Talented designer Maegan McWade didn’t start out with the goal of becoming a tailor. She offered some tailoring, alterations and custom commissions on the side to earn extra money while attending fashion school, and her reputation and popularity grew from there. Now, she runs a successful tailoring business alongside a shop selling unique, handmade items by local designers. Shoppe and Tailor's talented team can mend, update or custom create clothing to suit any taste. Maegan follows the latest design trends and specializes in giving older garments a new lease on life.