The winter is ending, spring is slowly arriving, and the days are getting ever warmer and longer!

Or, as it is in Iowa, the weather can’t make up it’s darn mind and we’ve begun flipping between A/C and the heat 😵‍💫

Either way, this all means that prom is just around the corner!

And heavens does prom need a lot of prep! Well, at least it did when this 32 year-old small business owner went some 15 years ago. Lots of Pinterest-ing (are high schoolers still using Pinterest?), buying seventeen and CosmoGirl! special prom-edition magazines from Barnes & Noble, full Saturday dress-shopping trips, color-matching fabric swatches at Prince Alberts or Holley’s, and browsing flowers for the matching boutonniere or corsage at HyVee. I will say, not much feels more Iowan than ordering your prom corsage from your local HyVee.

Well in our alterations shop here in Cedar Rapids we are also filling our time with prom-related excitement, but it looks quite different. For us, our appointment book is filling up, our door chime seems to be constantly ringing, and there are sequins getting everywhere. The busy season has arrived!

So as with every season, we’ve got sewing on the mind. Sew let us add one more piece of prep to your list of pre-prom to-dos: get your prom dress alterations!

Wearing a suit to prom? Take a look at our 2-part series about all the different suit alterations and what they mean!
- The Most Common Suit Alterations: Jacket Edition
- The Most Common Suit Alterations: Pant Edition

But what all is involved in getting a prom dress altered? If you haven’t had alterations done before, the whole process may be a mystery. And even if you have, there are some differences from having, say, your everyday clothing altered. So that’s what we’re going through in this blog post!

What does the prom dress alteration process look like?

The prom dress alteration process has a handful of steps, but it all starts with finding a seamstress and getting in contact!

1. Choose your seamstress

This usually starts with a google search of “prom alterations near me”, but how do you narrow down the list? We’re talking about a special occasion here, and that means formal attire. Be aware: not all seamstresses or tailors work on formal gowns! So more than anything, you want to make sure you’re finding someone who specializes in formal wear and has the experience and reviews to show it. You can use a handy-dandy search function 🔍 in the review section of a google business listing and filter for keywords like “prom” or “dress”. You could also take a look at social media for some examples of their work. Visit our Instagram or Facebook for some of our own favorite prom dress alterations!

You can also take a look at this blog post about the options available for wedding dress alterations. While it specifically focuses on wedding gowns, a lot of it is applicable to prom dresses as well!

Further reading: Where do you get wedding alterations? (also helpful info for prom dress alterations!)

2. Reach out and make an initial appointment — in time!

Once you’ve chosen your seamstress or alterations specialist, time to set up your initial appointment!

But, you want to be sure you’re doing this with enough time so they can be finished before your prom date.

How much time do you need? This varies from provider to provider, so be sure to ask this when you reach out for your appointment. For us, a prom dress can be expected to be finished in 2-4 weeks depending on the project and how busy the shop is. However, it is possible to have it finished sooner! We have saved many a last-minute prom dress arrival, turning the 2-4 week timeline into just a few days! Be aware that this does come at an extra cost.

At Merci’s Tailoring, a prom dress can be expected to be finished in 2-4 weeks. In a hurry? An additional rush fee gets your dress finished in just a few days or up to a week.

Now about the initial appointment itself. Each professional works slightly differently, so it may be helpful to ask what your provider’s specific procedure is for formal dresses. For example, in our alteration’s shop, we have a specific prom consultation. This consultation costs $25, lasts about 30 minutes, and includes your initial fitting. If you ultimately choose us for your prom alterations, then that $25 charge becomes a credit on your final alterations bill.

You can reach our shop, Merci’s Tailoring in Cedar Rapids, by calling us at (319) 377-0751 or sending us a message on Facebook.

Can you visit more than 1 seamstress or tailor? Absolutely! But be transparent about this to each provider so that expectations are crystal clear. It’s the polite thing to do. 😊

3. Get everything you need

Note: From here forward, we’ll be describing our (Merci’s Tailoring) consultation process, because that is what we know. So ask your provider what to expect at their initial appointment.

To have an effective and efficient consultation and first fitting, you want to make sure you come prepared. So here is a list of everything you will need to bring with you to your appointment. Be sure to get them beforehand! Otherwise you may need to reschedule and push your timeline further back.

What to bring to your prom dress alteration consultation

the specific shoes you plan to wear with your dress
the specific support garments you plan to wear with your dress (shapewear, a certain strapless bra, etc.)
no more than 2 additional people — there is limited space
a list of what you want to change or achieve — print out any inspo photos
any extra adornments you want to add to your dress
your consultation fee of $25 (cash, check, or card)
a rush fee of $25+, if applicable (cash, check or card)
a deposit of $50-$100+ (cash, check or card)

Let’s elaborate a bit on a few of these.

Shoes & support garments

Many people ask us if they can bring similar shoes with them to their appointment because they haven’t found or decided on the specific ones they want to wear yet. Unfortunately, we need to say, “no” and insist you come with the precise shoes you plan to wear. Same goes for any support garments such as shapewear. This is because a different shoe or different bra can change the way the dress fits or hangs on your body. This will, of course, impact the fitting and ultimate final alterations. Having your specific shoes and support garments are the only way we can guarantee our work.

Know what you want to alter

Having a good idea of what exactly you want to change will help make your appointment go super smoothly. Go a little further by making a list, and you’ll be sure not to forget anything. Spend some time in the dress before your appointment to move around, walk a bit, sit down, and make note of everything you notice. Is there anything pinching or poking you when you move? Does the waist cut in uncomfortably when you sit? Does the bodice move with you when you raise your arms?

It’s also okay if you don’t know exactly how you want to change something. Simply knowing that you don’t like the neckline, for example, is a helpful place to start. We’re the professionals and have worked on a lot of formal gowns, so we’re also here to offer some suggestions if you want them. We’ll also be clear on what is or isn’t possible. So be prepared for that, too!

If you have any inspiration photos of what you’d like that neckline to look more like, bring those along! Having a visual aid is much clearer than trying to describe it with words. Print these pictures out if you can! (Plain printer paper is fine.) This way we can physically keep the photo with the dress along with all our other fitting notes.

Custom adornments

If something you want to change involves adding an adornment to the dress, say rhinestones, flowers, or lace applique, you’ll need to find those extras and bring them with you. We don’t have a catalogue of these kinds of items in the shop, and the possibilities online are endless. Plus waiting for pieces to come in adds to the turnaround time. So it’s best you find exactly what you’re looking for before your appointment, and we will add them to the dress for you.

If you want to add something that requires a matching fabric, (straps, a sash or ribbon, and even a lace up corset back) it’s sometimes possible to take fabric from the dress itself. Whether this is possible, plus what kind of and how much fabric you’ll need, will be discussed at your consultation. More on this later on.

The initial deposit

How much of a deposit can you expect to pay at your consultation? This will depend on the size and complexity of the project. At your consultation we will be able to get a clear picture of the kind and amount of work that will need to be done so we can ask for a corresponding deposit. Only after receiving this initial deposit can we begin the work.

Schedule your prom dress consultation

If you’re ready to start the process of altering your prom dress, reach out to us by giving us a call or messaging us on Facebook.
Not sure yet? Take a look at our many 5-star reviews on Google!

4. Have your prom consultation

Alriiiight, we’re finally at the actual appointment!

Now, I personally like to know exactly what to expect before I go and experience something new. So here we’ve outlined precisely that for our prom alterations consultation.

The appointment itself usually runs a max of 30 minutes, and here’s a walkthrough of what you can expect in this half hour.

What happens at a prom dress fitting appointment:

You arrive and wait for the dressing room
When we’re ready for you, you’ll get changed into your dress
You’ll get fitted by staff and/or a seamstress and we’ll discuss all your alterations
Finally, we’ll wrap up the appointment and collect the deposit and any relevant fees

Now let’s jump into each of these.

When you first arrive

You’ll be greeted when you come in, and we’ll either be able to help you directly, or ask you to take a seat. If you’re a bit early, or if we’re still finishing up with our previous appointment, we’ll ask you to fill in your basic info for our alteration ticket. This includes your name, address, and phone number.

We’re ready for you!

When your appointment time comes and we’re ready for you, we’ll direct you to the fitting room and ask you to change into your dress, shoes, and support garments. If you need assistance, and you don’t have someone with you at your appointment, we can help close any zippers, do up buttons, or tie up corsets for you.

Getting fitted

Once you’re all dressed, you’ll come out to the mirror and we’ll begin discussing everything you’d like to change. This will be a combination between a chit-chat about the dress, and actually fitting the dress. We may pin something, ask how you like it or how it feels, move some pins, take some pins out, pin something else, etc. Often the person fitting you will be one of our front of house employees or one of the owners. While these are not the seamstresses themselves, they have fit many dresses and are very knowledgeable about the process. When an alteration is more complicated or atypical, we will call upon one of our seamstresses to take a look and offer their advice or insight.

If you’re adding custom sleeves or a lace-up corset back, it’s likely you’ll need to take a trip to the fabric store sometime after your appointment. It’s not always practical for you to find this fabric before your appointment because you may not know what to look for or how much to buy. So we’ll clarify all of this during the consultation. Choosing the fabric yourself ensures you’re 100% happy with the choice and eliminates time-intensive back and forth about options. To help make the best match, we’ll also recommend you take the dress with you to the fabric store. Or, if we’re hemming the dress, we can cut off a piece for you to take instead. Once you come back with the fabric, we can begin!

Wrapping up the appointment

Once you’ve been fitted and we’ve clarified all the alterations and/or customizations we’ll be making to the prom dress, we’ll lead you back to the fitting room to change back into your street clothes. Once you’re finished, we’ll ask you to meet us at the front desk.

If we didn’t have the chance to collect your basic info before your appointment, we’ll collect it at this point. We’ll also ring up your consultation fee, any necessary rush fee, and your initial deposit based on the amount of work to be done. If you want an estimate on the total cost of your alterations, ask for it here.

Finally you’ll either leave your dress with us to begin work, or take it with you to the fabric store as mentioned before. You will take your shoes and support garments home with you.

Alternatively, if you’re seeing other tailors or seamstresses for consultations or fittings, that’s fine! We’ll just close out the appointment a little differently. We’ll remove any pins before you change out of the dress, and you’ll of course take your dress with you. If you eventually decide you would like to do your alterations with us, you’ll schedule a new fitting appointment where we’ll pin you up again, collect a deposit, etc.

5. Have additional fittings as needed

In our shop, when it’s time for your next fitting, we will give you a phone call to schedule the next appointment. In other shops, you may schedule your next appointment before you leave your first one. Occasionally, we will also do this, but it is the exception for us. In either case, rest assured that we are keeping your prom date in mind as we are working through the entire alteration process, so you can be confident it will be done in time.

When you return for your second and any additional fittings, be sure to bring your specific shoes and supporting garments just as you did at your initial fitting. We want to make sure the fit remains consistent!

When the time comes to return to the tailor, it is possible that your dress fits absolutely perfectly on your second fitting! And sometimes things need a bit of tweaking, or we’ll move on to the next step in a more complex customization process. In these cases, we’ll pin for adjustments and call you when it’s ready again and schedule the next appointment.

6. Take your dress home!

When everything is fitting exactly as it should, it’s finished! Now it’s time to take the dress home.

If you’re getting your alterations done with a lot of time to spare, you may be wondering if you can simply leave it with the tailor until it’s closer to your prom date. While some shops offer this, sometimes with an additional cost, our shop unfortunately does not have the space to accommodate this.

In order to protect your dress while you wait for the big day to come, we would recommend a fabric dress bag. Many formal dresses come with one already. But if yours doesn’t, we have some available for purchase.

One final touch you may want for your dress is a steam to take out all the wrinkles and really polish it off. Depending on the dress and the alterations you had done, we may include this already. Just be sure to ask your alterations specialist if they provide this extra service and at what cost. Be aware that the more dress there is to steam, the more this can cost.

Finally, you’ll settle what is left on your alteration’s bill, and head home with your finished gown!

And with that, you’re ready for prom! Well, at least your dress is. We can’t speak for the rest of your prom to-do list.

We hope this blog post has helped to illuminate what you can expect when you get your prom dress altered. And if you’re ready to set up your prom dress consultation, or if you have any other questions, you can call Merci’s Tailoring in Cedar Rapids at (319) 377-0751 or you can send us a message on Facebook.