A woman asked me this recently. She’s smart, successful and beautiful, and she honestly couldn’t understand why it’s so hard to find someone to alter her clothes, or why we “charge so much.”

Here’s the honest answer: we’re quitting.

This week a seamstress in the UK announced she’s done with wedding dresses after 28 years, because they take too much time to be worth it. Her comments filled up with seamstresses from London, the Midlands, Berkshire and Glasgow, all saying the same thing: *Me too. I stepped back. I couldn’t make a living.*

I’ve been a tailor for 44 years. Over that time I’ve watched so many talented people walk away from this trade for exactly that reason.

A few things most people don’t know:

🧵 **That $20 dress from Temu or Amazon was never built to be altered.** It has thin fabric, skimpy seams and no extra seam allowance. The flimsier the garment, the slower and trickier the work.

🧵 **We price the alteration by the work, not by what you paid for the dress.** A hem is a hem whether the dress cost $20 or $2,000.

🧵 **This is a skilled trade.** We spent years mastering it, just like your plumber, electrician or HVAC tech. You’d never ask your electrician to charge less because the light fixture was on sale.

Most of us love this work, and we’re good at it. But love doesn’t pay the rent.

So the next time an alteration quote surprises you, remember there’s a skilled person behind it. If you want your local seamstress to still be in business next year, pay her what she’s worth.

And here’s my real reality check: **buy less, and buy better.** Clothes that are well made, fitted to you and built to last can be altered for years. That’s the kind of wardrobe I love helping people build.