Irena's Studio - Oakland, California

Nia

Finally had time to write this review after everything going on from wedding, but knew I had to take the time for Lily. She saved my dress before my wedding and worked incredibly hard and quickly to make sure it would fit perfectly for the big day. I like many others had the unfortunate experience of dealing with Janene's bridal alterations. They tried pressuring me to have them alter both my dresses but they overcharged me by thousands of dollars and were going to do the amount of work others could but take longer and not meet deadlines. My reception had so many issues and thank god I had a bad feeling leaving it in Janene's hands and held on to. I was pressured into giving them my other dress since they said I wouldn't have a dress for the wedding at all so I let them alter my ceremony dress that only needed simple hemming but they charged over thousand dollars for. I have photos attached for reference the lace trim that Lily had to not only hem but reapply the lace trim at bottom so that it would have same affect just shorter. Couldn't find the after photo but just know it turned out perfect length and was able to bustle.

I'm glad I listened to my instincts and found Irena's studio and took my reception dress there because Lily helped to make sure I had realistic price and worked hard to make sure my dress was done for my wedding which isn't easy with a lace glitter dress with floral trim. It was easy to come back for fittings for alterations, parking was street parking but easy to get. Every time I would come in Lily was so kind to ask me how I was doing and hear some of my stresses out that were occurring from wedding. I love how she doesn't demand additional cost besides what she quotes you and she doesn't make you pay everything up front like Janene's so you can have faith that she will show you her work speaks for itself. I recommended her to all my friends for their future wedding and if you were like me and got some weird vibes from Janene's alterations I suggest you save yourself time and money and go here instead. You'll have a much more pleasant experience that you need for your wedding dress experience.

Leana K.

I couldn't recommend a better tailor, especially for any kind of important dress. Lily did a fantastic job with my wedding dress, especially considering how detailed it was (full lace body, beading, and corset with canning). With the extra fabric, she was also able to make custom sleeves that matched my dress perfectly and truly made my dress feel very special and unique. Everything was also done in a very timely manner and overall had a great experience at each appointment with her. Definitely will be going back for any future dresses.

Eleni S.

If you’re looking for wedding dress alterations in the Bay Area, look no further than Irena’s studio! After consulting with multiple wedding dress stores and tailors in the Bay Area and being quoted exorbitant amounts of money, I thankfully found Lily. I showed up with my mom’s wedding dress and a vision to alter it to better fit my style. Lily now only gave me a reasonable price, but she gave me great stylistic advice helped me find the perfect fabric. She did such an phenomenal job with the alterations and made every fitting experience special. Thank you Lily to you and all of your team!

Hayley P.

I cannot recommend Lily enough for your most important garments that need altering! She is incredibly talented and will give you her honest and very informed opinion which was super helpful. I came to her 6 weeks before my wedding and she was able to get multiple alterations done (I think we had 3-4 fittings overall) and fairly priced. My final outfit was fit to perfection and I can’t recommend her services enough!

Bruna L.

Lily is REALLY nice and she will work with you to tweak all the details until you’re happy with your pieces. I got my wedding gown, wedding reception jumpsuit, and wedding welcome event two-piece tailored here. Quick email responses and kind communication in person. Heads up, cash is preferred.

Nicole M.

Lily was incredible to work with! She was so knowledgeable, kind and calm. My wedding gown was very intricate with lots of detail, so wasn’t an easy alterations. Lily and team did a fantastic job on my gown and it was PERFECT for my big day. Would highly recommend working with her!

Lachlan B.

I really can’t recommend Lily or Irena’s Studio enough, both for wedding and everyday alterations. My wife had been to Lily in the past for some minor suit alterations and recommended her to me when I was looking for someone to alter my wedding dress. Lily identified all the work she would need to do and the pricing for it upfront. She shortened the hem and added a bustle. She also shortened and narrowed the shoulder straps and did such a good job preserving the original lace pattern. I went in 4-5 times over 6 weeks for initial assessment and subsequent minor tweaks and fit checks . Each time, Lily was quick and attentive, while also being my personal hype woman! I always walked out feeling so confident in my choice of dress and of tailor.

However, Lily’s real heroic moment was when my partner’s custom suit came back with pants that were beyond unwearable. Lily got us in immediately to give her opinion on whether they could be fixed (which was no) so we could get a refund. Then when we found a replacement only 3 weeks before our wedding, she fit us in for another “emergency” appointment and got all the alterations done on a shortened timeframe. She truly saved the day and made sure that the suit my wife ultimately wore was made for her, even though it wasn’t what she originally planned on wearing.

We will definitely come to Lily for any future alterations and will recommend her to anyone who will listen!

Alexis P.

I don't know where to begin. If I could give 10 stars, I would. There is no doubt that Lily is an amazing woman. I found her on Google and as you can see, there are many who agree with me about her work. I brought my wedding dress to Lily, and she transformed it into something I could never have imagined. Between the time I bought the dress and the last fitting, I lost a lot of weight. I took on board many of Lily's suggestions and it turned out to be the best decision I ever made. Thanks so much, Lily, for making this dress fit me like a glove. The process of altering this dress was a challenge. I am so glad I found the right person to share my alteration vision with and also to receive some advice on how to make it into something beautiful.

Lily, you have a forever customer in me. Having worked with Lily, I highly recommend her. There is no disappointment with her. Her ideas are solid, she's a pro and knows what works. Of course she puts her clients' vision first, but her advice on certain changes is right on. If you look at my first picture, my dress was wayyyyyyy too big and long. In the end, we decided to cut the dramatic training. The decision had to be made. It would be impossible for me to dance my first dance in that dress. We both agreed that I should cut it, and I'm so glad I did. Although the dress was beautiful, I ended up falling even more in love with it as we made changes to it. I appreciate all the hard work and dedication you put into making your clients happy, Lily.