I went to Chinh Tailor to get my (non-traditional wedding) dress hemmed for my courthouse wedding. I went based on the glowing reviews I saw, and they weren't exaggerating! Here is how my experience went:
1. The other reviews that mention that the parking situation can be a bit tricky weren’t wrong, but since I knew that going in, I just drove around the block and parked on a side street.
2. I went in and was greeted and they confirmed that I was the one who would be wearing the dress (rather than getting it hemmed for someone else). I was directed to a little changing area behind a curtain and put on my dress with the shoes (if you’re getting a dress hemmed, always bring the shoes you’ll be wearing!).
3. They helped me hook and zipper the back (and gave me a few helpful tips like that! Apparently, when putting on a dress like mine, you should always hook the top clasp in the back, and then zip it up. When taking the dress off, you should unzip and then do the clasp. This is supposed to help keep the zipper from breaking/wearing out) and then I stood on a stool while they asked me where I wanted the hem at (the floor, the top of the sole of my shoe, or the top of my shoe). They then used an amazing little chalk contraption to mark where I wanted the hem to be. They also had me look at the dress from different angles to make sure it didn’t gape at the breasts when viewed from the side, etc.
4. I changed and gave them my dress. They gave me a claim ticket, told me my total, and then asked when I wanted it by. I was in no huge rush so I went with a week later, but another woman came in while I was there and she asked to have hers done by the next day, which they had no problem with.
5. I waited a week, called to confirm that my dress was ready and that they take credit cards (they do, for those wondering!), and parked on the side street again. Be sure to bring your claim ticket with you!
6. They got my dress (it took them a moment to find it -- it looks like they do some serious business), I tried it on to confirm that everything is how I wanted it, changed, paid, got some tips about how to store it, and was on my way!
It was a great experience! I have no idea about tailor pricing, but about $40 to have a lined maxi dress hemmed with pretty short notice in a major city like Houston seemed reasonable to me. They made me feel really comfortable and I learned more about garment care. I am usually a jean and t-shirt sort of girl, but I’m hoping to go to them the next time I need jeans hemmed or work clothes tailored because I would love to be able to continue to support them!