R & M Designs

I can't thank you enough for making the most beautiful dress for the VP for my daughter. Great job!! more

First and foremost, Connie Simpson is a miracle worker! Coming from a person who works in the service industry, I can tell you that Connie is top notch! She not only did the alterations on my wedding gown, but she also embellished the dress with gorgeous beading (by hand) helping to make my gown one of a kind. She made my vail and head piece to match the beading on my gown. She was extremely accommodating when it came to making appointments (I have a very busy work schedule). Connie serviced our wedding, helped me dress and fixed hems on 3 different bridesmaids dresses (last minute). She saved the day and helped everything run as planned. I would recommend Connie Simpson to any and all Brides to be! more

I couldn't have been more pleased with the beautiful mother of the bride dress Connie Simpson created for me. I shopped around for months looking for the perfect dress for me to wear to my daughters wedding. We searched in multiple cities such as Chicago, Atlanta, and NY and I was unable to find the perfect dress. However, that was no issue for Connie. I brought in pictures with specific design elements and Connie helped create the most beautiful gown. She was patient with all of my requests and helped find the most beautiful lace to compliment my dress. I have nothing but wonderful things to say about Connie, she is a true artist. more

I entrusted Connie with my wedding dress alterations and she did a fantastic job. Within an hour of my first phone call, we had scheduled all of my fittings. During my fittings, she was professional, warm and easy to work with. She applied her expert opinion to a few tricky problems such as the dress' exposed zipper. She also created a beautiful bustle, no easy feat with a tulle overlay and asymmetrical cut. She is a pro in the true sense of the word, and I would recommend her to anyone who wants to look perfect on their wedding day. more

I got my wedding dress in New York and, while the salesgirl was charming and quirky, she wasn't that great on taking my measurements. The dress came in four sizes too big! To top it off, they wouldn't send me a new dress, insisting that they would pay for the extra alterations needed. The applique, the beading, the boning, EVERYTHING, needed to be taken off, brought in, remade and reapplied. R & M to the rescue! Connie, with her great sense of humor and calm can-do attitude, made me feel instantly better. She remade the dress completely, until it fit perfectly, and then she negotiated with the dress company to make sure that they paid their fair share. Not only did Connie rescue the dress, but she kept me sane - a true miracle worker. more

This amazing business is able to create dream designs in dresses for girls and women who want unique and beautiful options. more

I have used R and M Designs for over twenty years for everything from minor alterations to multiple unique and fashion forward designed clothing. Connie and her staff are the best at what they do and the work done at the shop is the best in the city. I have bought very costly fabric in both New York and San Francisco and have worn with pride each garment executed. Connie's knowledge of textiles and personal design ability are something which you can't buy anywhere else in St. Louis. I actually just work a piece created in 1992 and it was fabulous then and looks just a great today. Thanks to all. more

R&M Designs is the only alterations shop I could have ever trusted with something as important as my wedding dress. Not only does the shop do high quality and timely alterations, but you can also count on Connie and her staff for honest opinions. Several years ago, I took a dress with off-the-shoulder sleeves to them and asked if we could make the dress strapless. They built a bodice to go inside the dress and created a lovely strapless dress that fit perfectly and looked wonderful. Last summer, I worked with Connie to build a removable illusion neckline for my wedding dress (instead of straps, which were required in the church). The end product looked even better than I could have imagined. The dress fit like a dream and my bustle was not only beautiful, but it stayed up through hours and hours of dancing. So many of my friends have had to spend time during their wedding reception re-bustling their dress. R&M Designs' bustles are INCREDIBLE! R&M Designs is the ONLY place to take your wedding or graduation dress--especially if you're doing any alterations that are complicated or that need a TRUE PROFESSIONAL. more

Connie does amazing work and is so personable. The last time I took a dress in to be altered, she actually counseled me to do fewer alterations than I had originally thought necessary, so she saved me money. I trust her judgment completely and have recommended her to several people, including my niece for her wedding gown and bridesmaids' dresses. more

I recently took a bridesmaid dress to R & M to be taken in at the bust, side seams, and the hem taken down. When I returned for my fitting a week later, the bust looked ok, but the hem had been done with a straight stitch, making the fabric (which was a slightly stretchy satin) wavy and unattractive. The side seams bulged and gave me lumps where I did not have them. I sat for two hours while Connie took the dress and continued to sew the seams, having me try it on three more times in between sewing and pressing, but she never made it better. At one point she said she liked ""cheating"" and hand stitched underneath a sash to try to fix the bulging side seams, but it didn't work. She eventually just said there's nothing else I can do for you, and wanted to charge me over $100 and send me out the door! She even kept saying to me, ""the bride really didn't think of you when she picked out this dress..."" blaming it on my friend, and also making me feel hideous that it was my body shape that was ruining the dress (it most definitely wasn't) and not the dress or the seamstress who couldn't fix it. We eventually agreed to split the cost and I left still needing alterations. I was not able to find anyone else in town who was willing to do the alterations in the short 4 days before the wedding. Just after the rehearsal dinner, I took my bridesmaid dress to the grandmother of the maid of honor, who quickly fixed the hem (which obviously should have been a blind hem and anyone who knows fabric should know this is true with a stretch fabric) took in the side seams a bit more to get rid of the bulging, and released the hand stitching that had been hidden under the waist sash. Less than one hour later, an amateur seamstress had completely fixed all of the things that had gone wrong when the supposedly ""professional"" seamstresses at R & M got a hold of my dress. I wish I could have taken it to her to begin with, as she would have been much more reasonable with the price and would have done it right the first time, but she and the wedding were in kansas city so it wasn't possible. I was trying to test Connie and R & M out to see if I could bring my own wedding gown here for alterations later this year, but I'm certain that I will not be doing so. I felt like I was looked down upon because the brand of the dress I brought them was not an expensive one, and they DID NOT know how to sew stretch fabrics. The level of customer service for a place that would charge so much for simple alterations was not at the level I would expect. more

I was married three weeks ago in Columbus, Ohio. My mother lives in St. Louis, and when I found the dress I wanted (but couldn't afford) we went to Connie to create it. This was the best decision I could have made! more

I went there to have a dress altered for my sisters wedding. Connie was very helpful with every request that we made. She gave us her input on what looked best, and because she is a dressmaker, not just an alterations seamstress, she was right. My dress fit wonderfully, and I am returning to get another dress altered for another wedding. The price is going to be more than taking it to any old hole in the wall seamstress, but that is because the quality of work is exceptional as is the experience of working with Connie. more

they should not be doing anything more than simple hems, but are ""known"" for their alterations so everyone trusts them with their fine dresses for gradutions and ballgowns. I recently picked up my daughters graduation dress from here to take it home and find out that it had been redone and they could not even match up the seams at the skirt and bodice and the pleats in the bodice of the dress! The also forgot to put in a hook and eye at th top of the dress above the zipper which I had to do myself, and did not completely press the gown, then tried to charge me over $600.00! Their sewing skills are certainly not something you would want to trust with fine dresses, just a warning... or at least stay on top of everything that they are doing!!! more

Connie designed and made my wedding dress and was wonderful to work with. We started in January after the initial meeting in November and she had it ready July 16 for my August 8 wedding. She understood I was new to this process and didn't make me feel silly or stupid with my questions/suggestions. She also didn't judge me for wanting a short red wedding dress that showed off my tattoos. We had 8 appointments, and yes, a couple had to be rescheduled but for anyone who is organized and plans for such possiblities, it wasn't an issue. (In fact, I waited mid-appointment for her to help a mother of the bride whose dress needed to be ready for that weekend. I still had 2 months.) Pros: convenient location, expertise, customer service more

I worked with Connie Simpson at R&M for the alterations on my wedding gown. I was referred to Connie by the bridal boutique where I purchased my gown. Since I purchased a couture gown, I was told Connie was the only person in St. Louis I should go to. Now I know why. Connie's work on my gown was absolutely flawless. My dress became even more stunningly beautiful each time I had a fitting. I would absolutely highly recommend Connie. She was easy to work with, friendly, and honest. Anyone wanting their wedding gown to look like it was made for you would be thrilled by Connie's work. Pros: Stunning work Cons: Parking not the best more

Used this company to work on my wedding dress. After several fittings, it was discovered that my dress was too long after their alterations. Another seamstress took over alterations on my dress and things turned out well. During my fitting with this woman, I was told that it was their fault for it still being too long. When it came time to pay, I had to pay for them to take up the length twice. I was told that it was my fault as I lost too much weight... which I didn't and didn't know influenced the length of the dress. Had to pay MUCH more than previously told. Will not return! Pros: Nice work in the end... Cons: Not fair with pricing and blamed the customer for their faults more

When I went to this vendor for dress alterations, the person with whom I dealt was rude and condescending. I left feeling about 2 inches tall. Needless to say, I did not use them to do the work. I had heard that this place does a good job with alterations, but no one has a right to treat customers -- indeed anyone -- in this manner. Pros: Convenient location Cons: Terrible customer service more

I have used R&M for alterations more than once. They do a great job with dresses! No problems there. However, I can't say the same for the customer service side. I had to go back several times for fittings and the majority of these appointments were made, then canceled by them within hours of the appointment time, requiring me to change plans and the plans of those accompanying me. After the third time this happened, I finally had to voice my concern. This can be a real problem weeks before your wedding when you have a lot of work to do! I guess it depends on whether this is a concern for you. I probably will not go back again due to my experience with multiple cancellations and reschedules. Pros: Great work with dresses! Cons: Rescheduled with short notice (multiple times)! more