Sew Special Designs Ltd

I am getting married to my Australian fiance and being EurAsian myself, I wanted a HanFu style Chinese wedding gown. I went to China Town on Cermak and Wentworth with no luck. So after being turned away in China Town, I googled for a Chicago dress-maker and found, at the top of the list, Sew Special. I drove straight to Mike's shop at Sew Special, showing up with 2 bolts of fabric, my inside dress and several of my drawings and photographs of what I wanted the HanFu dress to look like. A HanFu dress is one that is like a robe, with long sleeves. I also had a long train placed on it complete with roushing. I went in for three fittings and they did a stunning job--all from scratch and my drawings/photos. I even had them custom fit my headdress, which I imported from Shanghi. I could not have been more pleased. Their service was professional, talented and on-time. Best of all, they delivered EXACTLY what I wanted EXACTLY when I wanted it. No one else in the city can do a job like that. Really, you would have to go to China to get this type of work done. For them not being familiar with this type of dress and headdress, but to turn out a phenomenal piece was amazing. And did I mention they are charming too? The whole family---mom, dad and especially Mike! A delight to work with. I highly recommend them--and even my friend Laura is getting her wedding gown altered there. Visit them today! AlexAndria M. Kung, PhD, MPH Pros: Very professional, talented, on-time service more

Sew Special is a great family business. I went to them to get a prom dress made and i can surely say that i was well satisfied. They made appointments that fit my schedule and took my ideas and theirs as well, and made me a beautiful prom dress more

Mike knew exactly how my clothes needed to fit the second I walked in the door. He was enthusiastic about ideas I had as well as vastly more prompt about getting clothes back than other tailors I've worked with. Very easy to work with. more

Sew special is a great family business. They have great teamwork and they always do what they say they are going to do. They get the job done right, perfect, and on time. They did my prom dress exactly how i wanted it to be. I do plan to come back if i have any future dresses or alterations in mind. I have grown accustomed to the workers in the store especially mike and his mother. I love their business. more

Who would have thought that within steps from our home we would find the perfect partner to help us with the development of a prototype for commercialization. This family-owned business is poised to become an even greater resource to the Lincoln Park community and beyond, given their entrepreneurial bent, superb customer service and hand-crafted expertise. They were a pleasure to work with and we wish them continued success! Pros: High touch apparel maker; Reasonably priced Cons: None more

I was giving my daughter a Princess Ball Party for her 4th birthday and I needed a Cinderella dress made. I found Sew Special Custom Tailors by th grace of GOD! I had been to another tailor prior and the fee was too much for a little girls dress. I e-mailed Mike a picture of the Cinderella costume that I needed and he guaranteed me that he could make it. I was afraid at first because this was the first time that Ihad to have a dress made. When I saw the final finishing I was astonished! Mike and his staff took a costume picture and turned it into a gorgeous gown. My daughter felt and looked like the ture princess that she is. Words can not express how grateful i am for Mike and his staff. Sew Special Custom Tailor is truly unique! Pros: Great Customer Service and Reasonable Price Cons: Sorry there are none more

I searched several alteration experts in my area to do something very special to a very special dress that I have. I needed to have my 39 year old Communion dress not only altered to fit my daughter who will be making her 1st Holy Communion in May, but it needed a new lining that had yellowed over the years and a newly constructed back that had yellowed as well as a "hidden zipper". No one wanted to touch the dress but strangely, all of them commented on what "great shape" it was in and how beautiful it was. A friend recommended that I go see Michael at Sew Special. Before I just dropped in on the shop, I emailed them pictures of the dress and faxed them a note. I recieved a "not a problem" response and was elated! I was able to get an appointment the next day. When we arrived, I was so happy to see it was a little neighborhood shop. The very sweet lady at the front counter had the nicesest smile and was VERY helpful. Michael also told us the story of his background and all I can say is God bless his mother for bringing him into this world and teaching him how to sew! Michael arrived and did an alteration on a another woman's dress first. My 7 year old could not believe her eyes as he pinned the dress on the woman and made it fit her perfectly. My daughter said that Michael has "magic" and was inspired herself to take sewing lessons! When it was our turn, Michael was so kind and gentle and very caring to make sure that my daughter and I were happy. He paid so much attention to details and really listened to what I was looking for. He is very approachable and easy to talk to. Oh, and a great listener too. He promised the dress in 1 month and that's exactly when we got it back. This Saturday we picked up the dress! It is everything and more than we expected. It is beautiful, white, perfect and fits my daughter like a glove! Michael was there and got several hugs from my daughter and myself. I HIGHLY advise you to seek him out for any alterations that you need. Highest quality, expert craftsmanship and the leader among a dying breed. Not many like him so get him while you can! Woooooooooo!!!! Hooooooooooo! Pros: Professional, detailed, honest, friendly, perfection! Cons: Con: I don't have any clothes that need altering right now more

I have been working professionally as an actor since I graduated college, and am a founding member of a theater company. Naturally, this puts me in a position of having to rely on the efficiency of other professionals and colleagues. I would certainly consider the folks at Sew Special to be a reliable professional contact, because I asked them to work a miracle for me and they did it. I brought them a beautiful suit that needed a great deal of work and had to be ready in a matter of hours for a tech rehearsal and photo shoot that day. The pants had to be let out 3 inches for me, and this needed to be done in such a way that the original fabric was maintained. Also, the suit coat needed to be taken up a half inch at the sleeves. I brought it to them at 12 and it was done at 3. That's a whole lot of work to do in just three hours. It fit beautifully and looked amazing. I would bring my personal items to no other tailor in Chicago, and, professionally, I will insist that my company use Sew Special whenever necessary. Pros: They all have great pride in their work. more

This shop did excellent work on my wedding dress! I also brought in several other items that turned out to be a perfect fit. This shop is is all about perfection so expect attention to deail and be able to articluate your vision for the garment or ask for one of the workers' assistance. I would highly recommend this shop to anyone looking for quality workmanship and attention to detail. Pros: Attention to detail, knowledge of industry, work ethic Cons: Small shop with little waiting area more

Sew Special is an absolute favorite!! Not only is the pricing fair/competitive, everyone at the Dry Cleaners is super nice and attentive. They go out of their way to make sure you look your best. They've fixed buttons that I didn't even know were loose, done EXPERT alterations, and more. I had been a loyal customer for a few years, and then I moved to a new neighborhood -- but I never considered changing to a closer dry cleaner. They won my loyalty because of that extra special attention! more

Fair pricing and excellent quality of workmanship! Delivery service is even offered at an additional price for those of you who travel a lot or have inconvenient, hectic schedules. Moreover, their alterations include a variety of clothing types, ranging from the casual to formal, i.e. jeans and/or tops to tuxedos and/or extravagant dresses. Additionally, they are able to customize just about anything; as long as you have a picture of the item, they are able to make it especially for you! Dry cleaning services, which include the cleaning of leather and suede, are also offered. Above all things, this growing, family owned business is friendly, trustworthy, highly-skilled, and well worth your time! I Definitely encourage you to try them! Pros: Affordable/ Competitive Prices Cons: Closed on Sundays more

There are two convenient locations of this business and I went to the one that is a little south of Belmont on Broadway. I received both excellent service from the staff as well as results. I had a bridesmaid's dress completely altered and it came out great! I will definitely use them again. The staff was very friendly and professional and the prices were more reasonable than other businesses around. more