Original hem versus chain stitch: know which jeans hem you are asking for
There are three ways a shop can shorten jeans, and they are not interchangeable. The plain hem folds the raw edge up twice and stitches it on a lockstitch machine, which is fine for dark stretch denim that has no wear on the hem. The original hem cuts the factory hem off, shortens the leg, then reattaches that same hem band so the faded edge and the wear line survive; it costs a little more and leaves a faint horizontal seam just above the hem that softens with washing but never fully vanishes. The chain stitch is what raw and selvedge denim people want, because the looped chain stitch and the way the hemming machine feeds the two layers at slightly different tension let the hem twist into the roping effect as the denim shrinks and fades. The classic machine for it is the Union Special 43200G, and the shops that own one usually say so, because it is a selling point. Ask which of the three you are getting before you hand the jeans over. Two more things: wash or soak raw denim before you hem it, because it will lose length in the first few washes, dramatically if it is unsanforized and a little even if it is not, and wear the shoes you actually wear with the jeans so the break sits where you want. A shop that also sells denim by the yard tends to keep matching topstitching thread in the right gold and the heavy needles to go with it.
Taking in is easy, letting out depends on what the factory left you
Taking a garment in is the everyday work of an alterations counter: side seams on a shirt, the center back seam on dress pants, darts on a blouse, the inseam and outseam on trousers that need a taper. Letting out is the reverse and it is limited entirely by seam allowance. Home sewing patterns give you about five eighths of an inch, ready to wear often gives less, and good dress pants leave a wider allowance at the center back so the waist can be opened up an inch or two. Beyond that there is nothing to work with. A fitter will also check for a fade line or needle holes where the old seam sat; steam closes the holes on most wool, but a worn crease or fade line on denim and on dark, well worn fabric will still show no matter how well it is pressed. Sleeve length on a jacket is normally taken from the cuff, but a jacket with working buttonholes, the so called surgeon's cuffs, has to be shortened from the shoulder, which means removing and resetting the sleeve. Shoulder narrowing involves the same surgery and is among the most expensive things you can do to a coat, because the sleeve head, the shoulder pad, and the lining all come apart. A shop with a cutting table, a tailor's ham, a sleeve board, and a gravity feed iron is set up for this work; a shop with a home machine and a household iron usually is not.
Bridal and formalwear run on a calendar, not a clock
Wedding dress alterations are a schedule problem before they are a sewing problem. Most fitters want the dress in hand roughly two to three months before the wedding, with a first fitting to pin, a second to check the hem and bustle, and a final fitting close to the date. Bring the exact shoes and the exact undergarments to every fitting, because a half inch of heel changes the hem and a different bra changes the bodice. The hem on a gown with a lace edge, a scalloped edge, or a beaded border cannot simply be cut, so it is either taken up from the waist or the border is removed and reapplied by hand, and a hem with horsehair braid inside means unpicking the braid and restitching it at the new length. The bustle is its own line item: an over bustle with buttons and loops, or a French bustle with ribbons tied underneath, each needs several anchor points on a heavy train. Beading that crosses a seam gets picked off, the seam is sewn, and the beads are resewn by hand, which is why those quotes look high. Prom season in spring and the late spring and fall wedding peaks book the calendar solid, so a shop that also sells fabric may pause walk in bridal work during those weeks. Bridesmaid dresses and groomsmen's suits follow the same rules on a shorter timeline: hems, straps, and side seams are quick; anything structural is not. A rented tuxedo is a different case, because most rental companies allow only a minor pant or sleeve length adjustment and nothing permanent, so check the rental terms before booking a fitting.
Zippers, leather, and denim repair: this is where the fabric wall earns its keep
Repair is where a shop that sells notions has a real advantage over a tailor working out of a closet. A zipper replacement starts with matching the type: a coil zipper for dresses and pants, a molded plastic zipper for fleece and rain gear, a metal zipper for jeans and leather, and a separating version of any of those for a jacket or anything else that opens all the way. YKK makes a large share of the world's zippers, and a shop with a zipper drawer can match length and tape color on the spot instead of ordering and waiting. Often the zipper itself is fine and only the slider has worn out; a good counter will replace the slider and the top stops for a fraction of the cost of a full swap. Leather wants a walking foot or a cylinder arm machine, or at least a Teflon or roller foot on a flatbed, plus leather needles and heavier thread, and not every shop is set up for it, so ask before you bring in a motorcycle jacket. Denim repair is mostly darning: a crotch blowout gets a lightweight patch fused or basted behind the hole and then covered with rows of free motion straight stitch in matching thread until the patch disappears. Knees and back pockets get the same treatment or, if you like the look, a visible sashiko style mend in contrasting thread. Buttons, snaps set with a press, elastic replacement in a waistband, and relining a coat pocket are the quiet bread and butter that keep the counter busy between bigger jobs.
How to get a straight quote, what turnaround really looks like, and when to walk away
Bring the garment clean and pressed, wear the shoes and underlayers you will wear with it, and let the fitter pin it; pinning it yourself at home usually makes their job harder. Alterations are quoted per operation, so a pair of pants might have a hem, a waist adjustment, and a taper written as three lines on the ticket, and the price goes up with lining, with cuffs, with a curved or rolled hem, or with a fabric that frays like silk chiffon. Get the ticket in writing with a pickup date on it, and expect many shops to take a deposit on formalwear. Realistic turnaround at a shop that also serves fabric customers is a few days to a week for a simple hem, two to three weeks for a suit or a coat, and longer for bridal. Rush work is often possible for a fee, but few shops will rush hand beading. The honest part of a good fitter is telling you when the job is not worth it: taking a garment down more than a size or two changes the proportions of pockets and darts; letting out past the seam allowance is impossible; fast fashion with narrow serged seams and a glued hem often is not worth opening; and a repair that costs more than a replacement is a bad trade unless the piece is sentimental. Restyling, like turning a long dress into a cocktail length or narrowing wide lapels, sits somewhere in between and deserves a candid conversation before any thread is cut.