FAQ

What are your opening hours?

We are open from 9.30am to 5pm Monday to Saturday.

Please note we are closed on Bank Holidays.

Where can I park?

There is free parking outside the shop and there are no restrictions on the side streets. There are a couple of car parks nearby please check what their rules are.

Do I need an appointment?

You only need an appointment if it is a wedding dress, bespoke or a prom dress. For everything else please come when you want to.

If you have a bridesmaid dress, we do advise you to call or email for an appointment, but you can pop in. If we are busy there might be a small wait. Our busiest day is Saturday, and we strongly recommend that you call us and ask for availability.

To make an appointment simply call us on 07398 135778 or send us an email at top-stitch@hotmail.com

Do you repair shoes and bags?

No, I’m afraid not.

I have a hole in my jeans, can you repair them?

Yes! Bring them in and we will see what we can do.

My dress / trousers etc are too small, can you help?

Probably! Pop in and we can check and see what we can do!

I am using your service for the first time what do I need to do / bring?

Bring the garment with you and you can try it on in one of our changing rooms, we can offer advice and pin you to show you how it will look after the alteration is done. Alternatively, you can measure at home the length you want but we always advise you to try it on in the shop and let us pin you as it has the best possible results. 

If we are shortening the hem of a dress, please bring with you the shoes you will wear with it for the best results.

How quickly can you do my alteration?

How long is a piece of string?! It depends on what you need doing and how busy we are. We try and make everyone happy but obviously we need to be realistic in what we can physically do.

Give us a call and we can advise best on current turnaround times.

I am running late / early for an appointment is that ok?

We understand that people lead busy lives, but please arrive at the agreed time for your appointment.

We only have a limited amount of time with you, so if you come late, it may mean we can’t do the fitting properly as we don’t have enough time and there might be an appointment after you. If this is the case and we don’t think we have enough time we may have to reschedule the appointment.

To help ensure you arrive on time, please be aware of traffic or nearby events such as football or cricket matches, especially if you are travelling from a distance and using the motorways. 

I have picked up an alteration and something is not quite right. What do I do?

Please tell us!

Call or email and let us know. We can rectify the issue but only if you communicate with us.

Our aim is to have happy customers!

I’m supposed to collect my alteration today, but I can’t make it what should I do?

Don’t worry, come another day! You don’t need to let us know, only if you have an appointment with us.

We keep all garments for 30 days and if still not collected we try and call or text you. If there is no response after another month we try again before we donate it to charity.

Will you call me when my garment is ready?

Unfortunately, we don’t have enough time to call or text everyone. Your garment will be ready on the day we agree, this is written on the white docket we give you. 

Please remember to bring the white docket with you when you collect. This proves the garment is yours and it also makes it easier for us to find it.

How do I make an appointment?

To make an appointment simply call us on 07398 135778 or send us an email at top-stitch@hotmail.com

When do I pay for my alteration?

You need to pay upfront.

Wedding dresses and bespoke can be paid for either at the first fitting or the at the end.

I can’t make my appointment what should I do?

Please let us know as soon as possible and then we can rearrange another appointment for another time if we have availability.

When collecting my alteration what do I do?

Please remember to bring your white docket with you so we can easily identify your garments.

You are welcome to try on in the shop and if you don’t have time or we are busy then that’s no problem, try it on at home. If there are any issues please get back in touch with us.

Do you do bespoke / make clothes?

Yes. We can design and make pretty much anything.

For more information, please email us.

Do you do dry cleaning/ Ironing?

No, we don’t offer either of those services. We only do tailoring and alteration.

Please only bring clean garments to us as we don’t accept dirty clothes.

I have a wedding dress appointment what do I need to bring with me?

Please bring the dress and the underwear you will wear on the day, the underskirt (if you were sold one) and the shoes you will wear on the day. If you don’t bring the shoes, we can’t do a fitting for shortening the hem/length.

How many wedding dress fittings do I need?

There are usually only 2 fittings:

  1. You will try the dress on and we will assess and talk about what your needs are. We will
    then do the fitting which is where we will pin the dress so you will be able to see how it will
    look after the alterations are done.
  2. At the second fitting you will try the dress on again and then take it home.
    Sometimes more work might need to be done, if this is the case, we will agree another
    appointment.
    All fittings are free if you leave the dress with us to be altered.

Do I need to pay a deposit for my wedding dress appointment?

No deposit needed.

How long will my wedding dress appointment take?

Please allow 45 minutes for the first appointment and half an hour for the second appointment.

When do I need to make my wedding dress appointment for?

We will need to see you, ideally 6-8 weeks before your wedding so please make an
appointment as soon as you can. If your wedding is next year we usually get our new diary in November so please get in touch then.

How much will the alteration to my wedding dress cost?

It’s difficult to answer this without seeing the dress. If you want a rough idea of costs, please email us with a picture and a description of what you think needs doing and we will get back to you within 72 hours.

Our email address is top-stitch@hotmail.com.

At your appointment we will talk you through what your options are and advise you best on
what needs doing.