George's Tailoring & Formal Wear Available

Clients bring George's Tailoring & Formal Wear complex fit dilemmas, from off-the-rack suits with collar rolls and mismatched shoulder pitch to multi-layered bridal gowns needing structural re-boning. Operating out of West Los Angeles along Santa Monica Boulevard, the shop handles garment corrections where factory sizing fails the wearer's proportions. Garments arrive with broken hardware, bunching waistbands, or excess fabric along the torso that requires complete deconstruction and rebuilding rather than superficial pinning.

The technical execution stems from founder George, who opened his tailoring business in 1974 after being scouted early in his career to tailor for Hickey Freeman in Upstate New York. Relocating down the boulevard to his West Los Angeles space in 2002, George evaluates the drape and balance of men’s formalwear and suiting through physical movement. When an off-the-rack tuxedo bunches across the upper back, he addresses the balance of the shoulder seam and sleeve rotation, adjusting the garment along the original stitch lines so chest canvas and pad structures retain their integrity. Routine trouser shortening and denim tapering receive the same mechanical scrutiny, ensuring original hems and factory chain-stitching profiles are preserved.

The bridal and evening wear division is directed by his daughter, Natalie, a graduate of the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Downtown Los Angeles who grew up in the shop. Wedding gowns introduce unique structural variables, including interior corsetry, delicate lace appliques, and hem sweeps that require multiple fitting stages. Natalie conducts dedicated fitting consultations to examine how a gown hangs across the bust and hips, pinning hemlines accurately relative to the client's actual wedding shoes. If a gown requires taking in illusion mesh or restructuring an invisible zipper, seams are opened by hand and restitched to maintain bead patterns and seam allowances.

Standard alterations on trousers, shirts, and routine suit adjustments typically take between one and two weeks, while complex wedding gown restyling demands an extended timeframe of six to eight weeks across several fittings. Rush turnarounds can often be arranged during regular bench hours depending on current shop volume. For optimal results during initial fittings, clients should arrive with the precise shoes, undergarments, or foundation wear planned for the event, ensuring clean garments and exact posture alignments before chalking begins.