Lengths

For anything too long, and now and then too short.

Usually Amara, machinist (sample profile)

Close view of a denim hem corner with double rows of orange topstitching

Illustrative photo

Fit

For clothes that are loose in the wrong places, or a little tight.

Usually Lorna, founder, fitting room (sample profile)

A hand flattening grey wool under a presser foot

Illustrative photo

Fastenings and fixes

Broken zips, lost buttons and worn knees. There is nothing to try on, so no appointment.

Usually Amara, machinist (sample profile)

A grey zip sewn into speckled grey wool cloth between two rows of pale stitching

Illustrative photo

  • Jeans or trouser zip

    £11.50

    Fly zips on jeans, chinos and work trousers. No fitting needed.

  • Concealed zip in a skirt or dress

    £35

    Invisible from the outside. No fitting needed.

  • Coat or jacket zip

    £42

    For coats that unzip fully at the hem. No fitting needed.

  • Seam that has come apart

    £5 a seam

    On plain cotton, wool or denim. No fitting needed.

  • Buttons sewn back on

    £4 a garment

    Yours, or a close match from our tin. No fitting needed.

  • Worn knee patched

    £11

    Usually jeans and school trousers. No fitting needed.

  • Moth hole in knitwear

    £5.50 a hole

    Darned in the nearest colour we have. No fitting needed.

Big days

The gown, the bridal party and anything bought for a single evening.

Usually Lorna, founder, fitting room (sample profile)

An ivory gown with a tulle skirt and lace edging hung from the frame of a dark four poster bed

Illustrative photo

How alterations work here

Pinned, sewn, then tried on.

Two hands guiding cream fabric towards a machine needle
Illustrative photo: not The Tacking Room’s staff or workroom.
  1. Step 1: Send the job

    Use the form or ring us about it. We reply to say whether that time suits. Fastenings and fixes can simply be left with us.

  2. Step 2: Choose in the mirror

    Lorna or Amara holds up a few options, and only marks the one you pick. You agree the cost there and then.

  3. Step 3: A text when it’s done

    You get a rough idea of timing at the time, as it depends on the week. When the work is finished, we text you.

  4. Step 4: After you’ve worn it

    If it doesn’t sit right once you’ve worn it out, call in within 14 days and we look again. This is in addition to your legal rights, which have no 14 day limit.

Your rights

If an alteration falls short

An alteration is a service, so the law requires it to be carried out with reasonable care and skill. Where it falls short, you can ask for the work to be done again at no cost to you. A price reduction, which can be some or all of the price, applies if a redo is impossible or isn’t done within a reasonable time and without significant inconvenience.

Source: Consumer Rights Act 2015, sections 49, 55 and 56 (these sections cover England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland). Checked 6 November 2026.

Who does what

Who usually does it

  • Lorna Pell, founder, fitting room: fit, big days.
  • Amara Okafor, machinist: lengths, fastenings and fixes.

Sample profiles for a fictional business. Meet the team

Questions

Before you come in.

Short answers to what people ask us most.

Can trousers be let down as well as taken up?

Often, if there is enough cloth turned inside the hem. We check when you come in. Jeans and some chinos may show a faded line where the old hem sat, and we point it out before you decide.

Will anyone be able to tell it’s been altered?

On a plain hem or a taken in seam, almost never. Jeans keep a visible topstitch, matched as closely as we can. Where a change would show, such as moving a pocket, we say so first.

Can you shorten curtains I haven’t hung yet?

Yes. Take the drop from the track or pole down to where the curtain should stop, and bring that figure with the curtains. We work to that figure exactly, so measure twice.

How busy is the workroom?

It changes from week to week, so you get a rough idea for your job when you visit. We text when it’s ready; no collection date is promised. Where no time is agreed for a service, the law expects it within a reasonable time.

Source: Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 52 (England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland).

Do you alter leather or waterproofs?

Not leather or suede, and not taped waterproof seams: our machines and pressing aren’t right for them. We can change a zip on most padded and wool coats.

What if an alteration feels wrong?

If an alteration doesn’t sit right once you’ve worn it, bring it back within 14 days and we look at it again at no charge. This is in addition to your legal rights, which have no 14 day limit. An alteration is a service, so the law requires it to be carried out with reasonable care and skill. Where it falls short, you can ask for the work to be done again at no cost to you. A price reduction, which can be some or all of the price, applies if a redo is impossible or isn’t done within a reasonable time and without significant inconvenience.

Source: Consumer Rights Act 2015, sections 49, 55 and 56 (these sections cover England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland).

When you’re ready

Know the job? Ask for a time.

Ask online when you could visit, or ring the workroom. We reply to say whether that time suits.

Two hands working thread through the inside of a white shirt collar
Illustrative photo

A fictional workroom

This is a demonstration website. The Tacking Room is not a real business: calls, emails and social links don’t reach anyone, and no fitting request is sent, stored or booked.

Close note

Demo website

A fictional workroom

This is a demonstration website. Calls, emails and social links don’t reach a real business, and the number shown is from Ofcom’s drama range.

The address, prices, team, reviews and the re-check offer are fictional samples. Nothing is booked, sent or stored.

See the fitting request