A skirt that does not fit well tends to stay in the wardrobe. The waist gaps. The hem is slightly too long for the shoes it needs to work with. The lining bunches inside and affects how the whole thing hangs. None of these are reasons to get rid of a skirt — they are reasons to get it altered.
We alter skirts at Angelz on Arlington Way, a short walk from Angel tube. Hemming starts at £9.99. No appointment needed.
A re-hem sets the skirt at the correct length without shortening it — useful when the existing hem has come undone, is uneven, or was done incorrectly and never sat right. The skirt is pinned while worn with the shoes the skirt will be worn with, and the hem is reset at the right point.
Re-hemming is £9.99. The finish depends on the fabric and the original hem style — a rolled hem in silk, a turned and stitched hem in cotton, a blind hem in a formal skirt. We match the hem method to the garment rather than applying the same technique to everything.
Shortening removes fabric and sets a new hem at the shorter length. An unlined skirt is £14.99. A lined skirt is £19.99 — the additional cost covers adjusting the lining separately so it sits correctly at the new length rather than showing below the hem.
The lining is the detail most people do not think about until it is wrong. A skirt shortened without adjusting the lining results in a lining that shows below the hem, bunches when the skirt moves, or makes the skirt sit differently than it should. We adjust both layers as part of the same job.
For pleated skirts, shortening requires more care. The pleats need to retain their spacing and fall correctly after the hem is moved. We check the pleat depth and distribution before cutting.
Some skirts can be lengthened — let down to add more length. This is only possible when the existing hem has enough fabric turned inside to release. We check the seam allowance before confirming whether lengthening is achievable. Lengthening is £14.99 where the construction allows.
If the hem has been turned up and stitched, releasing it and resetting it lower adds length. If the original hem has been cut with very little allowance — common in factory-finished skirts — there is nothing to release and lengthening is not possible without adding fabric.
A waist that is too large sits loosely, slides down, and requires constant adjustment throughout the day. A waist that is too small is uncomfortable from the first wearing. Both are fixable.
Waist adjustment is £14.99. We take in the waistband at the centre back seam for a gap at the back, or adjust the side seams where the whole waistband needs to come in. Skirts with elasticated waistbands are handled differently from those with structured waistbands — see the elastic replacement section below.
For skirts with a zip in the waistband, we assess the zip position before adjusting the waist. If the adjustment moves the zip out of alignment, we account for that as part of the same job.
An elasticated waistband that has lost its stretch — gone loose, started to roll, or given up entirely after repeated washing — needs the elastic replaced rather than the whole waistband reconstructed. Elastic replacement is £14.99.
We remove the old elastic, thread new elastic of the correct weight and width through the waistband channel, and secure it at both ends. The waistband sits flat and holds its position correctly after replacement. This is a common job on casual skirts, jersey skirts, and any skirt with a drawstring-style elasticated waist.
A split side seam is one of the quickest repairs we carry out. The seam is reopened at the split, edges finished if needed, and restitched at the correct allowance. The price is £7.50.
Side seams split most often at points of stress — the hip on a fitted skirt, or just below the zip where the seam transitions from the zip tape to the main seam. A split caught early repairs cleanly. Left for longer, the fabric around the split can pull and distort. The Fashion and Textile Museum — London’s dedicated fashion and textile heritage institution — has noted that garment repairs of this kind represent some of the oldest and most continuous of tailoring skills, practised across every culture that has made fitted clothing.
Skirt zips — usually invisible zips set into the side or back seam — fail by the slider wearing, the tape pulling away from the seam, or the top stop coming loose. Invisible zip replacement on a skirt is £14.99.
We fit replacement invisible zips so the seam closes completely over them. The result is a seam that looks continuous — no visible hardware, no ridge, no gap. If the original zip was visible rather than invisible and you would prefer an invisible replacement, we can do that as part of the same job.
Skirt linings deteriorate from friction and washing over time — they tear at the hem, pull away from the waistband, or become uncomfortable against the skin. Full skirt relining is £34.99. Half relining — replacing just the lower section — is £24.99.
Relining is worth doing when the skirt fabric itself is in good condition and the issue is entirely with the lining. A well-made skirt in good fabric with a new lining is a skirt that lasts another decade. We assess the skirt before recommending the full or partial option.
We work on pencil skirts, A-line skirts, pleated skirts, wrap skirts, full skirts, tiered skirts, and midi and maxi styles. Each comes with specific considerations.
Pencil skirts are the most restrictive in terms of what can be altered — the close fit leaves little room for adjustment at the side seams without affecting the silhouette significantly. We discuss what is achievable for a specific pencil skirt before starting. Wrap skirts are the most flexible — the overlap can be adjusted relatively easily to change both fit and effective length.
We alter dresses, trousers, jackets, and coats alongside skirts. Our dress alterations service in Angel covers hemming, shortening, tapering, and strap adjustment from £12.99. Our trouser alterations service in Angel handles everything from a standard hem to waist and seat adjustment. The full range is on our clothing alterations page for Angel.
We are at 18 Arlington Way, Angel, EC1R 1UY — two minutes on foot from Angel tube on the Northern Line. Customers come in from Islington, Clerkenwell, Pentonville, Finsbury, and King’s Cross throughout the week.
Walk in and drop off. No appointment needed. Most skirt alterations are ready within two to three working days.
Can you shorten a pleated skirt without affecting the pleats?
Yes. Pleated skirts need careful assessment before cutting — the pleat depth and spacing need to read correctly at the new length. We check this before starting and adjust the pleats if needed.
My skirt waistband has started to roll inward. Is that fixable?
A rolling waistband is usually caused by the interfacing inside the waistband deteriorating or by the waistband being cut incorrectly. We assess the cause before recommending a fix — it may be a matter of re-stitching the waistband or replacing the interfacing.
Can you let a skirt out at the waist?
Only if there is seam allowance inside to release. We check before confirming. If there is no spare fabric, adding a waistband extender or panel is an option — we discuss this at drop-off.
Do you alter skirts with embroidery or embellishment near the hem?
Yes, but we assess the embellishment before cutting. Work close to a hem that needs shortening may require removing and replacing embellishment above the new hem line, which is a more involved job. We discuss this before starting.
Trouser Alterations · Dress Alterations · Jacket Alterations · Coat Alterations · All Clothing Alterations · All Services
Can You Alter a Dress to Make It Smaller? · How Many Sizes Can You Alter a Dress Down? · How Much Do Clothing Alterations Cost in the UK? · How Much Does It Cost to Hem Trousers in the UK?
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