Smoking Iron Alterations
Mike Dollinger’s nimble needlework covers the gamut, from last-minute wedding dress alterations to from-scratch costumes for historic reenactors (everyone from Civil War fans to, at one time, Conner Prairie staffers). The shop’s name is a tip of the hat to coal-burning 18th and 19th century irons that literally smoked while in use. These days, Dollinger works from a cozy Broad Ripple bungalow, but his decades of tailoring have taken him all over the city. “I started sewing in 1981 with my dad [who was also a tailor],” Dollinger says.
Over the decades, he worked for Redwood & Ross and Jacobson’s (among others) before settling in his current digs. His bread and butter is alteration work. Prom season always brings in lots of items, and he’s forever altering wedding dresses and groomsmen’s tuxes. Covid tanked his reenactment costume business, but it’s slowly coming back. The most complex piece he’s ever produced is a luxurious, War of 1812–era red Highland regiment musician’s coat bedecked with lace and trim. He also gets his fair share of rush jobs, including bridal dresses that were purchased and altered perhaps a year before the wedding, which can be a problem in a world where cookies and pizzas exist. “Women would come in and say that their wedding dress didn’t fit, and they needed it in a few weeks,” Dollinger says. “This happened a lot after Covid, when a lot of delayed weddings happened. I burned a lot of midnight oil for a while.” 6503 Ferguson St., 317-255-5470, smokingironindy.com. Open Monday through Friday, Saturday by appointment.
Lee’s Custom Tailoring
Jin Lee’s slim stature belies a giant in his field. With 50 years of experience, the only certified Master Tailor in Indiana (and one of just several hundred in the world) runs his shop like a well-oiled sewing machine. Originally from Seoul, the impeccably dressed Lee began apprenticing in 1967 at age 13. “At that time in my country, everybody went to work after elementary school,” he says. “The three most popular careers were haircutter, tailor, or shoemaker. I chose tailor.”
Recognized by the Republic of Korea’s Ministry of Labor as a Master Tailor in 1980, Lee earned an Instructor certification several years later. A move to the United States followed in 1985, with Lee establishing his own shop at 62nd Street and Keystone Avenue and eventually landing on North Keystone near 71st Street. Subtle signage in front of the shop cues new customers and a devoted base of regulars who already know exactly where to find him.
On any given day, you might glimpse business executives, professional athletes, politicians, or TV personalities getting measured for bespoke suits and custom shirts in the fitting room.
The secret to Lee’s longevity is a pioneering CAD program that he still uses today. Ahead of his time, so it would seem. And although the 70-year-old says he’s officially retired, he stays active by continuing to serve clients during abbreviated store hours. “I’ll keep going as long as I can!” he laughs. 7002 N. Keystone Ave., 317-251-7002, leescustomtailoring.com. Open Tuesday through Saturday.
A. Mina Clothier
Tailoring runs in the blood. When Aldo Mina immigrated from Italy in 1949, he set a chain of events in motion that would inspire his son Anthony (who goes by Tony) to open his own menswear store 50 years later. “Dad taught me the trade. I was an apprentice with him at an old downtown store called Redwood & Ross,” Tony Mina says.
Just don’t call him a stylist. He much prefers the term “wardrobe specialist” focusing on men’s tailored clothing and formal wear. “Suits are making a comeback,” he says. “You’re already looking at spending $300 to rent a nice suit for a wedding; why not just spend a couple hundred more and buy one? That’s a trend we’re seeing a lot.”
Located inside the Salesforce Tower on Monument Circle (with parking available through the Columbia Club), A. Mina is ideally positioned to serve the downtown community, from lawyers and business executives to government employees and pro athletes (Mina has made sport coats for every Colts Ring of Honor recipient since 1998). Coming up on his 60th birthday, Mina says the satisfaction he gets from helping his clients look good is what’s kept him in the business. “I think men want to put their best foot forward when it comes to fashion,” he says. “I believe they’re more productive when they’re dressed up a little bit.” 111 Monument Circle, 317-631-2702, minaclothier.com. Open Monday through Friday, Saturday and Sunday by appointment.
Erin Young Designs
Erin Young’s clients are all dressed up with everywhere to go. Located in the same SoBro strip that houses Diavola and Walter Knabe, Young’s women’s clothing atelier rolls out bolts and bolts of internationally sourced fabrics to fashion into or update gorgeous frocks, from prom attire to vintage wedding dresses.
Young started sewing at age 5, later training in couture design and technique and earning degrees from Purdue University and the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York. Her current staff of six all hold college degrees in fashion design, bringing fresh perspectives and ideas to the table for a prestigious client list that claims celebrities, CEOs, athletes, politicians, and other VIPs. Her creations have also made appearances in national commercials, interviews, and photo shoots. She even turned down a chance to participate in Bravo fashion reality show Project Runway because she didn’t want to give up the rights to her designs for the three years the show requires.
In Young’s view, collaboration and personal service are the keys to building customer relationships that span generations—some of the customers she outfitted in first communion dresses are now returning for wedding and bridesmaid gowns. “As people are purchasing more items online, the human element is what’s missing.” 1134 E. 54th St., 317-384-1070, erinyoungdesigns.com. Open Tuesday through Saturday.
Lam Son Tailor
“This is not an easy way to make a living,” says Bang Nguyen. “It’s long hours. I don’t need to be more busy. I’m 72.” But the customers just keep coming, bringing in piles of clothes for Nguyen’s skillful adjustments. And why wouldn’t they? The beloved regulars receive smiles and hugs, and the free entertainment by way of the friendly banter flying back and forth between Bang and his wife—this is literally a mom-and-pop shop—is worth the visit alone.
Lam Son translates to “blue mountain,” a reference to a Vietnam War–era military offensive, in case you were wondering. Open since 1984, when Nguyen moved to the United States as a refugee, this one-man operation next to the old Keystone Sports Review may just be one of the city’s best-kept secrets, just the way Nguyen likes it. Need a dress hemmed? Sure. Pants shortened? No problem. The action mostly takes place on an industrial sewing machine at the front corner of the store. Nguyen learned the trade as a teenager and did custom tailoring work in his younger years. Now it’s alterations only.
You’d probably drive right on by the place, which is marked only by a small, nondescript sign that says “Alterations,” if you weren’t specifically looking for it. Inside, the cozy room is full of hanging items and stacks of clothes, further attesting to its popularity. Doesn’t look like Nguyen’s getting his wish any time soon. 5618 N. Keystone Ave., 317-255-6016. Open Monday through Saturday.
Tailored Society
Co-owners Wade Forman and Zachary Reeder have worked in the menswear industry most of their adult lives, developing a passion for the highest of high-end work. Their elegant Carmel shop produces not only custom clothes but also bespoke suits, pants, shirts, and sport jackets that are pieced together after careful discussions with the clients about their wardrobe philosophies, followed by fabric selection, taking precise measurements, and fittings. Tailored Society is the exclusive VIP room folks who buy custom clothing don’t even know exists. “I would say our clients are high-performing individuals who are motivated in their careers and take their appearance seriously,” Forman says.
He reckons it takes about 12 weeks and 100 hours to make a suit and 60 to 80 hours to make a jacket. Not surprisingly, these top-end duds go for top-end prices. For instance, the average sport jacket, Tailored Society’s biggest draw, costs $2,500 to $4,000. “Guys in Indiana want to wear a nice pair of jeans and a pair of loafers and then have a sport coat on top of it,” Forman says.
But it isn’t just guys in Indiana who employ the store’s services. The owners work with clients in 11 states. Though all their customers have unique anatomical traits, one of their toughest challenges was dressing a former power lifter with a massive chest, broad shoulders, big thighs, and biceps the size of canned hams. “It was kind of like dressing the Incredible Hulk,” Forman says. “Trying to make a garment that looks good on a body like that is very tough. It was probably one of our most difficult fittings, but it turned out incredible.” 23 E. Main St., Carmel, 317-797-8371, tailoredsociety.style. Open daily.
A Stitch in Time
Living through car crashes, fires, and other catastrophes, Leon Tailoring Company was nothing if not a survivor. But after a remarkable 120-year run, the family-owned menswear institution announced last month it was hanging up its tape measure.
It all started with European husband-and-wife immigrants Leo and Sadie Ettinger, who relied on the skills they brought with them to the new country to set up their tailor shop on Indiana Avenue in 1905. In 1967 (after a couple stints on Mass Ave), the store moved to the corner of St. Clair and Delaware Streets, where the sewing machines hummed away for almost 60 years. There was never any question that the third-generation owners, brothers Larry and Norman Ettinger, would carry on their grandparents’ legacy. “When I was 12 years old, my father sat us down on a table and told the cutter to show us how to mark in and cut out suits,” Larry recalls.
But last month, the Ettinger brothers, now both in their 80s, officially retired. It was the end of an era in which Leon’s team of seasoned artisans turned out custom-made and ready-to-wear men’s clothing, women’s apparel, and tuxedos, not to mention stage costumes, police uniforms, military clothing, and those ubiquitous candy-striped Indiana University team blazers. “We’ve worked with people from every walk of life, from ditch diggers to the vice president of the United States,” Larry says. “To us, the most rewarding thing is seeing customers delight in how they feel and look in their clothing.”
