There’s plenty of stressful details to worry about before a wedding, but The Town Seamstress is there to make sure that the dress isn’t one of them. Founded by Master Tailor Kristin Griffith, The Town Seamstress is a bridal and women’s formal wear tailor shop in Downtown Mount Vernon. Although they don’t sell the gowns, they’ve got decades of combined experience in perfecting and customizing them, which allows every bride to truly make their gown their own.
“I just get so inspired by what their dream is and making it come to fruition,” says Griffith. “ It’s really so powerful to get to be a part of somebody’s love story.”
Photograph by Kristen Boehm
Griffith and her team aim to help 24 new brides a month. With new, consigned, and heirloom gowns, they do everything from simple alterations to redesigning, reconstructing, hand- dyeing, adding embellishments, and more. They even have an in-house bridal accessory brand, Starling Creations, through which Griffith designs and hand-makes veils, capes, headpieces, and whatever else you might need for the big day—even doggy bowties that match the dress!
Griffith comes “from a long line of sewing artists,” and discovered her love of bridal tailoring shortly after diving into sewing and alterations as an adult.
“I love all the soft fabrics, the delicate, the sparkle. Sparkle is my favorite color,” she says.
Photograph by Kristen Boehm
In December 2019, Griffith began taking clients in the upstairs studio space at Astraea Bridal, a consignment boutique that had opened just eight months prior. She quickly moved into her own two-room suite, then began building her team. In 2023, they relocated to a five-room space on 1st Street, right across from Astraea, with whom they maintain a strong relationship.
Here, they receive clients in a beautiful front room that features a fitting area, dressing booths, Starling Creations accessories, pieces from local PAVÉ Jewelry & Design, and an alterations desk overlooking the street. The back rooms include workspaces, storage, and a boardroom. Griffith works hard to make sure that the space is comforting, especially as folks can often feel vulnerable or stressed when creating their wedding outfits. That’s also part of why The Town Seamstress is appointment only, so each client has a dedicated one-on-one experience.
Photograph courtesy of The Town Seamstress
“In theory, you come in, and you’re like, ‘I don’t even know if this is possible,’ and you leave feeling like, ‘Wow, not only was it possible, but I am gonna look amazing,’” says Griffith, who loves being able to instill her clients with confidence. She also says that keeping communication lines open is key, as wants, needs, and sizes can change during the three-to-six-month process of tailoring.
Every client works intimately with Griffith, who remains the only “pinner” on staff. Her team consists of Seamstress Tanya Snizko, Assistant Seamstress Grace Skelton, Assistant Kylie, and Admin Assistant and Scheduler Mikaela Blumentritt.
Photograph by Kristen Boehm
“My team is so important to me in this … I’m here to cultivate other people’s dreams too,” says Griffith, proud that her business supports five women’s livelihoods. “I always refer to the Town Seamstress as ‘we,’ because, really, I can’t do it by myself.”
The Town Seamstress already helps brides from the North Sound and beyond, and is “basically on the preferred vendors list from Oregon up.” Their next steps are to grow Starling Creations and get their unique accessories into more boutiques. 407 S. 1st St., Mount Vernon, 360.524.4160, thetownseamstress.com
