THE ARTFUL TAILOR

The door to Lake City Cleaners in Lake Forest opens with a cheerful chime. A customer, arms laden with a stack of slacks, makes a beeline for Elizabeth Zender, the business’s tailor extraordinaire. “I had these made for me in Singapore…” the man begins, leading into his plea for needed repairs.

And so it goes throughout the day as one client after another places garments in Zender’s hands, hopeful that she can work her sewing magic.

Victor Seyedin, owner of Lake City Cleaners in Lake Forest and Evanston, knows what a treasure he has in Zender. “People come here from all over just for her expertise and the quality of work she provides,” he says. “I am very lucky to have her.”

“I love doing alterations,” says Zender. “In comparison, sewing something from the beginning is boring. Alterations are more challenging. With these, I am shaping and redesigning to make something new that fits perfectly. It makes me so happy when people come back and show me photos of themselves at a special event wearing something I did for them.”

The work runs the gamut from simple to sublime. But whether hemming slacks or taking in a complicated heavily beaded wedding gown, Zender applies the same fine stitchwork she has known since childhood.

“Hand sewing skills are dying out,” she says, “Each stitch tiny and even so it doesn’t show on the outside or the inside … constantly regulating the stitching as you go. So few people know how to do this.”

Growing up in Krakow, Poland, Elzbieta Zender (Elizabeth is the anglicized version of her name) first learned from her mother, a talented seamstress who was also known for her exquisite, intricate embroidery. When it was time for Zender to choose a career, she first wanted to become a teacher.

“But my mother strongly encouraged me to learn the professional sewing trade, which she thought would be more practical,” she shares.

Zender says she is grateful she took her mother’s advice. “I loved design college!” she smiles. “I learned so much—from the chemistry classes where we studied the science of fabrics—fine wools and silks—and understanding how they behaved, to the history of couture and how to make a dress form, and design with fabric.”

It turned out Zender had a flair for design. This, coupled with her needlework skills soon had her working for an interior design firm making curtains and cushions. Then came a stint making jewelry for a friend with a successful jewelry business whom Zender followed to the U.S. in 1985.

The friend’s jewelry venture didn’t work out in the U.S., “But I never stopped sewing,” Zender smiles—very good news for the North Shore.

In the decades she’s worked here, Zender has developed a very loyal following. Some even travel from out of state to bring Zender garments that need special attention.

One of these was actually Zender’s first alterations client, “I will never forget that first suit—a $20,000 Christian Dior, blue, and embroidered with pearls,” says Zender. “I had to remove some of the pearls to taper the sides of the jacket, then reshape, re-seam, and stitch the pearls back into perfect place. It was very challenging, but it came out well.”

But her trickiest assignment yet? Altering a Carolina Herrera wedding dress which needed to be shortened and tapered. With three layers of sheer silk and the skirt gathered in scallops, the dress could not be shortened at the hem, “It had to be done at the waistline,” Zender explains. This, given the tiny French seams, was very difficult. “Before coming to me, the bride had tried to take it elsewhere and nobody wanted to do it! But I love a challenge, and the results were beautiful.”

While Zender shows me photos of the glowing bride in yards of lace, the door chime rings again and another customer bustles in.

“You’re interviewing Elizabeth?” she beams. “She’s fabulous. So skilled and careful, paying attention to truly the smallest of details. She is the pearl, and you pay the pearl price. Whatever it takes, it’s worth it.”

For more information on Lake City Cleaner’s alteration services, please visit lakecitycleaners.com.