We were lucky to catch up with Bill Riner recently and have shared our conversation below.

Bill, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you share a customer success story with us?

I had a customer with a very specific request. She had a wedding gown with an open back, and she wanted the back covered up. This type of alteration is somewhat difficult to do, but well within my expertise. However, the catch was, she has scoliosis which caused her spine and shoulder blades to be uneven, making the back for the dress I was designing quite difficult. However, I was more than confident in my skills to make her wedding dress dreams come true.

The process of constructing this piece was a multi step project. We started with the initial fitting, pinning the material in place, getting the measurements I needed, and determining where the center would be to place the buttons. Since one shoulder blade was more prominent than the other, that made the center asymmetrical for the design, but made it symmetrical on her body.

I drafted a pattern for the piece and sewed it all together. To account for the shoulder blade on the one side, I had to put more fabric on that side. However, this created another problem for the design. That extra fabric needs to go somewhere when I sew it onto the dress. I was quick on my feet to figure out a solution. I had to be rather creative with making seams and darts in the design to make the extra fabric work.

The next step was finding a lace that blended in with the rest of the design of the dress. After sourcing a lace that matched the dress, I sewed it on and disguised the seams with the lace, creating a truly one of a kind wedding dress for her.

When her final fitting came around, she was ecstatic. The dress was exactly how she imagined, and she couldn’t have been happier. Making someone’s visions come true and giving my customers the perfect fit is what drives me.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I got into the industry of alterations and fashion design for somewhat selfish reasons. I’m a rather short man, so nothing fits me off the rack. The cheapest way and best method to get the exact fit I wanted to learn sewing myself.

I started by watching YouTube videos and learning simple tasks such as hemming and tapering pants, but I wanted to learn more.

I was fortunate enough to acquire an apprenticeship with a master tailor who used to run his own bespoke tailoring shop. He taught me suit alterations and expanded my knowledge in the art of sewing.

After a few years working with suits, I got a job as an Alterations Manager with a large bridal retailer. In this position, I had the opportunity to expand my expertise from not only menswear but to wedding dresses and women’s fashion as well.

The differences and similarities in women’s clothing and menswear is fascinating to me. They share a lot of the same principles, but are entirely different at the same time.

After a few years working corporate, I was confident to go out on my own and open William Riner Alterations back in October of 2023.

I specialize in men’s suiting and wedding dresses, but my skills go well beyond that. I also create costumes and cosplay. For example, for Halloween I drafted patterns and sewed together a Batman mask and 10 ft wide cape.

I want my customer to feel comfortable in their clothes and get the exact fit they want.

Have you ever had to pivot?

One major pivot I made in my life was my decision to persue Stand Up Comedy. It was something I was thinking about trying for years, as anything I do in life is funny to me in some odd form or fashion. I just hadn’t had had the confidence or know how to get started. Shortly after moving to Greenville and realizing we have a comedy club right in town, I knew I wanted to give it a shot. I signed up for an open mic night and never looked back. Doing stand up has changed my life in so many ways. I feel like it makes me more self aware, better at listening to and reading other people, and more social as a person. Im only a few years into comedy now, but I learn more about this amazing craft each day and figure out new ways to get people to laugh with my jokes. I may not end up selling out theaters in my comedy career, but I know it’s something I would love to do the rest of my life.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

The greatest source of clients for me is networking with other local boutiques and clothing stores. When I first opened up, I made a comprehensive list of bridal boutiques and menswear stores in the area. I called and networked with any that I could get in touch with to get my name out there, and I’m always looking for more local business owners and customers to build a relationship with.

I’ve also used yelp, google, and Instagram to foster new clients. I respond to calls and messages from those websites as soon as I can.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/williamrineralterations?igsh=YzVkODRmOTdmMw%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61552619844553&mibextid=LQQJ4d
• Yelp: https://m.yelp.com/biz/william-rin%C3%A8r-alterations-greenville?override_cta=Request%20pricing%20%26%20availability