By Lisa YatesEditor, The Times of SWLA
Helen Santos is stitching together a successful business – both literally and metaphorically.
Santos, 59, is the founder of Alterations & More, a home-based sewing business, located at 1438 W. McNeese Street in Lake Charles. The business offers a variety of alteration services – everything from simple pant hems to custom tailoring and dress making.
Her handiwork can be seen throughout Southwest Louisiana on pageant runways, during Carnival season on Mardi Gras royalty, and on brides dressed in full regalia.
She started her professional career not as a dressmaker, but as a college instructor in the Republic of the Philippines – her native country.
“I started working in a school teaching a myriad of subjects from English to management,” Santos said. “I even taught graduate school.”
Her education includes a Ph.D. in business administration. In addition, she completed coursework and began working on a doctoral thesis towards an Ed.D. in education administration.
Taking care of business
Her practical business experience included working 23 years as a civilian employee for a U.S. Military base at the Philippines.
“The U.S. facility was was the biggest employer, second to the Philippine government,” she said. “It was also the best employer.”
She worked on the base until 1990, the year the U.S. military began closing all of the military bases in her country.
When the bases closed, Santos worked as human resource director at a college close to the bases.
“The pay was not good,” she said, adding she wanted to come to the United States for the opportunity to create a better life for herself.
Santos found she was eligible for special immigration status as a U.S. Military employee.
“As long as they have more than 15 years of continued service, civilian employees were eligible for special immigration,” she said.
Coming to Lake Charles
Santos said it took five years to process the necessary paperwork. There was a final caveat.
“The U.S. Department of Justice required that I move to a state where someone could vouch for me during a period of unemployment,” she said. “My sister, Violy Briscoe, was living here in Lake Charles. She had been living here for 25 years when I came here.”
Even though Santos was very well-educated and had many years of work experience, she had difficulty finding employment.
“I couldn't find a job,” she said. “I was told I was over-qualified.”
Her sister suggested working as a seamstress until she could find work within her field.
“My sister was a seamstress,” Santos said. “She had worked in an office, but she made more money as a seamstress.”
She followed her sisters advice and began sewing at home.
While working as a seamstress, however, Santos continued looking for other employment.
“A school – Williams Career College – hired me part-time to write the curriculum for a business education department,” she said. “It was an allied health school, but they wanted to add business administration courses. My title was Business Education Director.”
In addition, Santos learned that a local dress shop was looking for a seamstress. She got the job. She worked both jobs and continued to send out resumes.
A large corporation expressed an interest in her qualifications, but she didn't get the job.
“They never even sent a letter to notify me of the status of my resume,” she said.
Never giving up
Santos got more bad news.
“Both the school and the dress shop where I was working within the same week,” she said. “I panicked. I had bought a house on Lake Street. I kept thinking – How can I pay for my house?”
The businesswoman considered opening an alterations shop in her home, but parking was an issue.
“The city was repairing the road, so I could not accept alterations,” she said. “There was no parking, I had to park a block away from my home.”
Santos didn't give up.
Instead, she leased space in a building on W. McNeese Street, which is directly across the street from the shop's current location.
Santos made it a success.
“I started with one customer and it became an overnight success,” she said.
Santos said her customers referred their friends and her business began to grow, where more space was needed.
“This house came up for sale and I purchased it,” she said.
That was before Hurricane Rita. The property suffered a great deal of damage requiring a new roof, walls and flooring.
“I felt like getting on the first plane back home,” she confessed. “When you are old and by yourself there's nobody to help you.”
Santos didn't give up. She hired a contractor with some insurance money she received and worked to re-open the business.
“Then there was Gustav and Ike,” she said. “It's difficult, but I can't just run away. I have the house on Lake Street, the house here and my business. These are all my responsibilities.”
Beginning as a hobby
Santos learned to sew at age 10, in her home economics class in the Philippines.
“In fifth grade, that's when everything started,” she said. “I had a very good teacher at the time.”
Her teacher taught the class to make aprons, towels, skirts, dresses and more.
“Out of necessity and poverty in the Philippines, my parents couldn't afford to buy us clothes,” Santos said. “I started making my own clothes, dresses for my sister, Violy, and my mom. Then I began to branch out and make dresses for my classmates and teachers – all for free.”
Even throughout her career as a college instructor, Santos was making clothes for friends.
“I made clothes for gifts for my friends and wedding gowns for my friends, who were getting married,” she said. “Some of them would ask me to make a certain dress. They would purchase the pattern and fabric for me to make the dress. That's how I was able to develop the skill.”
Santos is able to look at a picture of a dress and create her own patterns. She continues to do this for very special customers.
“I have some very special customers, who are very nice to me,” she said. “If they can't find dresses for special occasions, I will make dresses for them.”
For more information, call 562-9130, or visit Alterations & More at 1438 W. McNeese Street, Lake Charles. Fittings are by appointment only. Store hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Mon. - Fri.
