Tailors

At a Glance

Custom tailors make clothes from start to finish
Alterations tailors repair or alter clothes
Work with customers, but also work alone
Have a good eye for color and style
Train on the job
May work part time or full time

Career summary

Tailors construct, alter, or repair items of clothing.

Tailors may also be called custom sewers or dressmakers. Female tailors may be called seamstresses.

Tailors can specialize in making custom garments or making alterations to existing garments.

Custom tailors

Custom tailors make garments for people who prefer or require clothing made especially for them. They talk to customers about the items they want made. They take customers' measurements and help them select fabrics and designs.

Tailors cut fabric using pre-made patterns or patterns they have designed. They sew pieces together by hand or with machines. After fitting the garment on the customer, they make final adjustments. They add buttons and other finishing trims.

Alteration tailors

Alteration tailors fit garments on customers. They measure for sleeve or pant length. They may change waist or chest sizes, or raise or lower collars or lapels. They also sometimes repair or replace defective garment parts, such as pockets or linings.

Tailors make alterations by hand or with sewing machines. When alterations are done, they press garments using a hand iron or pressing machine.

Shop and alteration tailors usually work in clothing stores or other retail outlets.

Related careers

This career is part of the Human Services cluster of careers.

Related careers include:

Job duties

Task list

The following list of tasks is specific to tailors.

Fit garment on customer, or confer with customer to determine garment and fabric needed.
Measure parts to be altered, or measure customer for new garment, using tape measure.
Record alteration instructions or customer's measurements.
Pin folds or make marks on garment to indicate where alterations should be made.
Refer to tag of instructions to measure and mark alteration lines.
Remove stitches from garment using ripper. Re-sew garment by hand or with a sewing machine.
Create design for new garment, or adapt existing design.
Draw new pattern, or alter existing pattern to fit customer's measurements.
Position pattern parts onto fabric. Cut fabric along outlines.
Join garment parts with basting stitches.
Fit customer with basted garment and mark areas that need to be altered.
Finish garment by joining parts with regular stitching. Add buttons and buttonholes.
Press new or altered garment, using hand iron or pressing machine.

Common work activities

Tailors perform the following tasks. These tasks are common to many careers.

Control machines and processes
Get information needed to do the job
Identify objects, actions, and events
Organize, plan, and prioritize work
Think creatively
Perform for or work with the public
Resolve conflicts and negotiate with others
Make decisions and solve problems
Monitor events, materials, and surroundings
Establish and maintain relationships
Judge the value of objects, services, or people
Convince others to buy goods or change their minds or actions
Schedule work and activities
Explain the meaning of information to others
Estimate sizes, quantities, time, cost, or materials needed
Communicate with supervisors, peers, or subordinates

Work requirements

Working conditions

In a typical work setting, tailors:

Interpersonal relationships

Have a medium level of social contact. Custom tailors work closely with customers. However, they spend most of their day working with machines and materials.
Usually talk to others in person or over the telephone.
Are responsible for the work done by assistants.
May on occasion be placed in conflict situations in which customers may become rude or angry.
May work as part of a team.

Physical work conditions

Always work indoors.
Occasionally come into physical contact with customers.

Work performance

Must be very exact in their work and be sure all details are done. Errors could result in dissatisfied customers.
Repeat the same physical activities.
Make decisions on a daily basis that affect the fit and appearance of their customer's clothes. They usually don't consult a supervisor before making decisions.
Usually set their daily tasks and goals independently.
Work in a moderately competitive atmosphere where daily deadlines must be met.

Hours/travel

May work part time or full time.
May have flexible hours, especially if they are self-employed.

Physical demands

Tailors frequently:

Use their hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools, or controls.
Repeat the same movements.
Sit for long periods of time.

It is important for tailors to be able to:

Use fingers to grasp, move, or assemble very small objects.
Hold the arm and hand in one position or hold the hand steady while moving the arm.
Make quick, precise adjustments to machine controls.
See details of objects that are less than a few feet away.
Use one or two hands to grasp, move, or assemble objects.
Understand the speech of another person.

It is not as important, but still necessary, for tailors to be able to:

Speak clearly so listeners can understand.
See differences between colors, shades, and brightness.
Move two or more limbs together (for example, two arms, two legs, or one leg and one arm) while remaining in place.
Adjust body movements or equipment controls to keep pace with speed changes of moving objects.
Make fast, repeated movements of fingers, hands, and wrists.
See details of objects that are more than a few feet away.
Use stomach and lower back muscles to support the body for long periods without getting tired.
React quickly using hands, fingers, or feet.
Choose quickly and correctly among various movements when responding to different signals.
Bend, stretch, twist, or reach out.
Determine the distance between objects.
Hear sounds and recognize the difference between them.

Skills and abilities

Tailors need to:

Communicate

Understand spoken information.
Speak clearly so listeners can understand.
Listen to others and ask questions.

Reason and problem solve

Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong.
Analyze ideas and use logic to determine their strengths and weaknesses.

Manage oneself, people, time, and things

Manage the time of self and others.

Work with people

Be aware of others' reactions and understand the possible causes.

Perceive and visualize

Imagine how something will look if it is moved around or its parts are rearranged.

Education and training

Educational programs

The programs of study listed below will help you prepare for the occupation or career cluster you are exploring.

Programs of study to consider

Training

To work as a tailor, you typically need to:

complete moderate-term, on-the-job training.

Education after high school

No formal education is required beyond high school. However, you may benefit from taking sewing courses at a professional-technical school or two-year college. Home-study courses in sewing are also available. If you want to design clothes, you can take advanced courses in sewing, design, and patternmaking. Only a few schools in the US offer this type of advanced training. Several of these schools are in New York City.

Work experience

Working as a sewing machine operator is excellent preparation for this occupation.

On-the-job training

Most tailors learn their skills on the job from experienced tailors. You need sewing experience before you can be hired into one of these positions. Training can take up to a year.

Helpful high school courses

You should take a general high school curriculum that meets the state's graduation requirements. You will be required to take both math and science classes to graduate.

Helpful electives to take in high school that prepare you for this career include:

Clothing Design and Sewing
Family and Consumer Sciences
Textiles

Many tailors are self-employed. If you want to run your own business some day, you should consider taking these courses as well:

Accounting
Entrepreneurship
Introduction to Business

The courses listed above are meant to help you create your high school plan. If you have not already done so, talk to a school counselor or parent about the courses you are considering taking.

You should also check with a teacher or counselor to see if work-based learning opportunities are available in your school and community. These might include field trips, job shadowing, internships, and actual work experience. The goal of these activities is to help you connect your school experiences with real-life work.

Join some groups, try some hobbies, or volunteer with an organization that interests you. By participating in activities you can have fun, make new friends, and learn about yourself. Maybe one of them will help direct you to a future career. Here are examples of activities and groups that may be available in your high school or community.

Things to know

Retail employers prefer to hire tailors who have work experience in making or altering apparel. Laundries and dry cleaners also prefer applicants with previous experience. However, they often hire applicants who are not very experienced. Employers look for applicants with good hand-eye coordination.

Employers also look for applicants who are reliable and arrive at work on time.

Tips

Completion of formal training programs can improve employability. Take classes which teach sewing short cuts but still allow you to do quality work.

Costs to workers

Some workers are required to join a union and pay an initiation fee and regular dues.

Job listings

Listed below are links to job categories from the National Labor Exchange that relate to this career. Once you get a list of jobs, you can view information about individual jobs and find out how to apply. If your job search finds too many openings, or if you wish to search for jobs outside of Washington, you will need to refine your search.

Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewers

To get a listing of current jobs from the WorkSource system, go to the WorkSource website (external link) .

Wages

Tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers (SOC 51-6052)

Location	Pay Period
Location	Pay Period	10%	25%	Median	75%	90%
Washington	Hourly	$11.75	$13.21	$15.41	$17.95	$19.67
	Monthly	$2,036	$2,289	$2,671	$3,111	$3,409
	Yearly	$24,450	$27,490	$32,060	$37,330	$40,910
Bellingham	Hourly	$11.76	$11.76	$11.77	$13.67	$15.24
	Monthly	$2,038	$2,038	$2,040	$2,369	$2,641
	Yearly	$24,470	$24,475	$24,485	$28,414	$31,700
Kennewick-Richland	Hourly	$11.82	$11.91	$12.18	$18.20	$21.97
	Monthly	$2,048	$2,064	$2,111	$3,154	$3,807
	Yearly	$24,597	$24,762	$25,328	$37,842	$45,705
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue	Hourly	$13.70	$15.13	$17.03	$19.07	$21.30
	Monthly	$2,374	$2,622	$2,951	$3,305	$3,691
	Yearly	$28,488	$31,463	$35,422	$39,649	$44,293
Spokane-Spokane Valley	Hourly	$12.73	$13.79	$15.33	$17.94	$20.10
	Monthly	$2,206	$2,390	$2,657	$3,109	$3,483
	Yearly	$26,495	$28,688	$31,899	$37,317	$41,806
Vancouver	Hourly	$12.86	$13.63	$14.90	$21.11	$24.95
	Monthly	$2,229	$2,362	$2,582	$3,658	$4,324
	Yearly	$26,742	$28,362	$31,004	$43,903	$51,879
United States	Hourly	$9.96	$11.73	$14.90	$20.00	$25.96
	Monthly	$1,726	$2,033	$2,582	$3,466	$4,499
	Yearly	$20,720	$24,390	$31,000	$41,600	$53,990

Wages vary widely by area of the country. Wages also vary depending on the employer and the level of experience of the worker.

Full-time tailors often receive typical benefits. These include vacation, sick leave, and health insurance. Part-time tailors usually do not receive benefits. However, some retailers offer discounts on purchases for their employees. Self-employed tailors must provide their own insurance.

Employment and outlook

Washington outlook

The table below provides information about the number of workers in this career in various regions. It also provides information about the expected growth rate and future job openings.

Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewers (SOC 51-6052)

		This occupation	All occupations
Location	Current employment	Growth over 10 years		Annual openings
Washington	835	7.7%	16.1%	122
Adams, Chelan, Douglas, Grant, and Okanogan Counties	19	0.0%	13.4%	2
Asotin, Columbia, Ferry, Garfield, Lincoln, Pend Oreille, Stevens, Walla Walla, and Whitman Counties	28	28.6%	8.6%	5
Benton and Franklin Counties	46	4.3%	15.0%	6
Clallam, Jefferson, and Kitsap Counties	24	-4.2%	11.9%	3
Clark, Cowlitz, and Wahkiakum Counties	118	29.7%	15.2%	25
Grays Harbor, Lewis, Mason, Pacific, and Thurston Counties	35	-14.3%	14.1%	3
Island, San Juan, Skagit, and Whatcom Counties	86	1.2%	14.6%	11
King County	164	14.6%	19.6%	27
Kittitas, Klickitat, Skamania, and Yakima Counties	20	-5.0%	13.8%	2
Pierce County	256	-1.6%	15.2%	31
Spokane County	52	48.1%	13.9%	13
United States	33,900	-6.5%	5.2%	4,200

National employment

About 38% of tailors are self-employed.

Major employers:

Clothing stores
Laundry and dry cleaning services
Department stores

National outlook

Demand for this occupation is declining. This follows the trend occurring in the rest of the apparel industry. Imports from other countries now supply more than half of all clothing sold in the US. These mass-produced items are less expensive than custom-made garments. Tailors will continue to be in demand at clothing stores as some consumers will pay to have items altered.

Despite the decline, job openings will occur as current tailors leave this occupation.

Other resources

Association of Sewing and Design Professionals
2885 Sanford Ave SW #19588
Grandville, MI 49418
877.755.0303

References

Career cluster

Human Services

Career path

Realistic (Technical)

O*Net occupation

Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewers (51-6052.00)

O*Net job zone

Job Zone 3 - Medium preparation needed. Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations.