How to become a Tailor

Tailors design and make garments such as bespoke suits, dresses, skirts, trousers, overcoats, uniforms and other made-to-measure clothing.

Personal requirements for a Tailor

  • Enjoy practical and manual activities
  • Enjoy clothing design
  • Good eyesight with normal colour vision
  • Good hand-eye coordination
  • Good eye for detail
  • Able to work under pressure
  • Good communication skills.

Duties & Tasks of a Tailor

Tailors may perform the following tasks:

  • Discuss the type of material to be used and the design of garments with customers
  • Take customers' measurements and record their sizes
  • Make a draft of a master pattern for garments, or alter patterns to fit customers
  • Position and pin patterns onto fabric and cut the fabric
  • Loosely piece together the garment parts using a needle and thread or a sewing machine
  • Fit garments on customers and mark areas requiring alterations
  • Sew the garment parts together, and sew buttons and buttonholes to finish the garments
  • Press the completed garment to mould and shape it.

Working conditions for a Tailor

Tailors may work in made-to-measure or ready-made tailoring. In ready-made tailoring, the garments are sewn by machinists. Tailors in mass-production factories usually perform one of the listed tasks, whereas tailors in small firms may be involved in all tasks.


Specializations

Tailor

Tailors design and make garments such as bespoke suits, dresses, skirts, trousers, overcoats, uniforms and other made-to-measure clothing.

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