Tailors, Dressmakers, & Custom Sewers

With a needle and thread, sewers and tailors create and repair clothing and other stitched items, both handcrafted and mass-produced. Sewing machine operators use sewing machines to sew or decorate clothing and other products. They keep machines stocked with thread, position material under needles, and guide their stitching to sew parts together. When a product is finished, these operators measure each item to ensure accuracy. Hand sewers stitch a wide variety of textiles and materials to make clothing, books, mattresses, wigs, and even toys. They draw and then cut materials following established patterns. Sewers must measure and piece together parts, stitch them together, and sew in trimmings, zippers, buttons, and other fasteners. To finish a product, they may iron seams and trim edges. Tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers create garments for customers and alter clothing to fit better. Customers try on clothing items so tailors can pin or clip fabric to fit their size. They take measurements to bring the hems of sleeves, dresses, and pant legs to the right length, and may let out seams or take them in to improve a garment’s fit. Some custom sewers create original clothing designs, and then sew them. There are no specific education requirements for hand or machine sewers and tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers, although sewing skills are typically required.