Tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers design make, alter, repair, or fit garments.

  • Measure parts, such as sleeves or pant legs, and mark or pin-fold alteration lines.
  • Remove stitches from garments to be altered, using rippers or razor blades.
  • Sew garments, using needles and thread or sewing machines.
  • Let out or take in seams in suits and other garments to improve fit.
  • Measure customers, using tape measures, and record measurements.
  • Fit and study garments on customers to determine required alterations.
  • Trim excess material, using scissors.
  • Assemble garment parts and join parts with basting stitches, using needles and thread or sewing machines.
  • Make garment style changes, such as tapering pant legs, narrowing lapels, and adding or removing padding.
  • Maintain garment drape and proportions as alterations are performed.
  • Take up or let down hems to shorten or lengthen garment parts, such as sleeves.
  • Repair or replace defective garment parts, such as pockets, zippers, snaps, buttons, and linings.
  • Press garments, using hand irons or pressing machines.
  • Fit, alter, repair, and make made-to-measure clothing, according to customers' and clothing manufacturers' specifications and fit, and applying principles of garment design, construction, and styling.
  • Estimate how much a garment will cost to make, based on factors such as time and material requirements.
  • Position patterns of garment parts on fabric, and cut fabric along outlines, using scissors.
  • Record required alterations and instructions on tags, and attach them to garments.
  • Confer with customers to determine types of material and garment styles desired.
  • Examine tags on garments to determine alterations that are needed.
  • Develop, copy, or adapt designs for garments, and design patterns to fit measurements, applying knowledge of garment design, construction, styling, and fabric.
  • Put in padding and shaping materials.
  • Sew buttonholes and attach buttons to finish garments.
Work Context

Work Context information for this career will be available soon.

Work Activities
  • Controlling Machines and Processes — Using either control mechanisms or direct physical activity to operate machines or processes (not including computers or vehicles).
  • Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work — Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
  • Thinking Creatively — Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
  • Making Decisions and Solving Problems — Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
  • Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge — Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
  • Judging the Qualities of Things, Services, or People — Assessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people.
  • Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events — Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
  • Getting Information — Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
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Detailed Work Activities
  • Measure clients to ensure proper product fit.
  • Sew clothing or other articles.
  • Operate sewing equipment.
  • Measure materials to mark reference points, cutting lines, or other indicators.
  • Sew clothing or other articles.
  • Sew clothing or other articles.
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Knowledge

Customer and Personal Service
  • Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
English Language
  • Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Production and Processing
  • Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
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Skills

Time Management
  • Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Active Listening
  • Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Speaking
  • Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Critical Thinking
  • Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Abilities

Arm-Hand Steadiness
  • The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
Finger Dexterity
  • The ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects.
Visualization
  • The ability to imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged.
Near Vision
  • The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
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Personality

People interested in this work like activities that include ideas, thinking, and figuring things out.
They do well at jobs that need:
  • Achievement/Effort
  • Persistence
  • Initiative
  • Leadership
  • Cooperation
  • Concern for Others
  • Social Orientation
  • Self Control
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Technology

You might use software like this on the job:

Computer aided design CAD software
  • Garment design software Hot Technology
Word processing software
  • Google Docs Hot Technology
  • Microsoft Word Hot Technology
Spreadsheet software
  • Microsoft Excel Hot Technology
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