TAILOR AND DRESSMAKER

Typically, tailors construct clothing for men, and dressmakers make clothing for women. It is possible for a tailor or dressmaker to start and finish the same article of clothing, but that is typically reserved for people who work in smaller shops. If seeing something through to completion is what you're interested in, you might want to obtain a job in a small shop, rather than a large factory, or construct your own clothes as a hobby during your free time.

In a larger facility, such as a factory or large store, different tasks are handled by different people. For example, you may be given the responsibility of sewing sleeves onto a garment or putting in shoulder pads. Other work, such as patternmaking and measuring fabric, would be handled by other workers.

If you worked as a tailor or dressmaker in a bridal shop or large department store, you would be required to make alterations. It is very common for upscale stores to employ a tailor or dressmaker, in case a customer needs something altered to fit better.

The first step in creating an article of clothing is the choice of fabric. There are many fabrics as well as colors to choose from. The customer then needs to be measured accurately for size. A pattern is chosen, and the fabric is cut to match it. Then, all the pieces are sewn together. The customer then tries the piece of clothing. Any ill-fitting areas are corrected and the garment is finished.