Clothing craftsperson

As a clothing craftsperson you work with fabric, cutting and sewing. You manufacture, fit and repair clothing — from prototypes and single pieces to production — and you understand the whole way from a pattern to a finished garment. You become a craftsperson with a sense of materials, fit and details.

§What do you do in everyday life?

You can work at a tailor shop, with a designer, in theater and costume worlds, or with alterations and repairs. One day goes with taking measurements, laying patterns, cutting fabric, and sewing it together on industrial machines — and fitting and adjusting until the fit is just right. Precision and patience are the core of the trade.

• 01You learn to read and construct patterns.
• 02You learn to cut fabric economically and precisely.
• 03You learn to sew on industrial and special machines.
• 04You learn about materials, textiles, and their properties.
• 05You learn to adjust, alter, and repair clothes.
• 06You learn quality control and fit assessment.

§How do you get started?

You start with a basic course at a vocational school and then find an apprenticeship where you alternate between school and practice. As an apprentice you get apprentice wages while being trained in the craft. The trade requires good fingers, an eye for detail, and a desire to work with your hands.

§The way forward

As fully trained you can work at sewing houses textile manufacturers theatres or with tailoring. You can specialise in pattern construction or custom tailoring and build further towards design and textile education if you want to go further into the creative side.

“A good cut and a straight seam — then a piece of fabric becomes something you want to wear.”