Where Have All the Tailors Gone?

Today many young people interested in fashion are interested in the possibility of fame, fortune and glamour. But what about the craftmanship, discipline and pride that the apparel industry was founded upon? The sad fact is that these positions are declining and fewer young people are interested in entering careers in tailoring, dress making, patterning and manufacturing.

There are many contributing factors to why the skilled artisans and craftsmen of the apparel industry, tailoring and manufacturing have declined.

1. The time it takes to become a master tailor or dressmaker is a very long process. It takes years of studying, working and apprenticeships. The length of time, patience and dedication is a turnoff for some.

2. Increased international competition with faster productivity and cheaper labor has driven manufacturers and consumers to go oversees in an effort to keep costs low. The consumer's interest in quality made by hand garments is declining as the low cost of mass produced garments has become more appealing.

3. Everyday fashion has become so casual that consumers have found less need to invest in fine tailored/constructed garments. Why wear a suit when you can get away with a polo and khakis? Why buy hand crafted quality product from the tailors in Italy, Saville Row or even here in the good ole USA?

3. The current work force throughout the world is getting older and there are fewer masters left to train a new generation to replace them.

4. Tailoring, dressmaking and pattern making will not make you rich and with the generations growing more interested in a quick buck these fields are not appealing. In addition the growing trend in the US is that trade work in general among the middle and upper middle classes are looked down upon and many times deters young people that grow up in this socio-economic class from considering a trade as a profession.

So with this trend growing throughout Europe, the US and even Saville Row what is the future for fashion and the apparel industry?

Given the trend and growth of technology, output and productivity has increased while reducing the need for employees. Tailors and dressmakers currently self employed or employed in the luxury sector should remain stable while the most troublesome sector will come from manufacturing. Given this trend, by 2018 there is anticipated to be a 34% reduction in sewing machine operators. Even leather and shoe workers and repairers are expected to decline 14% by 2018**. Despite the current decline in positions, as the aging population currently working in the manufacturing sector retire or leave, there will be many positions available given the lack of new talent training to take over.

**Percentages as quoted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, The United States Department of Labor