Tailor/Dressmaker Kaihanga Kākahu

Physical Requirements

Tailors/dressmakers need to have good hand-eye co-ordination, normal colour vision and good eyesight (with or without corrective lenses).

Useful Experience

Useful experience for tailors/dressmakers includes:

• community or night courses in dressmaking
• work as a sewing machinist
• work in a clothing factory or workroom.

Personal Qualities

Tailors/dressmakers need to be:

• creative, with an eye for colour
• quick and neat
• accurate, with an eye for detail
• able to work well under pressure
• able to be honest with their clients about how clothes look on them
• good at customer service
• good communicators and listeners, with the ability to interpret a client's requirements.

Skills

Tailors/dressmakers need to have:

• sewing skills and knowledge of tailoring techniques
• knowledge of a range of sewing equipment 
• understanding of garment construction, and pattern-making skills
• knowledge of human body shapes
• clothing design skills
• knowledge of different fashions
• knowledge of fabric types, colours and fabric care
• cutting skills.

Tailors/dressmakers who run their own business also need business skills.

Conditions

Tailors/dressmakers:

• work full or part-time hours. Self-employed tailors/dressmakers may work irregular hours, including evenings and weekends
• work in their own homes, workrooms, factories or showrooms
• may travel locally or to other areas to visit clients.