How to become a tailor or dressmaker
Official title: Tailors and dressmakers
Also called: Tailor, Dressmaker, Tailor's cutter, Tailor's fitter, Tailor's assistant, Tailor and outfitter, Layer-up, Fitter-up, Cap maker, Marker-up, Cap cutter, Fur cutter
Tailors and dressmakers prepare patterns and make, fit and alter tailored garments, dresses and other articles of clothing.
Main tasks
- Takes customer’s measurements and discusses required style and material
- Prepares individual or adapts stock pattern
- Examines fabrics or skins for flaws and prepares materials for cutting
- Arranges pattern on correct grain of fabric, marks position and cuts out garment parts with hand shears, electric knife or cutting machine
- Pins/tacks and fits garment on customer or dummy model and makes any necessary alterations
- Sews garment parts together by hand or machine, makes buttonholes and sews on fasteners and trimmings
- Shapes garment by pressing seams, pleats, etc.
- Makes alterations to finished garments according to customer’s requirements
How to become one
There are no formal academic entry requirements, although some employers may require GCSEs/S grades. A variety of relevant vocational courses, including apprenticeships in some areas, are available leading to qualifications up to level 3.
Ways in
- Apprenticeship (England): Bespoke cutter and tailor (level 5). England. Typically 24 months. Skills England standard ST0055.
- Apprenticeship (England): Costume technician - stage and screen (level 3). England. Typically 15 months. Skills England standard ST0783.
- Apprenticeship (England): Garment maker (level 3). England. Typically 24 months. Skills England standard ST0846.
- Apprenticeship (England): Material cutter (level 2). England. Typically 12 months. Skills England standard ST0899.
Pay · Outlook
- Median full-time pay: £25,212 a year
- About 12,400 people work in this job now, and about 12,400 are projected by 2035. (+0.2%)
Related jobs
Not sure this is for you? Take the 2-minute career quiz
Questions people ask
How do I become a tailor or dressmaker?
There are no formal academic entry requirements, although some employers may require GCSEs/S grades. A variety of relevant vocational courses, including apprenticeships in some areas, are available leading to qualifications up to level 3.
How much does a tailor or dressmaker earn in the UK?
Median full-time pay is £25,212 a year (Office for National Statistics).
Is a tailor or dressmaker a growing career in the UK?
Employment is projected to stay about the same by 2035: about 12,400 people now and 12,400 later (Department for Education).
Do you need a degree to become a tailor or dressmaker?
Not always. 41% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Ways in include: Bespoke cutter and tailor (level 5).
Sources
- Office for National Statistics: Annual Population Survey: employment by occupation (April 2025 to March 2026), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
- Office for National Statistics: SOC 2020 Volume 1: structure and descriptions (2026-08-27 edition), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
- Department for Education: Skills Imperative 2035: employment projections by occupation (2021 to 2035 (Warwick IER / Cambridge Econometrics)), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
- Office for National Statistics: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Table 14 (2025 provisional), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
Updated 2026-10-03