Education · 1 of 5

The path

Nobody licenses tailors. You get in by being able to sew, and you prove that by sewing.

1. 1

   High school

   Grades 9 to 12

   Family and consumer sciences, art, and any textile or costume class. Start making things now, badly, and keep going.

2. 2

   Learn the machine

   6 months to 2 years

   A community college certificate, a fashion program, or a patient relative and a lot of hours. Straight seams, zippers, buttonholes, linings.

3. 3

   First job doing alterations

   1 to 2 years

   Bridal shops, menswear stores and dry cleaners hire beginners and teach fitting. This is where you get fast.

4. 4

   Fitting and cutting

   2 to 5 years

   Reading a body, pinning a fit, and eventually cutting a garment from a pattern you drafted yourself. This is the skill that separates a tailor from a sewer.

5. 5

   Specialize or open a shop

   Ongoing

   Bespoke menswear, bridal, leather, costume, or your own alterations business.