Tailors are aging out of the US workforce with their skills in demand

Key Points:

• The tailoring profession in the U.S. is shrinking and aging, with fewer than 17,000 tailors, dressmakers, and sewers working in business establishments nationwide, and a median age of 54, which is 12 years older than the overall employed population.
• Demand for tailoring services is rising as consumers seek to customize off-the-rack clothing, extend the life of secondhand garments, and adjust sizes due to weight changes, partly influenced by weight-loss drugs.
• Despite the growth in demand, the profession struggles to attract younger workers due to lower wages, the physical demands of detailed work, and a fashion industry focus on mass production rather than handmade garments.
• Immigrants have historically powered the U.S. garment industry, with about 40% of tailors and sewers being foreign-born; efforts like Nordstrom and the Fashion Institute of Technology’s advanced sewing program aim to train a new generation of master tailors.
• Retailers such as Nordstrom and Brooks Brothers are expanding tailoring services to meet customer demand, but individual tailors like Kil Bae face challenges in passing down their craft as younger generations prefer careers in technology over tailoring.