For thousands of years, humans didn't put much thought into what they used to cover themselves up. Things were simpler back them—furs and leaves were all the rage. As centuries passed, people started to look around and think, Maybe we should dress up a bit? They gave their shirts a nice collar, maybe a cuff or two. Welcome to the beginnings of the tailoring industry.

 

I'm here to talk to you today about how awesome I am. (Source)

Tailors have an approach to life that's equal parts arts-and-crafts and pragmatic business sense. It's kind of like being Martha Stewart, without the retail contracts and magazine. Professional tailors may love making things like denim totes with floral broaches, but they also know that Pinterest do-it-yourself projects aren't what brings home the bacon.

To make a living, working a sewing machine and fussing over a pattern will make all the difference. The majority of tailors won't ever touch a designer piece, and at an average salary of around $25,000 a year, they certainly won't be able to afford one (source). 

But with enough luck and determination, maybe you'll one day be able to make one of those designer pieces. Dare to dream.

By the 19th century, a well-tailored shirt was a sign of status and prosperity—unless all of your shirts were actually made by your mom. Nowadays tailoring has a more rough-and-tumble reputation—as in, it's a rough financial situation and your stress level may cause you to tumble.

Some independent tailors work in cities like New York or London, at fancy boutique shops, where they make entirely handmade suits for wealthy folks with serious self-esteem issues and cash to spare. Other tailors don't do much more than re-sew buttons on at the dry-cleaners. Most land somewhere in the middle, at a department store or garment factory. At least it's a diverse business.

And really, that's all for the best; most people don't do their shopping at the latest Chanel runway show anyway. They shop at Old Navy and Gap—or maybe Ann Taylor, if they're feeling fancy. The point is: they shop at stores that sell mass-produced clothing in generic sizes.

Okay, but what if you're not exactly an Old Navy medium and you still want to look good for that big interview coming up? That's where tailors come in. Alteration tailors work specifically with already-made clothes, like that tube top you just bought that needs a little taking in. They work primarily in alterations departments at clothing stores or in dry-cleaners to make sure the stuff you buy actually fits.

But wait a second. What if you love to sew, but don't want to spend your life making small nips and tucks in other people's work? What if you like designing clothes, but don't want to wear fingerless gloves and dark sunglasses indoors? Then you're looking for a job as a custom—or bespoke—tailor. 

These guys and gals are the independent spirits of the tailoring world. Rather than altering ready-made garments to fit the customer, they design from the bottom up, without a pre-existing pattern.

 

Not the bravest thing this soldier's ever done—but close. (Source)

Talk about a heart-pumping adrenaline rush.

As a tailor, you'll have a reasonably flexible forty-hour workweek. You don't need a whole lot of education, just a lot of sewing abilities and incredibly good hand-eye coordination—very important for not allowing your hand to stick a needle in your eye. There are some non-profit organizations, like the Custom Tailors and Designers Association, that can help you get access to continuing education courses in design and fashion.

Maybe there's something here for you. Maybe you really, really don't have any other options. Maybe you're convinced that tailors are about to come into a windfall, with sites like Etsy becoming so popular.

Whatever the reason, these buttons came off, can you fix them please? We have a date tonight, and we need to dress to the nines.

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