Skills
Tailor Skills & Tools
The technical skills, people skills and tools employers look for in tailors, and how to build and show them.
What skills do tailors need?
Tailors need technical skills such as sewing machine operation, hand sewing, and measuring and fitting, plus people skills like attention to detail and patience. They also use tools such as Sewing machines and Sergers.
Technical (hard) skills
- Sewing machine operation
- Hand sewing
- Measuring and fitting
- Pattern adjustments
- Pressing
- Fabric knowledge
People (soft) skills
- Attention to detail
- Patience
- Customer service
- Creativity
Tools, equipment and technology
- Sewing machines
- Sergers
- Measuring tapes
- Shears
- Pins and chalk
- Irons and pressing tools
Skills in action: common tasks
These step-by-step guides show how tailors put their skills to work:
How to show these skills on a resume
- Lead your skills section with the technical skills from the job posting, for example, “Sewing machine operation” and “Hand sewing.”
- Prove soft skills with results: instead of listing “attention to detail,” describe a situation where you used it.
- List credentials such as Sewing and tailoring courses near the top, with the issuing organization and date.
- Use the employer’s vocabulary. Our tailor glossary covers the terms hiring managers expect.
How to build these skills
Formal training, supervised practice and certification are the most direct routes. Our Tailor training introduces each of these skills with plain-language lessons, procedures and a final knowledge check: a strong foundation before hands-on training or your first day.