The majority of times, we are guilty of falsely using tailors, dressmakers, seamstresses and pattern-makers interchangeably, to describe people who sew clothes. Although these careers need similar skill sets, and also frequently make use of related tools and machines and equipment, what is achieved through each of them is varied. The type of job performed by one is completely different from that provided by another. Thus dress making is different from tailoring.
Dress making: Who is a Tailor?
Tailors are professionals in the dress making industry who make and repair clothes. The term tailor has been in use as early as the 13th century. A tailor is actually a man who cut and sews pieces of clothes into garments that is worn by both male and female. While the first time tailors sewed clothes that hid human features, tailors of The Middle Ages started sewing clothes that showed off and emphasized on human features rather than hide them. This led to the advent of the modern day tailoring practices.
A good tailor is required to have a comprehensive knowledge of clothing materials, clothing patterns and edging together with some stitching techniques. As a good tailor, you need to be able to sew properly with hand and at the same time with machine. You should be able to mend or repair clothes as well as have the skills required to produce clothing materials from the scratch.
The clothes that are normally made or repaired by a tailor are suits, jackets, tops and trousers. In order to get a perfect, you need to be able to properly measure your clients, cut the patterns required and sew the clothes to any customized design that would be chosen by your client.
However, in our present day world, clothes are mass-produced. You could thus just pop into a boutique and get a perfect fit for you at a much more affordable price much unlike in the past. This new trend is drastically reducing the need for tailors. Although, people still make use of tailors to sew native clothes and sew clothes meant for different occasions. When people want a special design for their chosen occasion they hire the services of good tailors to help them achieve that aim.
Other group of people still makes use of custom-made tailors to produce garments that are one of their kinds on a regular basis. A tailor is originally a man who makes men clothes but it has grown today to be men who make clothes for both the female and male sex.
Who is a Dressmaker?
It would appear as if a dress maker only makes dresses but that is not the case. In the olden days, a dressmaker is a man who produces all clothing materials apart from underwear and kiddies wears. Underwear and kiddies wears were then made by women. A dressmaker was then referred to as mantuamaker derived from wobbly and baggy robe worn by women (mantua) during the early part of the 18th century.
A lot of women could sew simple clothes at home but when they want a more elaborate and more official clothes they seek out the services of a dress maker. As more and more women started desiring on ways to become independent, they began to sew more conventional and more official clothes used around the world. It became acceptable in the society soon after that as a good and respectable way a woman could make money and by the 19th century, dress making became a predominant occupation for female population.
A dressmaker requires a good measuring ability and must be able to sew with machine and with her hands. A good dress maker ought to also possess an excellent communication skill to be able to serve her customers best. Dress makes must be skilled enough to create a garment from the start to finish. They should also be able to mend or repair already made clothes.
Dress making is taken to be women dominated career but it is also open for males who are skilled in it and are willing to take up the dress making business. A traditional dressmaker specializes in the making of women clothing; dresses, suits, nightfall wears, sportswear, lingerie or bridal gowns.
