A dressmaker, also known as a seamstress, is a person who makes custom

clothing Clothing (also known as clothes, apparel, and attire) are items worn on the body. Typically, clothing is made of fabrics or textiles, but over time it has included garments made from animal skin and other thin sheets of materials and natura ...

for women, such as dresses,

blouse A blouse (blau̇s, 'blau̇z, ) is a loose-fitting upper garment that was worn by workmen, peasants, artists, women, and children.The Concise Oxford English Dictionary It is typically gathered at the waist or hips (by tight hem, pleats, parter ...

s, and evening gowns. Dressmakers were historically known as

mantua Mantua ( ; it, Mantova ; Lombard and la, Mantua) is a city and '' comune'' in Lombardy, Italy, and capital of the province of the same name. In 2016, Mantua was designated as the Italian Capital of Culture. In 2017, it was named as the Eur ...

-makers, and are also known as a modiste or fabrician.

Notable dressmakers

* Cristóbal Balenciaga * Pierre Balmain *

Coco Chanel Gabrielle Bonheur "Coco" Chanel ( , ; 19 August 1883 – 10 January 1971) was a French fashion designer and businesswoman. The founder and namesake of the Chanel brand, she was credited in the post-World War I era with popularizing a sporty, c ...

Christian Dior Christian Ernest Dior (; 21 January 1905 – 24 October 1957) was a French fashion designer, best known as the founder of one of the world's top fashion houses, Christian Dior SE, which is now owned by parent company LVMH. His fashion houses ...

* David Emanuel * Norman Hartnell, royal dressmaker * Elizabeth Keckley, modiste and confidante to Mary Todd Lincoln * Jean Muir, fashion designer * Madame Palmyre, a favorite designer and dressmaker of the empress of France * Anna and Laura Tirocchi, Providence, Rhode Island * Isabel Toledo * Madeleine Vionnet * Janet Walker, costumier and dress-making-bust inventor *

Charles Frederick Worth Charles Frederick Worth (13 October 1825 – 10 March 1895) was an English fashion designer who founded the House of Worth, one of the foremost fashion houses of the 19th and early 20th centuries. He is considered by many fashion historians to ...

Related terms

Jean Baptiste Jules Trayer Bretonische Schneiderinnen 1854

* 'Dressmaker' denotes clothing made in the style of a dressmaker, frequently in the term 'dressmaker details' which includes ruffles, frills,

ribbon A ribbon or riband is a thin band of material, typically cloth but also plastic or sometimes metal, used primarily as decorative binding and tying. Cloth ribbons are made of natural materials such as silk, cotton, and jute and of synthetic mat ...

braid A braid (also referred to as a plait) is a complex structure or pattern formed by interlacing two or more strands of flexible material such as textile yarns, wire, or hair. The simplest and most common version is a flat, solid, three-strande ...

trim Trim or TRIM may refer to: Cutting * Cutting or trimming small pieces off something to remove them ** Book trimming, a stage of the publishing process ** Pruning, trimming as a form of pruning often used on trees Decoration * Trim (sewing), ...

. 'Dressmaker' in this sense is contrasted to '

tailor A tailor is a person who makes or alters clothing, particularly in men's clothing. The Oxford English Dictionary dates the term to the thirteenth century. History Although clothing construction goes back to prehistory, there is evidence of ...

ed' and has fallen out of use since the rise of

casual wear Casual wear (or casual attire or clothing) is a Western dress code that is relaxed, occasional, spontaneous and suited for everyday use. Casual wear became popular in the Western world following the counterculture of the 1960s. When emphasisi ...

in the mid-20th century. * Mantua-maker, in the 18th century a maker of mantuas, or in general a dressmaker. * Modiste, a maker of fashionable clothing and accessories, with the implication that the articles made reflect the current

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. Si ...

fashion Fashion is a form of self-expression and autonomy at a particular period and place and in a specific context, of clothing, footwear, lifestyle, accessories, makeup, hairstyle, and body posture. The term implies a look defined by the fash ...

s. *Fabrician, a person who is considered an expert in making modifications and alterations to fabrics and other articles of clothing. * Sewing professional is the most general term for those who make their living by sewing, teaching, writing about sewing, or retailing sewing supplies. A sewing professional may work out of the home, a studio, or retail shop, and may work part-time or full-time. This work may include any or all of the following sub-specialities: ** A custom clothier makes custom garments one at a time, to order, to meet an individual customer's needs and preferences. ** A custom dressmaker specializes in women's custom apparel, including day dresses, career wear, suits, evening or bridal wear, sportswear, or lingerie. ** A tailor/tailoress makes custom menswear-style jackets and the skirts or trousers that go with them, for men or women. ** An alterations specialist or alterationist adjusts the fit of completed garments, usually ready-to-wear, or restyles them. Note that while all tailors can do alterations, by no means can all alterationists do tailoring. ** Designers choose combinations of line, proportion, color, and texture for intended garments. They may have no sewing or patternmaking skills, and may only sketch or conceptualize garments. ** Patternmakers flat draft the shapes and sizes of the numerous pieces of a garment by hand using paper and measuring tools or by computer using CAD software, or by draping muslin on a dress form. ** A wardrobe consultant or fashion advisor recommends styles and colors for a client. ** A seamstress is a woman who sews, especially one who earns a living by sewing. Before the

Industrial Revolution The Industrial Revolution was the transition to new manufacturing processes in Great Britain, continental Europe, and the United States, that occurred during the period from around 1760 to about 1820–1840. This transition included going f ...

, a seamstress did hand sewing, especially under the putting-out system. Older variants are seamster and sempstress. **A costume designer is a person who designs costumes for a film, stage production or television show.

References

External links

{{Authority control Fashion occupations Sewing Tailors

Notable dressmakers

Related terms

See also

References

Further reading

External links