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The UK has a well earned reputation as the home of bespoke tailoring with British tailors dressing everyone from royalty to rock stars across the world. Tailoring is an industry steeped in tradition and heritage. Bespoke garments are custom made and sustainable in nature - constructed to have longevity. Part of the ‘slow fashion’ approach - distinguished by quality garments, produced on a smaller scale and with slower production times.
Bespoke cutters and tailors are qualified artisans who need to be precise, have an eye for detail, a technical approach, good communication skills and work to a high standard of excellence.
A bespoke cutter is involved in liaising with clients to ascertain their individual requirements. They advise clients on the style, cloth and trim of their garment and have overall responsibility for the order. They construct the garment pattern and cut the components ready for assembly by the bespoke tailor. They also conduct fittings and record customer feedback as appropriate.
The bespoke tailor is responsible for assembling the garment, preparing the garment for fittings, amending the garment construction, completing final alterations and hand finishing the garment.
A bespoke tailor works closely with a bespoke cutter, as a team they create the tailored garment stage by stage, conducting fittings with the client along the way.
Training to work as a skilled craftsperson is extremely demanding. There are many specialities within the trade from coat makers to cutters and hand finishers.
Client relationship sits at the heart of this occupation and bespoke cutters and tailors will work with the client, through the complete bespoke tailoring process.
Bespoke cutters and tailors are traditionally and ideally based in a workshop within a tailoring house. The workshop is often attached to a shop where the tailoring service materials and accessories are displayed and business and fittings take place. The workshops contain specialist equipment, mannequins and a cutting table. There are many tailoring houses across the UK and some offer a travelling tailor service, giving employees the opportunity to work abroad.
In their daily work, a bespoke cutter would typically measure and analyse figure variations, carry out client fittings, construct garment patterns, lay, mark and cut cloth and organise and purchase materials.
In their daily work, a bespoke tailor would typically baste and stitch garments, prepare garments for fittings, make alterations, press and part hand finish garments.
This is an active role which requires bespoke cutters and tailors to be responsive to client and company needs. For example - prioritising workloads, working with varying materials and responding to client specification changes.
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Duty 1 Liaise effectively with the client, maintaining regular communication. |
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Duty 2 Create, assess and evaluate the specification for the bespoke garment to be made. As examples: style, quality, fit, colour and longevity. |
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Duty 3 Identify and report issues internally throughout the production process, which affect quality and meeting deadlines. |
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Duty 4 Identify and report faults internally and externally throughout the production process, which impact quality and meeting deadlines. |
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Duty 5 Maintain equipment and the workspace, and store tools in line with health and safety requirements. |
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Duty 6 Prepare, test and use hand tools, machinery and other equipment to enable the formation of the bespoke garment. |
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Duty 7 Manage workflow, oversee the production of commissions to ensure deadlines are met, working closely with colleagues. |
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Duty 8 Handle and store the bespoke cut components or finished bespoke garment with utmost care. |
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Duty 9 Investigate requests for repairs to bespoke garments to assess viability and suggest remedies. For example, wear, breakage, asymmetry, stretch, poor stitching, and adjustments to improve fit, alteration or repair for longer sustainability. |
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Duty 10 Communicate with client to agree the bespoke specifications such as carrying out cost calculation to determine the price of a bespoke garment. Record client requirements. |
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Duty 11 Liaise with suppliers to order and recommend cloth, materials and trimmings ensuring timely provision. Control items, stock, products and suitably store these to maintain their fitness for use. |
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Duty 12 Quality check bespoke components, cloth, materials and trimmings before the bespoke tailoring process begins. For example, the number of components, cloth and material quality, pattern match and trimmings. |
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Duty 13 Construct bespoke patterns and carry out fittings ensuring the bespoke commission meets client requirements. |
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Duty 14 Identify issues that may lead to bespoke garment fitting problems and report findings and recommendations to improve them. |
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Duty 15 Assess and understand cutter instructions. Follow cutter instructions for adjustments and finishing options. |
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Duty 16 Apply a variety of preparation, sewing, handling techniques and construction methods to assemble and finish bespoke garments or parts of bespoke garments that meet quality requirements. |
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Duty 17 Inspect finished bespoke garment against quality standards and bespoke specification. |
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K1: Material manufacturing processes from raw material to finished product. How they meet British and international standards.
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K2: Properties and characteristics of cloth.
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K3: Professional client relationship management. For example, liaising on suitability of cloth, materials and trimmings when agreeing specifications for bespoke garments.
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K4: Properties and characteristics of trimmings.
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K5: Data protection laws and confidentiality protocols for the setting and the impact on the role including social media policy.
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K6: How to interpret figure and posture to produce a bespoke fit.
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K7: The range of bespoke individual styles and their suitability to clients.
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K8: Roles and responsibilities of the cutter and tailor. Agreed communication channels with the client.
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K9: Bespoke cutting and tailoring terminology.
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K10: Recognising defects in materials and the impact on the bespoke garment.
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K11: Quality control throughout the bespoke process.
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K12: How to maintain and safely use tools, equipment and machinery.
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K13: The importance of timely workflow to meet the agreed specification.
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K14: Efficient use of resources, time and materials.
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K15: Health and safety at work legislation.
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K16: How to handle and store bespoke cut components in the making process.
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K17: How to handle and store finished bespoke garments.
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K18: Processes to log and number each bespoke garment and methods of tracking for example an order book or checklist.
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K19: Quality assurance including formal recording methods for alterations to a bespoke garment.
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K20: How to decide if an adjustment or repair is both sustainable and viable to a bespoke garment.
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K21: The availability and cost of bespoke materials.
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K22: How to establish component costs.
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K23: Costing of a bespoke garment.
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K24: How to measure a client and observe figure variations for the construction of a bespoke cutting pattern.
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K25: How to organise purchasing of materials.
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K26: Stock control methods such as taking inventories.
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K27: The bespoke process to meet the specification.
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K28: Technical planning of the client commission for a range of bespoke garments, such as jackets, trousers, waistcoats.
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K29: Bespoke cutter review and approval processes in relation to the specification for example in relation to fit, quality and cost.
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K30: Client aftercare.
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K31: How to interpret body measurements and figure variations to inform the construction of bespoke cutting patterns.
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K32: Preparation of component bespoke garment parts.
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K33: How to prepare and produce economical lay plans.
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K34: Inspection of garment components and finished garments at defined process stages.
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K35: How to read and interpret cutter instructions.
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K36: Different work methods, appropriate to the use of a range of materials.
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K37: Construction details of style elements including pocket types such as double jetted, welted or slanted.
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K38: How to baste and re-baste bespoke garments through a process of adjustments.
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K39: How to complete and press bespoke garments to specification.
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K40: Figure and body types and how these impact on the bespoke garment construction process.
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K41: How to adapt bespoke features to different body proportions.
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K42: Adjustments as instructed by the cutter.
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S1: Produce a bespoke specification to deliver against agreed client requirements such as design, material and timeframe.
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S2: Professional communication with stakeholders.
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S3: Interpret specification, managing expectations both internally and externally.
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S4: Professional communication with colleagues to ensure a productive work environment.
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S5: Maintain comprehensive records relating to the sale and production of bespoke garments.
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S6: Identify defects in materials and take the correct course of action to rectify.
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S7: Select materials suitable for intended use.
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S8: Diagnose and improve on issues against the specification of the bespoke garment.
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S9: Store tools and equipment for example shears and scissors.
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S10: Identify and minimise hazards and control risks in the workplace to maintain work procedures ensuring health and safety requirements are met.
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S11: Select, prepare, and test tools and machinery, including adjustments for different materials.
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S12: Correctly handle and store bespoke cut components in the making process.
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S13: Evaluate the effectiveness of the bespoke cutting and tailoring process.
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S14: Handle and store finished bespoke garments in a safe and suitable location ready for client fitting or collection.
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S15: Assess bespoke garment and implement the appropriate method to remedy a problem.
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S16: Carry out cost calculation for a bespoke garment.
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S17: Carry out bespoke selling and after care.
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S18: Take a full set of body measurements. Observe and record client posture and figure.
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S19: Implement efficient and effective use of resources, time and materials.
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S20: Organise purchasing of materials.
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S21: Record materials on receipt from suppliers. Manage stock levels.
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S22: Coordination of the bespoke process to meet the specification.
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S23: Produce bespoke cutting patterns according to customer requirements.
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S24: Lay out cutting patterns to create an efficient lay plan and mark the cloth.
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S25: Cut cloth and trimmings for the bespoke garment. Include sufficient inlays to ensure the bespoke garment has longevity.
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S26: Create bundle with all component parts including the specification for onward progression storing any spare cloth and trimmings.
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S27: Carry out fittings ensuring that the bespoke garment meets the specification such as adapting to figure and posture.
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S28: Adjust bespoke cutting patterns following fittings.
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S29: Disassemble a garment and amend construction as per cutters instructions.
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S30: Inspect bespoke garment components to confirm it is complete and meets the specification. Report issues to cutter.
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S31: Make proportionate style details to suit body shape such as lapel size.
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S32: Interpret body shapes to achieve a correctly proportioned bespoke garment.
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S33: Prepare the bespoke garment by hand for fitting. For example, canvas a coat.
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S34: Prepare the bespoke garment for any required additional fittings having completed all adjustments as instructed by the cutter such as pocket placement and size.
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S35: Construct style elements for a bespoke garment including making pockets such as double jetted, welted or slanted.
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S36: Complete final adjustments and hand stich buttonholes. Hand finish the bespoke garment inside and out.
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S37: Inspect the quality of construction during the bespoke process.
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B1: Commitment to maintaining high standards of precision and excellence.
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B2: Focus on the requirements of the customer in a respectful and professional manner.
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B3: Strong work ethic and commitment in order to meet the standards required.
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B4: Recognition and appreciation of equality and diversity in the workplace.
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Apprentices without level 2 English and maths will need to achieve this level prior to taking the End-Point Assessment. For those with an education, health and care plan or a legacy statement, the apprenticeship’s English and maths minimum requirement is Entry Level 3. A British Sign Language (BSL) qualification is an alternative to the English qualification for those whose primary language is BSL.
| Version | Change detail | Earliest start date | Latest start date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.1 | Occupational standard, end-point assessment plan and funding band revised. | 18/10/2023 | Not set |
| 1.0 | Approved for delivery. The funding band for this standard has been reviewed and remains at £15,000. (2018-10-03) | 03/02/2016 | 17/10/2023 |
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