Skip to content
News
Tailors age out of the workforce even as demand for their skills grows
April 11, 2026/
Weight-loss drugs like Zepbound and Wegovy mean more Americans are seeking adjusted waistbands, tapered sleeves and other types of resizing,
Hunched over a sewing machine, Kil Bae is hemming a dress inside his tailor shop when a new customer stops by with a vintage Tommy Hilfiger jacket he wants taken in.
The modeling agent paid $20 at a thrift store for his reversible bomber style that’s plaid on one side and red on the other. He’s willing to spend $280 to have it slimmed down. Alteration requests with such a price disparity would have seemed odd a few years ago, the tailor says, but are helping to keep the bobbins bobbing at his one-man shop, 85 Custom Tailor.
