Careers in the Textile Industry

Professionals in the textile industry work with linen, clothing garments and accessories, as well as with furniture and upholstery. Careers in the industry and cover a broad range of products and services. Jobs include press operators, dry cleaners, tailors, machine setters, shoe repair persons, dye operators, knitters and fashion designers. Employees the textile industry can earn salaries starting at the minimum wage level all the way up to millions of dollars per year.

Fashion Designer

A fashion designer generally needs a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university. Strong creative vision, style, adaptability to stress, business management abilities, communication skills and a keen understanding of the fashion industry are also required to be successful. A designer must know what other designers are creating to remain ahead of the fashion curve and to become a trend setter. Typical duties include holding regular meetings with store, catalog and organization executives to review design ideas and suggestions; setting prices for garments and upholstery the designer creates; and supervising the work of dyers, cutters, sewers and press operators. A fashion designer is also responsible for purchasing material, preparing models for walkway presentations and identifying markets for clothing designs based on gender and age demographics.

Tailor

A tailor is generally required to have a Bachelor's degree. A tailor makes adjustments to existing clothing products to fit a designer's specifications or in response to a customer's request. Adjustments might include resizing the waist of pants or dresses, shortening a coat hem or letting out a portion of the back seam of a suit jacket. A tailor also sews buttons on existing garments, takes customer measurements and draws patterns to sew new outfits upon customers' requests. Design skill is required for this position, as is a strong working knowledge of fabric, specific material costs and the use of cutting and repairing tools.

Textile Engineer

A textile engineer works with a team of engineers and product development specialists to create new products for a specific target population. Many employers require that textile engineers have a Bachelor's degree as well as 3 to 5 years of experience working with fabric. Textile engineers work in private and government organizations such as clothing retailers, military facilities or aerospace companies.

Researcher or Developer

Researchers or developers in the textile industry are generally employed by companies such as Macy's, Fashion Bug, Target or Sears. A researcher or developer must have a Bachelor's degree. This individual selects the clothing that the store purchases and sells, having a strong understanding of the impact of color, material thickness, type and style on the store's target customers. Positions are available at the employee and manager levels.

Fabric Development Manager

Textile industry fabric development managers head up the research, development and application of fabrics selected by designers during the design seasons. These managers also identify mill development partners and create sourcing agreements with the mills. A fabric development manager is responsible for creating and promoting fabric and design awareness of products created by competitors. The position requires a Bachelor's degree; extensive work experience in the textile industry; an understanding of mill and vendor agreements; and knowledge of knitting, weaving and technical procedures. The fabric development manager must also have superb project management and communication skills.

Sales

A salesperson in the textile industry must have a 4-year degree from an accredited post-secondary school. Also required is solid experience in marketing and promotion; an understanding of the wants of certain demographics; and the ability to negotiate deals with organizations, retailers and designers. Duties of the position include cold calling existing and prospective clients and creating direct sales materials such as brochures and catalogs. Other skills necessary to successfully perform the job include the abilities to work well independently and to motivate sales teams.