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Fashion Designers

People classed as Fashion Designers design clothing and accessories. The skills rated most useful are speaking, critical thinking, and active listening. A regular part of the work is to sketch rough and detailed drawings of apparel or accessories, and write specifications such as color schemes, construction, material types, and accessory requirements. Its interest code is ARE. Artistic leads at 7.0 out of 7, so expect creative work with room for original expression, with Realistic next at 4.3. Getting in usually takes one or two years of vocational training, an apprenticeship or an associate’s degree, a level O*NET calls medium preparation. People who want creative work with room for original expression usually fit better here than those who need research, analysis and working through hard problems.

What they do

Design clothing and accessories. Create original designs or adapt fashion trends.

Main tasks

  • Sketch rough and detailed drawings of apparel or accessories, and write specifications such as color schemes, construction, material types, and accessory requirements.
  • Examine sample garments on and off models, modifying designs to achieve desired effects.
  • Confer with sales and management executives or with clients to discuss design ideas.
  • Select materials and production techniques to be used for products.
  • Provide sample garments to agents and sales representatives, and arrange for showings of sample garments at sales meetings or fashion shows.
  • Direct and coordinate workers involved in drawing and cutting patterns and constructing samples or finished garments.

Skills

  • Speaking
  • Critical Thinking
  • Active Listening
  • Time Management
  • Social Perceptiveness
  • Judgment and Decision Making

Who this career fits

May suit you if

  • You want room to make something in your own way.
  • You like ending the day with a physical result you can point to.
  • You are willing to put in a year or two of focused training.
  • You are comfortable relying on speaking and critical thinking.

May not suit you if

  • You prefer clear instructions to open creative briefs.
  • You want to spend most of your time analyzing and researching. Investigative rates 2.2 out of 7 here.
  • You need to start within a few months, with no training period.

Interest profile

O*NET rates each occupation from 1 to 7 on six interest types. The code ARE takes the three highest, and Artistic comes first here.

Preparation

Medium preparation. Expect vocational school, an apprenticeship, related experience or an associate’s degree, usually one or two years in total.

Most-reported requirement in the O*NET survey: Bachelor's Degree. This reflects what workers reported most often and is not a legal minimum. Licensing rules can differ by state or industry, so confirm what applies where you plan to work.

Also called

  • Apparel and Accessories Designer
  • Apparel Designer
  • Costume Designer
  • Designer
  • Fashion Design Contractor

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This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.