Fashion Job Vacancies

Despite the fashion industry being so huge it can be difficult to find fashion job vacancies that suit your skills or requirements. The fashion and clothing industry is one of the largest in the country. Even at its highest fashion end it is concerned with business, not art. The vast majority of the industry is concerned with producing garments that large numbers of people want to wear, at a price they can afford.

The fashion industry is extremely varied. Job titles and functions are not clear cut. people with different job titles can be doing the same job and vice versa. People with different levels of qualifications can also be doing the same job. In smaller companies an individual may carry our several elements of the design / production job, however in a larger company they may specialise in one particular area. There are also a number of liaison roles between retailers, designers and manufacturers.

In the UK about three quarters of production is for high street chain stores with the retailers closely involved at all stages to ensure the right look and the right quality for their markets. Increasingly fashion and clothing is an international industry. Designs may be produced, patterns and lay plans developed, fabrics sourced and garments made with each stage taking place in a different country; the finished garments may then be sold through shops in many different parts of the world.

Main Job Vacancies In Fashion Sectors

In haute couture, garments to an exclusive design are cut and made up for individual customers almost entirely by hand. Up market ready to wear follows couture trends but makes more garments in more sizes for sale through exclusive shops. These are fairly insignificant in emplolyment terms though not in influence.

Most employment opportunities are in the mass production sector. It covers a huge variety of garments for different markets and for a multitude of purposes; clothing is about far more than fashion.

Womenswear is the largest sector of the market but menswear has become very much more fashion conscious, as has childfrenswear, a growing area with its own special demands from babywear to teenage fashion.

Leisurewear, including dancewear, sportwear and ski-wear is a very lively market that has been enormously influenced by the development of special fabrics and finishes.

Workwear is a varied sector of the market, ranging from simple overalls for canteen staff to heavy duty specialist protective clothing. The technical and design problems for specialist applications may be very complex and must usually take health and safety legislation into account. Uniforms (for the police, armed forces etc) are a specialized sector of workwear and range from dress uniforms to gas tight suits. Corporate wear for banks, airline and hotel staff is also a growing market.