Skilled sewers in demand as tailors and dressmakers age out, in photos

NEW YORK (AP) — Across the U.S., the number of tailors, dressmakers and custom sewing specialists is declining, even as demand for their work is growing. Industry experts say younger shoppers are turning to these professionals to tailor ready-made clothing, refresh thrifted pieces and get more longevity out of their wardrobes.

Associated Press Tailor Marco Lema, 35, of Ecuador, measures a denim alteration at Nordstrom headquarters in New York, Monday, March 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Eduardo Munoz Alvarez) Tailor Marco Lema, 35, of Ecuador, works on a embroidery machine at Nordstrom headquarters in New York, Monday, March 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Eduardo Munoz Alvarez) Tailor, Kil Bae, works inside his shop on Friday, March 27, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki) Tailor Marco Lema, 35, of Ecuador, works on a denim alteration at Nordstrom headquarters in New York, Monday, March 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Eduardo Munoz Alvarez) Tailor Marco Lema, 35, of Ecuador, speaks during an interview at Nordstrom headquarters in New York, Monday, March 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Eduardo Munoz Alvarez) Tailor, Kil Bae, poses for a photo inside his shop on Friday, March 27, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki) An embroidery machine works on a decoration at Nordstrom headquarters in New York, Monday, March 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Eduardo Munoz Alvarez) Tailor Marco Lema, 35, of Ecuador, works on a embroidery machine at Nordstrom headquarters in New York, Monday, March 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Eduardo Munoz Alvarez) Tailor Marco Lema, 35, of Ecuador, works on an embroidered shirt at Nordstrom headquarters in New York, Monday, March 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Eduardo Munoz Alvarez) Tailor, Kil Bae, works inside his shop on Friday, March 27, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki) Tailor, Kil Bae, works inside his shop on Friday, March 27, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki) Tailor Marco Lema, 35, of Ecuador, works on a denim alteration at Nordstrom headquarters in New York, Monday, March 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Eduardo Munoz Alvarez) Tailor, Kil Bae, sews a pice inside his shop on Friday, March 27, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki) A heart-shaped pincushion bristling with needles hangs on the wall inside Kil Bae's store on Friday, March 27, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki)

Tailors Labor Shortage

Kil Bae, a longtime tailor in New York, notes that the rise of weight-loss medications such as Zepbound and Wegovy has led more people to seek alterations as their bodies change. At the same time, the pool of skilled workers is shrinking as experienced sewers retire. In response, the Fashion Institute of Technology has partnered with Nordstrom to create a training program aimed at addressing the shortage.

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This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.

byCustos Caelorum
in
April 05, 2026

Skilled sewers in demand as tailors and dressmakers age out, in photos

NEW YORK (AP) — Across the U.S., the number of tailors, dressmakers and custom sewing specialists is declining, even as ...
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Tori Spelling and her kids hospitalized after car crash

"Beverly Hills, 90210" alumnaTori Spellingand her children were hospitalized following a car accident in Southern California.

USA TODAY

The 52-year-old actress was reportedly involved in a two-car collision on April 2, as first revealed byTMZon April 4.

Deputies dispatched to the scene in Temecula just before 6 p.m. found two cars with collision damage, and occupants of both cars were medically evaluated, the Riverside County Sheriff's Office told USA TODAY on April 5. No arrests were made, and the agency continues to investigate the cause of the crash.

Spelling was driving seven kids at the time of the accident – four of her children and three of their friends – when a speeding driver allegedly crashed into her car after running a red light, her spokesperson toldNBC News.

Tori Spelling was reportedly driving seven children when their car was involved in a collision in Temecula, California, more than 80 miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles.

USA TODAY has reached out to Spelling's representatives for comment.

The "Scary Movie 2" actress shares five children with her ex-husband Dean McDermott: 19-year-old Liam, 17-year-old Stella, 14-year-old Hattie, 13-year-old Finn and 9-year-old Beau.

The couple, who starred in reality shows including the Oxygen series "Tori & Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood,"separated in 2023.Spelling filed for divorcefollowing nearly 18 years of marriage in March 2024.

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Spelling, who hosts the "misSPELLING" and "9021OMG" podcasts, said in a recentinterview with Peoplethat she and McDermott have been "great at co-parenting" since splitting.

"We're a family. It's just a different version of a family now and we'll always be family," she told the outlet on March 26. "So it's really great for the kids."

She added that her eldest kids, Liam and Stella, live with her and plan to stay close to home.

"Liam, who is 19, he goes, 'Mom, I've always heard growing up and watching things on TV, when a man turns 18, he's supposed to move out.' And I said, 'That is so archaic. Don't listen to that," Spelling said. "I cook a lot and I love my kids … Liam has a girlfriend, Stella has [a] boyfriend. They become family. I'm the house [that's] like, 'Everyone come over. Let me feed you."

She also noted that she has been focusing on building an "empire" rather than dating.

"I am not thinking about dating. I am in my power era and I'm rebuilding and reinventing and taking it to the next level," she told People. "I have so many businesses that I want to build, [and build] my empire and I can date later. That can always come."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Tori Spelling and her kids hospitalized after car crash

byCustos Caelorum
in
April 05, 2026

Tori Spelling and her kids hospitalized after car crash

"Beverly Hills, 90210" alumnaTori Spellingand her children were hospitalized following a car accident in South...
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Pepsi pulls music festival sponsorship amid backlash to Ye performance

Pepsi has pulled out of sponsoring anupcoming music festivalin London amid growing backlash over the involvement ofYe, the controversial rapper formerly known asKanye West.

USA TODAY

A Pepsi spokesperson confirmed in a statement provided to USA TODAY on April 5, "Pepsi has decided to withdraw its sponsorship of Wireless Festival." The move came days after the announcement that Ye will headline all three days of the festival, which is scheduled to take place this July in London.

The booking sparked swift criticism given the widespread backlash Ye has faced in recent years for his racist and antisemitic comments, including saying he loves Adolf Hitler, identifies as a Nazi and planned to go "death con 3 on" Jewish people. In 2022,major brandscut ties with the rapper over his antisemitic statements. Since then, Ye has continued stirring outrage and in 2025 released a song titled "Heil Hitler."

Kanye West attends the Grammy Awards at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Feb. 2, 2025.

USA TODAY has reached out to a representative for Ye for comment.

The Wireless Festival will be held at Finsbury Park in London from July 10 to July 12. Festival organizers previously said that Ye's "UK comeback will be an extraordinary chapter in Wireless's story,"per the BBC. The rapper last performed in the U.K. in 2015.

Prior to Pepsi's statement,U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmertold theBritish tabloid The Sunit is "deeply concerning" that Ye has been booked to perform at the festival "despite his previous antisemitic remarks and celebration of Nazism."

Starmer added, "Antisemitism in any form is abhorrent and must be confronted firmly wherever it appears. Everyone has a responsibility to ensure Britain is a place where Jewish people feel safe."

Ye to headline Wireless Festival:The announcement came after his recent apology for antisemitic remarks

The charity Campaign Against Antisemitism also condemned Ye's planned performance and called on Starmer to prevent the rapper from entering the U.K. in a statement provided to USA TODAY.

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<p style=Born Kanye Omari West, Ye transformed himself from a college dropout in Chicago to an undisputable icon of music and fashion. But a string of controversies has the rapper facing a fallout. In October 2022, several companies, including Adidas and Balenciaga fashion house, cut ties with the star after he made antisemitic remarks.

Look back on Ye's life and career, from his marriage and divorce from Kim Kardashian to his polarizing political statements. Here, Ye and Bianca Censori attend the 67th Grammy Awards on Feb. 2, 2025, in Los Angeles.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=Ye gestures upon arriving at Shanghai Pudong International Airport on July 11, 2025.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=Ye hit the 2025 Grammys red carpet donning a black shirt and pants, sunglasses and a chain. Meanwhile, wife Bianca Censori wore a black fur coat that she removed to pose in a nearly nude, see-through dress as photographers captured the couple's appearance.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=Ye and Bianca Censori attend the Marni fall/winter 2024 fashion show on Feb. 23, 2024, in Milan, Italy.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=Ye and Bianca Censori are seen in the stands during the UEFA Champions League last 16 first leg football match Inter Milan vs Atletico Madrid at the San Siro stadium in Milan on Feb. 20, 2024.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=Charlie Wilson, left, and Ye attend Wilson's Hollywood Walk of Fame star ceremony on Jan. 29, 2024, in Los Angeles.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=Ye attended the premiere for "The Greatest Lie Ever Sold: George Floyd and the Rise of BLM," a documentary by conservative political commentator Candace Owens, on Oct. 12, 2022.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Ye and Owens posed together at the premiere screening for Owens' documentary, which reexamines the the 2020 death of George Floyd. Ye's reflection on the documentary <a href=during an appearance on the “Drink Champs” podcast a few days after the event found the rapper making controversial statements on the manner of Floyd's death." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Ray J and Kid Rock also posed with Ye for a group photo at the premiere screening for "The Greatest Lie Ever Sold." <p style=Ye and his children Saint West, Chicago West and Psalm West, who he shares with ex Kim Kardashian, attended the Balenciaga womenswear spring/summer 2023 show at Paris Fashion Week on Oct. 2, 2022.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Ye performed during Playboi Carti's set during 2022 Rolling Loud New York at Citi Field on Sept. 23, 2022. Jared Leto, left, and Ye attended Vogue World: New York on Sept. 12, 2022, in New York City.  Ye hugged Sean "Diddy" Combs onstage during the 2022 BET Awards on June 26, 2022, after presenting him with the ceremony's Lifetime Achievement Award. Rocking a mask covering his entire face, Ye <a href=gave an impassioned speech about Diddy, who he called his "brother."" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Ye, right, and Chaney Jones attended an NBA game between the Miami Heat and the Minnesota Timberwolves at FTX Arena in Miami on March 12, 2022. Ye and Jones <a href=were rumored to be romantically linked at the time." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Ye, left, and fellow rapper Future sat courtside during the first half of an NBA game between the Miami Heat and the Minnesota Timberwolves on March 12, 2022. Ye attended an NBA game between the Washington Wizards and the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on March 11, 2022. Ye attended the Super Bowl LVI match between the Los Angeles Rams and the Cincinnati Bengals at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, on Feb 13, 2022. Ye, right, and <a href=then-girlfriend Julia Fox, an actress and model, attended the Kenzo Fall/Winter 2022/2023 show during Paris Fashion Week on Jan. 23, 2022." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Ye was seen at the "Donda by Kanye West" listening event at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on July 22, 2021, in Atlanta. He<a href= temporarily moved into the venue following the event while he finished work on his 10th studio album "Donda," named after his late mother Donda West." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Ye and Kim Kardashian married in 2014 and Kardashian filed for divorce in 2021. They share four children. Here, they attended the NBA All-Star Game at United Center in Chicago on Feb. 16, 2020. Ye and Kim Kardashian shared a smooch at the 2020 Vanity Fair Oscar Party. Ye has released 11 studio albums with one album, "Jesus Is King," having a Christain theme. In 2019, he produced the album "Jesus Is King" featuring his Sunday Service gospel choir. Here, the choir performed along with his pastor, Adam Tyson, at the annual Strength to Stand Youth Conference at the LeConte Center in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, on Jan. 19, 2020. Ye presented his "Jesus Is King" album and film experience at The Forum in Inglewood, California, on Oct. 23, 2019. The album, which saw the rapper take on a rap-gospel sound, <a href=peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Ye, front, performed an<a href= Easter Sunday service during the 2019 Coachella Valley Music And Arts Festival on April 21, 2019." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Ye caused political uproar in 2018 when he met with then-President Donald Trump during a visit to the Oval Office on Oct. 11, 2018. During their conversation, Ye delivered a long soliloquy on "male energy," North Korea and his "Make America Great Again" cap, which he said made him <a href="feel like Superman." Trump called him "a smart cookie."" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Ye's son Saint threw out ceremonial first pitches at the Cubs versus White Sox game on Sept. 23, 2018. A week later, Kanye opened the new season of "Saturday Night Live," performing dressed as a bottle of Perrier and delivering a scathing post-show rant that included a MAGA hat and a call to repeal the 13th Amendment. West also caused controversy in May 2018 when in an interview with TMZ, the rapper said slavery was "a choice." In June 2018, he released his eighth studio album, "Ye." In January 2018, Ye's family expanded with the arrival of Chicago West, born by surrogate.  In November 2016, Ye abruptly canceled the remainder of his concert tour and reportedly sought treatment for exhaustion at UCLA Medical Center. Ye embarked on an eye-popping concert tour in 2016 featuring a groundbreaking floating stage. Ye and Kim Kardashian haven't shielded their kids from the spotlight. Daughter North has been a frequent fixture with her parents at fashion shows. Son Saint was born in December 2015. Ye earned a new nickname with the release of his sixth album, "Yeezus," in 2013. Even though record sales weren't high at first, it marked Kanye's seventh platinum record. When did the Kim and Ye romance begin? Kanye rapped, “I fell in love with Kim" on "Cruel Summer," a 2012 compilation album. This time marked the beginning of his much-talked-about romance with the most famous Kardashian. Ye showed off more than his vocal chords in 2011, when he debuted his dw line at Paris Fashion Week. Some of Ye's earliest songs highlighted his melodic rap style. With Auto-Tuned rhymes, he bared his soul in chart-topping 2008 songs like "Heartless" and "Love Lockdown." His 2007 hit "Stronger" was born from Kanye's collaboration with Daft Punk during a time when he experimented with electronic beats, not to mention those iconic shutter shades.

See Kanye West, Ye, the polarizing rapper, fashion mogul

Born Kanye Omari West, Ye transformed himself from a college dropout in Chicago to an undisputable icon of music and fashion. But a string of controversies has the rapper facing a fallout. In October 2022, several companies, including Adidas and Balenciaga fashion house,cut ties with the starafter he made antisemitic remarks.Look back on Ye's life and career, from his marriage and divorce from Kim Kardashian to his polarizing political statements. Here, Ye and Bianca Censori attend the 67th Grammy Awards on Feb. 2, 2025, in Los Angeles.

"The Prime Minister is right to be deeply concerned that Wireless wants to headline someone whose anti-Jewish bigotry has gone as far as recording a track titled 'Heil Hitler' less than a year ago," the statement read. "He is not a bystander though. The Government can ban anyone from entering the UK who is not a citizen and whose presence would 'not be conducive to the public good.' Surely this is a clear case. Pepsi has done the right thing by dropping its sponsorship of the festival, but if management are adamant that they want to headline Kanye West, it is only the Government that can stop them."

Kanye West attends a game at the Crypto.com Arena on March 11, 2022, in Los Angeles.

Ye, who unveiled his latest album "Bully" on March 28,took out a full-page adin the Wall Street Journal in January apologizing for his previous comments. He said he "lost touch with reality" because he suffers from bipolar disorder.

Ye performs first US show in years:What critics and fans are saying

"One of the difficult aspects of having bipolar type-1 are the disconnected moments − many of which I still cannot recall − that lead to poor judgment and reckless behavior that oftentimes feels like an out-of-body experience," he wrote. "I regret and am deeply mortified by my actions in that state, and am committed to accountability, treatment, and meaningful change. It does not excuse what I did, though. I am not a Nazi or an antisemite. I love Jewish people."

Ye alsotold Vanity Fairthathe oweda "huge apology once again for everything that I said that hurt the Jewish and Black communities in particular."

At the time, the Anti-Defamation Leaguedescribed Ye's apologyas "long overdue," but said it does not "automatically undo his long history of antisemitism – the antisemitic 'Heil Hitler' song he created, the hundreds of tweets, the swastikas and myriad Holocaust references – and all of the feelings of hurt and betrayal it caused."

On April 1, Yeperformed his first full live showin the United States since 2021, taking the stage at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.

Contributing: Anthony Robledo and Anna Kaufman

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Kanye West Wireless Festival loses Pepsi as sponsor amid backlash

byCustos Caelorum
in
April 05, 2026

Pepsi pulls music festival sponsorship amid backlash to Ye performance

Pepsi has pulled out of sponsoring anupcoming music festivalin London amid growing backlash over the involvement ofYe, t...
Read More

 

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