Cassandra’s Alterations CassandraFaulk

Reviving the Art of Tailoring One Stitch at A Time

By Monica Montgomery - Photos Provided by Todd Youngblood

For Cassandra Faulk tailoring isn’t just a skill; it’s an art and a calling. Cassandra’s Alterations is one of Charlotte, North Carolina’s finest alteration services. In business since 2006, Cassandra and her team of experts are dedicated to demonstrating excellence with every stitch.

As a child, Cassandra had watched her grandmother making clothes and decided she wanted to make clothes too. “I am self-taught,” Cassandra explains. “When I was about ten years old, I asked for and received a sewing machine for Christmas. Then I came down with the flu. Since I couldn’t go to school, I asked my mother to buy me a dress pattern and some materials. I cut it out, read the pattern, and made the dress. I’ve been sewing ever since.” To say that Cassandra was a natural is a major understatement.

By the time Cassandra entered high school, she had reached a level of mastery beyond her years. While her peers were learning to do cross stitches in Home Economics, she made her own clothes and assisted the sewing teacher. “My real first job was doing alterations in a men’s clothing store in my hometown of Lumberton, North Carolina. My sister-in-law ran the alterations department, and I came in under her. That’s where I learned how to do alterations,” Cassandra explains.

After graduating high school, Cassandra left Lumberton for Kings Business College in Charlotte, North Carolina. “I was attracted to Kings College because of its fashion merchandising program. I was interested in designing, making, and altering clothes. The next best step was attending a school where I could indulge my passion and natural gifts. Charlotte was also close to home. But when I got there, I realized it was more on the merchandising side of things,” Cassandra shared. She worked for a while in a department store in the merchandising department. Finally, she decided that was not the place for her.

Cassandra stayed in the Charlotte area because, in the late 1970s, Charlotte had much more to offer a young woman looking to make her way in the world than her hometown of Lumberton. “After realizing that fashion merchandising wasn’t what I wanted, I moved on to the corporate area. I’ve worked in a bank as a teller and done clerical and administrative work. Still, I can’t say I was passionate about any of those jobs,” Casandra explained.

Although it was clear Casandra was a gifted seamstress and tailor, life got in the way, and she found herself stepping away from her first love. “I still made the occasional outfit for myself, but as I tried to balance work and a social life, I found I didn’t have the time to commit to sewing that I had before,” Cassandra said.

Sometimes life can take us on adventures, but destiny can not be denied. Cassandra found this to be true. After years of office work, the sewing bug bit her again.

“In around 1985, I started working in an alterations shop in the Singer Sewing store in Charlotte. I worked there until I had my youngest son, which was about four years. When I started working again, I went back to banking. To be honest, I kind of lost my passion for sewing for a few years,” Casandra shared.

It would be a while before Cassandra dusted off her sewing machine again. When she did, she found she hadn’t lost her passion; it was unfocused. “I realized that although I could sew and make clothes, alterations were what I was passionate about,” she confessed.

You wouldn’t be alone if you wonder about the difference between a seamstress and a tailor. Most people don’t understand the difference between a seamstress or seamster and a tailor. There is actually a big difference. According to MerriamWebster, a seamstress or seamster is someone whose occupation is sewing. A tailor is someone who alters garments.

“A tailor has the challenge of disassembling a garment, then putting it back together after adjusting the size and/or length. All while keeping the original design,” Cassandra said with eagerness. “Love it because it’s like a puzzle. The goal is to make the garment look like it has never been touched.”

In 2000, with a newfound direction, Cassandra focused her natural sewing skills on alterations. “I started with small projects and initially worked out of my bedroom,” Cassandra explained. As she rediscovered her gift as a tailor, word got out. Cassandra found that her side job had outgrown her bedroom. “At the time, I was working for a property management company. I found out they had office space in the building I worked in, so I moved my part-time business doing alterations there. I didn’t want to continue to have clients in and out of my apartment.”

For six years, Cassandra worked both jobs. “Initially, I worked the property management job from 8 AM till 5 PM. Then I would go upstairs and work my business from 5 PM till 9 PM. Eventually, I worked both jobs part-time. Then in 2012, my corporate job gave me an ultimatum saying I needed to return full-time. I had become bored with office work, so it was an easy decision.” Cassandra has never looked back.

“Sewing is therapeutic to me. I would almost say it’s spiritual,” Cassandra explains. “There is just something about doing what you are meant to do that gives you peace.”

Cassandra’s business is booming, and she’s looking to take her tailoring business to the next level. Since rediscovering her calling to work with garments, Cassandra has extended her business to becoming a clothier. As a Clothier, she designs styles and suits for her clients, sends them off to be sewn, then makes any needed alterations. She also has partnerships with two bridal shops because wedding gowns are her specialty.

“The job of a tailor is essential to ensuring that the bride and groom look and feel their best on their special day. I get to be a part of that,” Cassandra says.

With individuality and creativity pouring out of every facet of life, Cassandra sees more reasons for the revival of tailoring. “Most designers don’t do alterations, which makes my job even more important,” Cassandra explains. “I help make those unique suits and gowns personal for the wearer.”

The work is detailed and time-consuming, but Cassandra loves the challenge. She sees herself and others like her as guardians of a lost art. “You’d be amazed at how little people understand the job of a good tailor. Your work speaks for you, and reputation is everything in this business.” Cassandra has two part-time workers, but she does most of the alterations herself. “I would love to hire another tailor, but everyone has their own way of doing things. I can respect that, but if my reputation is on the line, I want to ensure that work holds up,” Cassandra explains.

One way she hopes to bring back the art of alterations is mentoring. “I’ve worked with the local community college and had interns, but I hope to start sewing classes open to the community soon. It would be basic sewing lessons, but I hope to inspire and guide the next generation of designers, seamstresses, and tailors who, like me, have a natural talent and desire to become skilled artisans. I want to build a legacy in the next generation to carry on this kind of work,” Cassandras explains.

She concludes with an attempt to reach the minds and hands of those who may follow her path. “I hope to open a second location, and I’ll need workers who will embrace my vision and follow my design. I won’t always be able to carry the load, but maybe I can help shape future tailors so that they can carry on in excellence.”

To learn more about Cassandra Faulk, please visit her website.