http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A01E4DD143FF935A1575AC0A96F958260&n=Top/Reference/Times%20Topics/Subjects/S/Sewing
As I recall, this link was posted on one of the other fora (AAAC, I think). I remember it because of the tailor's claim that it took him 560 hours of labor to make a suit, which seems far fetched. I suspect a misquote or misprint there.
i wonder if anyone has a graph showing the decline of tailors in various countries or worldwide over the years. would be very interesting