Head Cutter/Draper - Historic Clothing & Dress

Who We Are

Founded in 1926, the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation is a private, not-for-profit educational, historic, and cultural institution that owns and operates one of the largest and best-known museum complexes in the world. Our mission is “that the future may learn from the past” through preserving and restoring 18th-century Williamsburg, Virginia’s colonial capital. We engage, inform, and inspire people to learn about this historic capital, the events that occurred here, and the diverse peoples who helped shape a new nation.  

Today, Colonial Williamsburg is the largest living history museum in the U.S. The Historic Area is the 301-acre restored colonial capital with 89 original buildings and 525 buildings reconstructed to how they appeared in the 18th century through extensive archaeological, architectural, and documentary research. The Historic Area is staffed by highly trained, historically dressed interpreters and expert tradespeople who bring the 18th century to life. The Foundation also owns and operates two world-class museums, the DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum, and the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum, The Bob and Marion Wilson Teacher Institute, and a renowned research library, the John D Rockefeller Jr Library.

Additionally, Colonial Williamsburg is home to five world class accommodations at the Williamsburg Inn, Williamsburg Lodge Autograph Collection, the Griffin Hotel, the Williamsburg Woodlands Hotels and Suites and the unique Colonial Houses in the Historical Area. Visitors may also indulge in food and drink at our many on site restaurants and taverns that blend a historically inspired dining experience with today’s evolved tastes. Each year over 5 million people visit Williamsburg and another 20 million engage with us digitally.

About the Position

Working under the unit manager, the Head Cutter/Draper manages the sewing operations process. The individual in this role reviews and approves clothing requests, plans workflow, performs fittings, customizes patterns as needed, and serves as the expert and mentor for the Tailors and First Hand Tailors in the unit. The Head Cutter/Draper is also responsible for swatching clothing requisitions and ensuring that each garment meets Colonial Williamsburg's standards of historical accuracy, visual interpretive presentation of clothing, and quality execution.

Main Duties:

• Oversee and manage the process of clothing requests, workflows, fittings, customizing patterns, task delegation, and production.
• Set standards, documents processes, trains others, resolve issues, and streamline processes.
• Perform article inspection.
• Provides feedback regarding performance to Historic Clothing and Dress leadership and participates in interviewing candidates.
• Measure employees for historical dress and accurately fit those employees with in stock items.
• When an in-stock item cannot be found, the Cutter/Draper makes a custom garment for that individual.
• During fittings, listen to, and respond to the individuals’ need regarding garments.
• Recognizing and balancing specific requests, understanding that different jobs and trades within the foundation require specific and unique attention to detail.
• Provide instructions to employees regarding the correct wear, care, and terminology of garments.
• Serve as a primary member of the fit team to instruct, train, and monitor the Cutter/Draper, Firsthand Tailors and Tailors in fitting, constructing, and altering of new and existing garments.
• Create patterns using both hand and digital methods including the use of Adobe Illustrator, pattern manipulation, draping and flat pattern design, or development from the department’s committee approved pattern archive.
• Secure the accuracy and integrity of the patterns and initial designs, ensuring that all recreated items of dress are derived from acknowledged documentary evidence including, but not limited, to surviving garments and/or historic depictions and descriptions specific to the represented time, individual, and location.
• Direct Firsthand Tailors to prepare cut garments into “work bundles” for tailors.
• Provide specific instructions using both verbal and written communication.
• Process fabric for cutting and construction.
• Collaborate with team members to ensure the logical, efficient, and equitable distribution of work to appropriate staff - including custom production, alteration, and maintenance of costumes.
• Perform duties at all levels as needed and provide team members with duties based on skill to foster accuracy and efficiency.
• Monitors and ensures quality control of items altered and manufactured by the team.
• Maintain accurate records of fittings, track the progress of allotment orders, p