Today we’d like to introduce you to Cheryl Lofton.
Hi Cheryl, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Hello,
I like to call myself the accidental tailor. I am a third generation tailor who never set out to become a part of the family business. Although I did work in the family business as a child , I did not want to become a tailor. I aspired to become a billboard artist instead. I enrolled in Howard University’s school of communications but continued working in the family business. At this particular time, there where no other family members working in the family business. In 1981, my grandfather who started the business in 1939, became ill and subsequently passed away. During this time, i decided that I could not let all of my grandfathers efforts to create generational wealth, be in vain. I decided to weave everything I leaned about marketing and advertising during my years at Howard University into the family business. That was over forty years ago. I’m very proud to say that not only is Cheryl A Lofton Tailoring still a pilar in Washington DC but we are thriving as well.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
As with most small businesses, I’ve certainly encountered some struggles along the way. One of the biggest challenges was being a female in a male dominated business. Historically, tailors have been largely male and catered to mostly male clientele. It was very uncommon to have a woman tailor. Men were uncomfortable having a woman providing their alteration services. It took quite a while for me to gain the trust of my grandfathers former patrons and also to build a new client base of my own.
Another huge hurdle was building a female clientele base. I was determined to change the face of tailoring from what appeared to be a (men only) service to one that was necessary for women as well. With more and more women entering the work force and wearing white collar attire, there was a growing need for women to start having their garments professionally altered at a bonified tailor shop rather than their neighborhood cleaners. Today, I have equal amounts of both men and women clients.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I call myself a tailoress. (I am a female tailor) I do several things. First, I provide expert alteration services for ready-to-wear/ off the rack clothing which allows for a custom fitted look at a lower price point than custom made clothing. I also provide custom made clothing for those who cant wear or don’t want to wear store bought garments. Another large part of what I do is to educate my clients about the importance of sustainable fashion and how they can incorporate more sustainable clothing into their wardrobe.
My specialty is pretty much anything that requires a needle and thread. What I am most famous for though is bridal alterations. We’ve had brides come from as far as California to use our bridal alteration services. We are also the tailor of choice for many bridal shops.
I have so much to be proud of during my 40+ years in the tailoring business. One of the things that I am most proud of is having been chosen to provide alteration services for former first lady Michelle Obama and her mom, the late Marian Robinson.
What sets me apart from others is my work ethic. I’m always gonna go the extra mile to provide excellent customer service
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
I’m definitely not a techie so there are no apps that i use with any regularity with the exception of Pinterest. I’m always reading books but i don’t really have a favorite one as it relates to my business. I do have a favorite fashion blogger which is Capitol Hill Style.
I’m very much intrigued by astrology and all thing spiritual, so I’m always listening to podcast that relate to either of those.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://cheryllofton.com
- Instagram: tailoredin.dc
- Facebook: Cheryl Lofton Tailoring
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cheryl-lofton-
