per hour to copy a design, make a pattern, find the fabric, and construct it, you'd be paying me way more than $180. There was a time, back when I learned to sew, when it cost less to make your own clothes. Now, it's not worth sewing everyday clothes, only special things, because fabric and notions cost more than finished products. People ask me to repair or resize things more now than they ask me to make things. Unless you count the troupe of male strippers whose outfits I make, and even then, most of what I do for them is altering things they already have instead of making new stuff.

I wasn't fishing for tailoring a new pair of pants. Just venting really, and not knowing what group might fit my post.

Major manufacturers eventually recycle many patterns, colors, and parts. Car parts too, it must be cheaper that way. These are sansabelt pants, I see there are a few on eBay, perhaps I'll stumble across my size eventually.

But in a more general sense, I was surprised at the decline of tailoring. Although I do see a foreign suit maker in the mall, they're not in department stores anymore, and what ones there are online are not catering to guys like me ... they make custom fit clothing to high profile people at $800+ a pop.

I sew for the dancers, one is the brother in law of a friend and about twelve years ago he found a tailor who is not there anymore and the guy quoted a price of $85 to make him a drawstring bag to use in a magic trick. I laughed when he said that and told him I'd do it in five minutes and wouldn't even charge for him for something so simple. Somehow that turned into making a pair of jeans into tear away pants, which I had no clue how to do at the time, and went on from there. I've had to make some weird costumes for those guys, but it's kind of fun.

Using an original and making a pattern from it.

The process is time consuming and expensive.

I live in Atlanta, and there are literally 3 full tailors within a 5-minute drive, many others offer services at various cleaners, and several of the large department stores (Nordstrom in Phipps, notably) have excellent tailors. A bespoke suit from one of the full-service shops does run $500+++, but the Men's Wearhouse at Perimeter has decent suits and a very good tailor that will make those suits look like $1m on you.

On the other hand, I'm from Mobile, AL, and the tailors my family (dad, uncles, and brother) used as a matter of course have all closed up shop. There may be some that have taken their place, but I'd bet they're quite busy and probably pretty pricey, while offering fewer services like you're describing. The slack has been taken up by private seamstresses who do custom work, from Mardi Gras ball gowns to simple aprons etc (the gown makers can have years-long waitlists).

I actually looked into having a pair of custom Levi's made by Levi Strauss Inc, and I was surprised to find they can go for close to $200, but apparently that's what custom/bespoke clothes cost (I did NOT go for that). In the early 90's I had some shirts made by a tailor in Chicago named Paul Chang, they were $45 each, and I almost choked on that price (but I still have them and they look great - the style is bit loose and big vs today, but still ...).

I guess my point is that the trades follow the money, and without many other people who want that service (and the quality it suggests), you may have to go farther afield to get it.

If there is a University with a theatre department nearby, you could probably find a student costumer who could do the job, probably for a reasonable price.

trained dressmaker, and master seamstress. My dad didn't want her to work so...

When she made clothes for us - dresses, skirts, a spring coat for me, the rare pants (she hated making pants), a shirt for my dad... they usually looked like they came from Sak's Fifth Ave!