Underpaid and sewn in
- May 5
- 3 min read
Updated: May 7
Cleveland seamstress Madilynn Alten expresses her frustration with the gender wage gap in her line of work.
Written by Morgan Alten
Madilynn Alten sews every day, her fingers moving with practiced precision over fabric. At 27, she has carved out a career in a field that, despite its reliance on skilled hands like hers, undervalues the work of women.
She splits her time between two jobs: Seam, an industrial cut and sew service in Cleveland where she manages and stitches everything from costumes to stool seat cushions, and Jack Casino in downtown Cleveland, where she oversees the staff, purchasing and alterations. Despite the hours she puts in and the expertise she brings, she knows she is not being paid what she’s worth at the casino. Alten is currently paid $22 hourly at Jack Casino, which she views as unfair. A single person in Cleveland should make $27 an hour, according to the living wage calculator.
She has seen the gender wage gap play out firsthand. At Cleveland Playhouse, her previous job, she discovered that a male coworker, in the exact same lead position as her, was earning more. The realization left her fuming.
“That sent me,” Alten exclaimed.
The issue runs deeper than just her personal experience. Costume designers like her are the lowest paid technicians in theater and film, trailing behind set, lighting and prop designers – fields traditionally dominated by men.
“Sewing has always been seen as women’s work,” Alten said. “So, of course, it’s valued less.”
She’s not alone in her frustration. A Facebook group she’s part of, called “Costume Professionals for Wage Equality,” is filled with daily discussions about job listings and industry-wide disparities. There, designers like her break down the numbers, comparing salaries and fighting for transparency. The problem isn’t just anecdotal – it’s systemic.
Her experience at Jack Casino is different, but no less frustrating. She works in isolation, tucked away in what she calls her “little hole,” separate from the rest of the staff.
“I don’t even know what goes on there,” Alten said.
She just sews, unseen and underpaid.
Alten studied costume design at Kent State University, where she created costumes for productions like “Macbeth.” Her education and experience should have guaranteed her a fair wage, but the industry’s biases run deep. Before her current roles, she worked at Playhouse Square, one of the biggest performing arts centers in the country. There, she created a massive puppetry costume for a man on stilts playing Sven, the reindeer in “Frozen.” It was one of the most intricate projects of her career – proof of her skill, creativity and her ability to bring fabric to life. Yet, even with that accomplishment under her belt, she still faces the same struggle for fair pay.
Alten isn’t waiting for the industry to change on its own. She’s fighting for recognition, equality and the respect that she believes her work deserves.
“Unless we want our things made cheaply overseas to fall apart after a few washes, it is important to support local craftsmen who may charge more, but are making something to last a lifetime,” Alten said.
The stitches she sews aren’t just for costumes or uniforms – they’re pieces of a career she refuses to let be undervalued.
“Sewing is an industry that can never be replaced entirely by robotics, every clothing item you buy has been sewn by human hands at one stage,” Alten said. “So, it's important to keep it alive and well in the U.S. and to do that – we need money!”
