In Festival Season, Gents' Tailors Get Little Work, Ladies Tailors Earn Well

Visakhapatnam: During the festival season, ladies’ tailors are getting a lot of work and making good money but gents' tailors do not have many patrons. A famous gents’ tailoring store in the city that ran with 50 tailors earlier is currently running with 15 tailors.

Many used to approach CS Rao Top Tailors at Jagadamba Junction during the festival seasons. But this was until around 2010.

“We used to do the work in one day. Now we don’t get many orders. Our customers now are in the 50 to 70 age group. No youngster is ready to wear tailored suits or shirts or pants. They do online shopping.”

“We charge only Rs.3500 for a complete suit, yet there is a lack of demand.” says Lingeshwara Rao, head tailor and owner, at CSR Rao.

This store was established in 1988. It used to have 50 tailors specializing in suits, blazers, jackets, pants and shirts. Now the store has two cutting masters who receive a pay of no more than Rs.25000 to Rs.30000. It has 15 tailors who receive piece-rate payments.

In Vizag, there is the Visakha Tailor Association in which 1110 tailors are members. Many of these tailors stitching gents' clothes are not getting much work.

Ladies’ tailors make good money in festive seasons. Visakha Tailors association ex-secretory Venkat Rao says, “This demand is seasonal. Women who want tailored functional wear or occasional clothing come to a professional tailor. Otherwise, they go to low-cost women tailors who do the stitching work at home.”

Venkat Rao adds, “I have trained many tailors who established shops in remote rural areas. They are not getting sufficient work. The ready-made online shopping has swallowed our work. Now customers want a dress that is fashionable and less costly. They don’t want to think about the durability of the dress.”

“Now we are seeing a use-and-throw culture. This culture is affecting the tailoring work. Up to 2010, our condition was good,” he notes.