Tailors busy meeting Diwali festive rush

Dubai - Silk has proven to be the most in-demand fabric this Diwali for men's outfits, in bright colours but classic designs

Tailors and dressmakers across Dubai are seeing a surge in orders for custom-made outfits during the run up to Diwali, with many customers paying as much as Dh1,250 for the privilege.
Although some residents are happy to dig deep in their wardrobes to dust off their best festive wear, donning something one-of-a-kind and brand new this Thursday is more appealing to others.
When Khaleej Times spoke to several tailors and dressmakers across the city, most said they had witnessed a last minute rush for Diw-ali wear orders this year.
At Jumeirah-based tailors, Made 2 Measure, managing partner Kamlesh Ramchandani said its 40 tailors are working "round-the-clock" to fulfill orders in time. "We have received a lot of last minute requests this week. We're getting about two to three orders each day, specifically related to Diwali."
Catering mainly to men's attire, Ramchandani said given that it is wedding season as well, things have been "extra busy".
"Silk has proven to be our most in-demand fabric but we are seeing clients opt for very classic and simple designs." Plain bandis (an Indian-style waistcoat) finished off with an intricate button are very popular this year, as well as Indian kurtas. But orders for hand stitched, embroidered items have been "few and far between", he said. "I think people are ordering less elaborate items so they can wear the outfits for different occasions."
In terms of what people want when it comes to colour, maroon, navy, black and grey have been the favourite among customers at his shop this time around. And when it comes to turnaround times for orders, "three to four days" is about average. "Usually, we take a week to 10 days, but given that Diwali is approaching, we are having to fulfill requests a lot quicker." But what are customers paying? For a classic design bandi with nice buttons, about Dh850; for a hand embroidered item, around Dh1,250.
Hasmukh is a master ladies tailor in Bur Dubai. Although his small shop in Meena Bazaar may not have Internet, he has spent the past few days wading through orders for ladies Diwali wear with his six tailors. "We can't take any more orders till after Diwali. It's a busy time but we have seen less orders than last year," he said.
With many customers coming to him with "last minute orders", saris are in-demand. In pricing, he's fairly competitive, charging Dh70 for a regular blouse, Dh80 for a blouse with a lining, and an extra Dh5 for piping. "We also stitch leh-enga blouses and salwar kurtas. The usual bright colours are in fashion this year as well as a variety of fabrics, dependent on customer preferences," he said. But there is a demand for high necks and three-fourth sleeves this season.
Over at Kachins, owner Anil R. said bright colours are "the big trend this year", especially pastels. Taking an average of about three orders per day for Diwali-specific outfits, wool and raw silk have been the fabric of choice for men. Embroidered details are very popular this time around too. "It's a special occasion, so turnaround time for orders usually takes about two days. We've received hundreds of requests over the past few weeks."
As far as prices go, it varies on the type of material and stitching, but it usually starts at around Dh900 upwards, says Anil.
kelly@khaleejtimes.com
 
 

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