S.A. Shofiee, Sylhet :
Tailors of Sylhet city and other areas of the district are not getting the usual rush of orders this year ahead of Eid-ul-Azha and Durga Puja
The rise in the number of readymade garment shops and boutiques, and higher stitching charges are major causes behind the slump, with the orders falling by around 30 percent from last year. Many tailors claim they are receiving fewer order and may have to continue taking orders even in one week of Durga Puja. On the other hand, readymade garments are dominating men’s and kids’ collections as usual. But cloths still enjoy a high demand among women despite there are so many boutique and fashion houses offering readymade clothes.
Dulal Hussain, a customer who was browsing a shop at Sylhet Modhubon Market said. Some customers admitted they were interested in readymade clothes rather than tailor-made items. ‘I always pick stuff off the shelf at readymade stores. It saves my time and eliminates the hassle of visiting the tailor’s shop again and again,’
‘We used to get this huge rush of clients in our store in the past. We used to get so overburdened with work that we had to stop taking new orders within the two weeks before Eid,’ said Ahmed Ali, a master of Shotorupa Tailors at Modhubon Market in the city. ‘Cheap readymade garments from China along with high of fabrics are to blame for the drop in orders,’ he claimed.
Bidhu Sarkar, proprietor of New Fashion’ Tailors at Shukria Market in the city said. ‘People look for new outfits when they have enough money. But the middle-class does not get any chance to save after paying off their basic expenses,’ He said, ”On the occasion of holy Puja and Eid, a good number of men turn out to their favorite tailors to place their orders for sewing shirts and pants with good fitting. ‘We are charging Tk 350 for sewing a pant and Tk 250 for a shirt.’ He added.
