Tailors increase rates for stitching clothes

Customers say they are minting money in absence of checks and balances

RAWALPINDI:

Tailors in Rawalpindi have abruptly increased rates for stitching clothes and have stopped taking further orders ahead of Eidul Fitr.

Tailors have unilaterally fixed Rs1,200 for stitching men’s shalwar-kameez suits.

Ordinary tailors have fixed Rs900 for stitching women’s clothes while known tailors have fixed Rs1,300 for sewing women’s suits. Tailors have fixed Rs1,500 for stitching a special ladies' suit.

Dozens of people sewing clothes at home in their homes or home shops have fixed ladies suit sewing at Rs800 to Rs900.

In the open market, prices of unstitched plain clothes have also reached their peak.

Shops selling unstitched clothes have also increased the rates of men's shalwar-kameez suits. A normal men's suit fabric is being sold between Rs1,500 and Rs1800, a medium quality suit between Rs2,000 and Rs2,500 and a good quality suit at Rs3,000.

The prices of ladies’ suits have also gone up from Rs1,800 to Rs3,500 in the same proportion.

Tailor Faisal Satti said that they have increased the rates by only Rs200 per suit. “Ramazan is a high season every year. Only in Ramazan does everyone gets a suit sewn. We have increased the rates, but our costs have also increased. We also have additional helpers. We pay them salaries. Working all day and night also consumes electricity,” he said.

Tailor Ashiq Hussain said that Eid is a big festival of happiness. Jacking up Rs200 or Rs300 per suit on a happy occasion is not a big deal. Not everyone gets a suit stitched for the rest of the year,” he said.

Lady tailor Fauzia Bibi, who stitches ladies’ suits at her residence, said that she manages her household expenses by sewing clothes. She said that in the open market, the stitching of a woman’s suit costs up to Rs1,500 while she charges only Rs800. She said that was why he has a lot of customers for stitching suits these days.

Like previous years, this year too the tailoring shops were seen overcrowded with customers to get their clothes stitched for Eid.

Many tailors claimed that they have received approximately double orders as compared to normal days.

Most citizens also expressed their dissatisfaction over the overcharging by tailors and asked the administration concerned to maintain checks and balances.

A tailor said that Eid was the time they make some profit as compared to normal days. He said that rates have been doubled because of workload and “we have to put in extra effort during this time”.

“I visited several tailor shops but was unable to find anyone ready to take my order," said a customer.

An online tailoring social media platform said that our online service has been popular with female customers and we are working round the clock to deliver orders.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, April 14^th, 2022.