Tailoring store Noor Sons is one such find on the busy streets of Saddar where a sweeping midnight blue silk gown hangs in the display window. With its pleated waist and flawless lining, tied together with thread to maintain its shape, one would think the cost of stitching must be more than the minimum wage in the country. A store on Zamzama would charge an arm and a leg while a regular tailor would balk at having to pay so much attention to detail - at Noor Sons, however, the stitching for the dress cost Rs4,000.
Hanger after hanger reveals a list of criminally low prices: a cocktail sheath is tailored for Rs1,500 with a silk belt to match. There are sequinned frocks for young girls and a layered white dress in tissue. Trousers cost Rs800.
The tailoring store - which has been in business since the early 1970s - creates everything from elaborate wedding gowns to Communion dresses for children.
Anwar Qureshi, the son of owner Noor Mohammad Qureshi, chats between assisting with a client’s fitting. “My father started the store in 1971, I think. It has always been a store for western wear,” he says. “We do everything - skirts, blouses, pants, dresses.” The elder Qureshi still visits the store occasionally.
The shop’s clientele, according to Anwar, comes largely from the Christian and Zoroastrian communities in Karachi, most of them who heard about it through word of mouth. “Most of our customers are regulars, very few just walk into the store. We used to have a lot of foreigners as clients but not anymore.”
A dress for every occasion
The storefront display has a number of white bridal gowns. On average, it costs Rs25,000 for a bridal outfit, made from satin, lace and embroidery. But it’s not just the bride - he also designs for the entire bridal party, including bridesmaids. “People don’t always tell you the exact dates for their weddings though because they want the clothes sooner!”
Anwar is aware of the surprisingly low rates the shop offers, saying, “Our rates haven’t increased to keep in step with inflation.”
For embroidery, the store has a contact which gets the work done for their clients. They only employ a few other people. “We train them and then they go work in factories where they have better facilities. Obviously we can’t do the same.”
Happy clientele
Celine, a regular client, pops out of the changing room with her daughter in tow. When asked how long she’s been coming to Noor Sons, she laughs and tries to remember with Anwar’s help. “I’ve been coming here from an early age - I think for the past 15 to 20 years,” says the 32-year-old customer. “I don’t only use their tailoring for special occasions but also for regular clothes, like kameezes, which they stitch really well.”
It is the “cuts and designs” that have kept her coming back. While women complain incessantly about botched deadlines and refusals to stitch clothes on short notice, Anwar appears to be the opposite. “He’s a professional,” she says fondly.
Christmas and weddings are the peak seasons for Noor Sons, which kick off in October and last till Lent in the spring. The store is located on the ground floor of Hotel Reliance on Dr Daudpota Road, Saddar.
As Celine leaves, she picks up her daughter’s outfit and is instructed to, “Tell mummy to come in two days.” The high-street fashion shops in Zamzama might be the best kept secrets among some fashionistas, but in Saddar, the secrets are passed down generations.
Style your wardrobe
According to Anwar of Noor Sons, strapless dresses are a popular trend among customers. Even though he has a stack of bound catalogues on his table that were style bibles in the 1980s, his clientele now picks up ideas online. “Now there’s the internet, so that’s where people get designs from and they bring printouts. But the basic style of a dress hasn’t really changed.”
Anwar’s recommendation for a good dress: pick the fabric according to the pattern. Satin, he says, looks good with formals but one needs a flimsier material for layered frocks.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 27th, 2012.
COMMENTS (4)
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ
Is there any place like this in Lahore???
address please
Wow pretty dresses, sad i didn't know about this store earlier because i was looking for exactly the same kind of dresses for a shakespeare inspired play at my college. I looked all over Karachi but couldn't find a half decent trailor! Guess I should've looked harder in Saddar area!
lol,i loved the tittle :p