Whatever the Eid clothes, sew them at the right time

Do you have Eid clothes yet? Make sure to go to the tailor at the right time to get the best quality and price.

KOMPAS/FAKHRI FADLURROHMAN

The colorful Muslim attire displayed at Tanah Abang Market Block A, Jakarta, on Wednesday (6/3/2024). With Ramadan approaching, buying and selling activities at Tanah Abang Market are starting to increase.

The month of Ramadan is often a time for people to prepare the best clothes to wear during Eid. Apart from using the clothes available in their wardrobes, a number of residents buy new clothes, either through online stores or shopping directly at shopping centers.

However, have you ever found that the clothes don't fit your body, such as baggy clothes, trousers that are too long, or sleeves that are too long? If this is the case, you need the help of a tailor.

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To ensure that your best clothes are ready for Eid, you must choose the right time to visit the tailor. This is so that the clothes don't pile up and end up waiting in a long queue at the tailor's. One of these tips can be obtained from tailors operating along the roadside of Pasar Kosambi in the city of Bandung, West Java. They have been in operation since the 1990s and often receive a flood of customers during Eid every year.

From this experience, they advised us to go to a tailor well before Eid. A number of benefits can be obtained if you sew Eid clothes at the right time.

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Better stitching quality

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Ade Gares (51) was sewing at his stall on the edge of Pasar Kosambi street in the city of Bandung, West Java, on Sunday (24/3/2024).

Ade Gares (51), a tailor who sets up shop on the side of the road in Pasar Kosambi, said that the week before Eid al-Fitr is a busy time for him. During that time, he can complete 50 sewing orders per day. Therefore, according to him, the further away from Eid al-Fitr, the better to go to the tailor.

"As there are still few queues, my suggestion is to visit the tailor maximum two weeks before Eid. I am confident that all tailors, if not too busy, will do a good and neat job," said Ade, who has been tailoring there since 1997, on Sunday (24/3/2024).

When met, she was in the midst of altering a woman's shirt and then cutting three pairs of long denim pants. There are still 10 more pieces of clothing that she needs to cut or adjust. According to her, the pile of clothes is still within normal range. She can cut pants, sew, or replace materials with ease.

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The condition, according to Ade, makes her calmer in sewing. This calmness will make her work more detailed. For example, she will measure several times the parts that will be cut to be more accurate.

"The prices are still normal if it's well before Lebaran. Altering a pair of pants costs Rp 15,000, while tailoring can cost around Rp 70,000. However, if it's a week before Lebaran, the prices will increase by Rp 10,000," he said.

That is the market price around the Kosambi Market for cutting and tailoring clothes. In other places, the market price may differ. Ade said that price hikes almost always occur when approaching Eid al-Fitr. This is because the demand for sewing services surges a week before Eid and causes tailors to have to work overtime.

Free consultation

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Agus Sopian (45) is talking to one of his customers at a roadside stall in Pasar Kosambi, Bandung City, West Java, on Sunday (24/3/2024).

Going to the tailor at the right time can make the conversation between the customer and tailor more relaxed. This was experienced by Alfiah (25), a resident of Bekasi. As the Ramadan month approached, she had already bought fabric for clothes that she would wear on Eid day.

Alfiah then went to her regular tailor at the beginning of Ramadan. She brought along a sample of a robe in the form of a photo that she had downloaded from the internet. Since her regular tailor was not busy yet, she could freely consult with him.

For example, initially she only wanted to make a caftan from the fabric she had bought. After casually chatting with her regular tailor, she received suggestions to add brocade and ribbons to her caftan.

"Now the Islamic dress is finished. It's sweeter and trendier than the initial idea. The size is just right. In fact, the remaining fabric can be used for my niece's Islamic dress," she said over the phone.

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If time is tight, in my previous experience, it could be IDR 1 million for the sewing costs alone. The tailor is really busy.

He was able to achieve satisfaction because he had gone to the tailor since the beginning of Ramadan. When the clothes were ready, he felt uncomfortable in the right shoulder area. Since the tailor was not too busy yet, he was able to freely ask for repairs until Alfiah felt comfortable.

Alfiah admits that having clothes sewn is indeed more expensive compared to buying mass-produced clothes sold in malls or online stores. However, she feels that it is justified. Because, by having her clothes sewn by a tailor, she can get comfortable and personalized garments according to her taste.

She had to spend at least Rp 200,000 for sewing costs alone. This is not yet including the cost of buying fabric and brocade. Her dream 'gamis' dress was also worked on with a loose deadline of around two weeks. She has experience in that costs tend to increase as Lebaran approaches.

"If time is tight, based on my experience last year, it can cost up to 1 million rupiahs just for the tailoring fees. The tailor was already very busy. In the end, I didn't get my clothes tailored last year. I was afraid that the result would be disappointing," reminisced Alfiah.

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Modifying old clothes

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Agus Sopian (45) is sewing one of his customer's pants at his roadside stall in Pasar Kosambi, Kota Bandung, West Java, on Sunday (24/3/2024).

Apparently, Eid al-Fitr is not always identified with new clothes. Asep (38), for example, chose to have his favorite shirt modified by a roadside tailor in Pasar Kosambi. He has a favorite shirt that has been stained with brown latex. Already happy with the shirt, he wants to wear it on Eid al-Fitr with his family.

She has one trusted tailor, even though it operates on the outskirts of Kosambi Road. His name is Agus Sopian (45), and he has been selling in Pasar Kosambi since 1994.

"The part of the shirt with stains, I replaced with a new cloth. Although it's a different color, it becomes unique," said Agus as he sewed Asep's order.

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Asep's shirt has a stain on the left front that won't go away even after being washed multiple times. Actually, the shirt has a dark blue stripe pattern with dominant white color. Since it was difficult to find a similar pattern, Agus offered to replace it with plain dark blue material.

After careful consideration, Asep is interested in Agus' proposal. He imagines that the result will be similar to the works of designers who often combine various patchwork fabrics with different motifs.

"So it's more social, I guess," he said, laughing.

Listening to the experiences of tailors and customers, deciding to shop for clothes well in advance of Eid is the right time. If something is not quite right, you can go to a tailor as soon as possible to get good quality stitching and normal prices.

So, have you decided what clothes you will wear for Eid?

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