ARIYALUR: Tailors are witnessing a steady decline in business as most people are now opting for readymade garments. Tailors said there has been a drastic change in purchasing habits over the past few years and the days of families providing fabrics to ladies’ and gents’ tailors are now long gone. There was always a sense of excitement among tailors as they made clothing without compromising on quality while at the same time coping with the Deepavali rush.
M Ramesh of Aryalam said, “I shut my own shop and had to work in a tailoring shop in Jayankondam due to poor business. The number of customers comes down each year and this becomes more obvious during festival times. Readymade clothes are cheap. Moreover, there are some fabrics that are difficult to find in shops but are used in readymade clothes.” T Arjuanan, the owner of a tailoring shop in Ariyalur, said, “I have been running this shop for 35 years. Ten years ago, temple festivals, Deepavali and wedding orders used to flood the shop. Now, we only have regular orders. In addition to orders for uniforms, some government employees and regulars continue to have their clothes made clothes here. It is only for them that we are in business.”
Tailors said that during festival seasons, temporary workers would be hired to cope with the overwhelming amount of orders. Ramesh said, “Deepavali is right around the corner but none of the tailoring shops seems to be bustling with activity in Jayankondam. Tailors work like they do any other day and there is no need for extra hands.” Many tailors now are employed as daily wage workers in readymade garment companies Karur, Tiruppur, Coimbatore and Madurai districts.
Arjunan said, “I remember working day and night before the festival so customers can wear clothes for Deepavali. We even hired additional tailors. Those days are long gone and tailors do no have much work these days. Many are going to Tiruppur, Coimbatore and other districts as daily wage workers.”
S Maheswari, who stitches women’s clothes, said, “Women are doing away with the culture of buying fabric and having clothes stitched. It would be a challenge to meet their demands on colours, fabric and stitching nowadays. Now, mountains of clothes flood garment shops everywhere and women would find something that suits their taste. Also, with leggings and jeans now popular among girls, tailors now even have less work.” She said most people now come for alterations.
Maheswari’s tailoring shop used to have 10 tailors, now, there are just four.