The ‘alter-tailor’ is a concept I find uniquely Indian.
Near my office, there is a long row of alter-tailor shops. They have no space to operate their sewing machines inside, so the tailor often sits outside with the machine. I am always amazed by how they operate in such a tiny space.
I often wonder why there is such a great demand for alter-tailors.
There are three main reasons:
1. The poor quality of ready-made clothes available here.
2. The lack of multiple or accurate sizes.
2. The lack of multiple or accurate sizes.
3. Fluctuations in body weight or changes in measurements, which lead to clothes becoming tight or too loose.
Other reasons include altering hand-me-downs or repurposing clothes—like making a pair of shorts from old trousers.
I think the first two reasons are the major contributors. I’ve often visited the tailor myself: to repair unravelling seams on a shirt, shorten a new pair of trousers, or get a kurta fitted to my size, since it was only available in XL.
This makes me wonder: is it a problem that ready-made garments are often faulty or ill-fitting, or is it actually a good thing since it helps support so many alteration tailors?
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