Tailor says his craft will never go out of style

By I. Christianto

JAKARTA (JP): Just eight or even three hours for a new tailored suit? No joke, according to some tailors in the capital.

Despite all the gloomy predictions, the garment and ready-to- wear apparel sectors are unlikely to sound the death knell for the tailoring business. Tailors say the creative process of sewing and designing involves taste and artistic values, and will never go out of style.

Anil K. Adnani, director of Srivishnu Tailor in Jakarta, believes there will always be customers for tailors.

"This is about service and quality," he said. "Suits and other clothing must fix the body. It's made to measure. The result will prove the expertise of the maker."

"Some people are fond of buying branded suits. But many of them usually see tailors for alterations as, frequently, particu lar parts of the suits do not match perfectly with their body shapes."

Vice chairman of the Indonesian Tailor Association (ITA), Sunder B.C., agrees that tailors will always have a place.

"Mass production usually has the same model, limited choice of colors and sizes," he said.

Customers who understand more sophisticated apparel or who want to dress up to the nines will seek out tailors for their clothing. "They will have more choices in color, types of material. The clothing will, of course, fit perfectly with their bodies.

"People will have satisfaction at tailors," he said.

ITA, set up in 1981, now groups 165 tailors, 63 out which are located in Jakarta.

"Through the association we can participate in worldwide tailor-related activities including events held by the Federation of Asian Master Tailor and the World Tailor Congress," Sunder explained, adding that members of the association could also learn new tailoring methods and other developments in the busi ness.

"We will also participate in a tailor congress on July 29 in Valencia, Spain. There we can share our experiences and observe the tailoring development."

According to Sunder, ITA members now comprise only "high level" clothes-makers. "We also want the medium and small tailors to join the association, but financial issues often hinder them from joining."

Another executive of the association, Uun F. Firmansyah, said tailors and fashion designers were not in competition.

"Tailors and designers go their own ways. We also have good prospects for the future. People will always see tailors for good clothes."

Sunder said that although the tailoring business has flourished in the country, Indonesia, unlike other countries, does not have any institutions for teaching the craft.

He touched on the difference between a tailor and modiste, who deals with only designing or sewing. "Tailoring includes raw material making, textile selection, choice of colors, cutting, sewing and measuring."

Process

Professional clothes-makers, according to Adnani, will usually need some eight hours to make a suit or four hours for a pair of trousers.

"I don't know if there are tailors who can guarantee that they could tailor a suit within three hours," he said, referring to the promotional gimmicks of some tailors, including several in the Pasar Baru area in Central Jakarta, who claim they can turn out a suit in that time.

Adnani said tailoring begins when customers come for a new suit.

"If they don't have their own materials, customers will first select the sort and colors of the cloth and then ask for the price. After pricing is agreed, they will have themselves measured. After the material is cut by a master tailor, it is delivered to a chief who is responsible for preparing the sewing equipment.

"The suit is then tailored. This means that 75 percent of the work is done. Then the almost-finished suit is returned to the master who will ask customers to fit it. If everything runs smoothly, the suit will be just completed."

As a business, tailors have to offer quality services, Adnani added, stating that professionally tailored suits could cause dramatic changes in appearance, such as making an overweight person appear slimmer.

"A good suit can hide fat, for instance. Sometimes we see gentlemen wearing single or double-breasted but their appearance is not neat.

"Nowadays the main material is as thin as the lining material. So how we tailor the materials together into a comfortable and good suit is also an art," he said.

He said suits presently cost about Rp 8 million (US$3,265) depending on the materials and that many people still hunt for the expensive international brands like Scabal, Dormeuil, Minova, Mario Zegna and Dunhill.

Quality

Srivishnu was set up in 1965 by Adnani's father, a Pakistan native. The tailor now operates three outlets in Jakarta.

"As a small tailor with three branches, we have to keep our quality," Adnani said. Several high-ranking government officials and celebrities, such as Governor of Bank Indonesia Sudradjad Djiwandono, tycoon Sudwikatmono and the chief of National Police Gen. Dibyo Widodo, are among his customers.

Srivishnu never loses customers because of the adherence to quality, he said.

"We'll apologize to our customers to be patient when we need more time to finish their suits. There are times when we find something has to be fixed after the fitting session. Or, we'll ask them to return it to us after they've used the suit for a quick repair. This is to keep our quality."

He said their suits could also be altered if the owners got fatter or thinner. "Ready-made ones usually cannot be renewed."

Adnani usually travels abroad to keep up with fashion-related developments.

"Sometimes I buy a suit and examine it just to know how to make it. If we succeed in breaking it down and returning it to the original form, we will be able to make something like it."

He said that Srivishnu currently receives at least 60 suit orders per month, some 15 out of which are for women.