Tailoring To My Style

Kunshan.  Picking out a blouse.

Along the walls, reams of fabric sit side-by-side full of colorful designs and texture.  I flip through a neatly kept binder given to me by the shopkeeper to browse.  It was filled with pictures from magazines tucked in worn page protectors.    

"Which one have you decided on?"  my husband asked, looking over my shoulder.

"I don't know...there's so many to choose from." I close my eyes, and try to imagine how the outfit in the picture would look on me.  Finally, I point to a low-cut satin blouse .  "Let's try this one." 

While the shopkeeper scribbles foreign characters down on a blank sheet of paper, her assistant showcases different types of fabric: wool, cotten, silk...they have everything.  My eyes focus on a black silk cloth imprinted with a subtle traditional Chinese pattern.  "This one," I say as I point to the material, giving a thumbs up to show her I like it.

The shopkeeper types a few numbers in a calculator and holds it up to us.  It's the price estimate.  Chitrak divides the number by 6.45, the price of the Chinese currency against the US Dollar.  

The shirt is $60 US Dollars.  

My husband, who has mastered the art of bargaining, brings the price down to $50.  My heart skips a beat--$50 is more than I have ever paid for any shirt I've ever bought.  We accept the offer.  Suddenly, the shopkeeper gets on the phone.  She is calling for the tailor who will size me for my shirt.

A gentleman no older than 40 arrives.  He takes down my measurements, cuts a tiny piece of fabric out of the silk I have selected, and staples it to my bill.  He closely examines the shirt I have selected.  Below his measurements, he sketches the blouse.  He does not take the book with him, only his sketch and measurements.  

After 15 days, we returned to pick up the garment.  It was soft and dainty, but I was disappointed.  The silk blouse did not turn out how I had imaged.  From this experience, I have realized two things:  you must be careful on what type of fabric you choose, because it will lay on your body differently; and you must make sure the tailor you select is experienced in that area.  Many tailors are specific on what work they do, whether it is coats, suits, dresses, or collared shirts.  The best way to tell if a tailor is good at a particular look, is to see the sample outfits they hang around their shop.  

I recently took a shopping trip to the infamous Fabric Market in Shanghai.  I was pleased with the variety of fabric as well as modern fashion designs.  I had a collared shirt stitched from a photo I had taken from the internet.  It was prepared in one week, and fit perfectly.

In front of the Shanghai Fabric Market.

Inside the Fabric Market, getting measured.

Science & Technology Museum Fabric Market, Shanghai.

Science & Technology Museum Fabric Market, Shanghai.