Getting the best out of Nigerian Tailors

At one point or the other, tailors have done most of us strong thing. Not getting the design you chose right (what I ordered vs what I got), shoddy job (cut and sewing, not so good), bad fitting (too tight or too loose) and the greatest sin of all, disappointment on delivery time. Many have even sworn not to use a tailor again, then go to another and still experience something similar. Hence, the belief that all tailors are cut from the same fabric, because of their bad experiences.

NEWS FLASH! You need tailors. Irrespective of whatever you’ve experienced with them. Clothing is one of the top expressions of self and a tailor plays an important role in how you look, feel, and present yourself. If you see anyone that constantly looks sharp, best believe they have a great tailor in their life. Here are some reasons why you need a tailor.

• Fitting Like a Glove; we all have different body types and structures, even if we wear the same size. That’s why a size 15 shirt could fit someone on the body and the sleeves will be short. With a tailor, you can have all your measurements taken and all the irregular parts are taken into consideration. Not only that, but you could also choose your preferred fabric, or material, color, and also give specifications on how you want it.
  
• Customized Personal Style; style is not about jumping on trends or mass-produced wears. You can do better than that. You can create your style and individual expressions with creative designs that buying off the rack will not afford you.
  
• Saves Shopping Time; I know the stress involved in going from store to store in search of a clothing item. Checking the right fabric, size, fit, color, and design. Having a good tailor you work with overtime can take this burden off your neck. Just putting a call through is just all you probably need to do.
  
• Alterations and amendments; buying off the rack most times won’t give you the exact fit you want, or perhaps you added or lost weight. A good tailor can help you make necessary adjustments or outrightly change the entire design of a garment e.g turning a long sleeve to a short sleeve.

A tailor-client relationship is usually a personal one as he is responsible for making you look sharp and put-together, thereby enhancing your public perception and acceptance and you are responsible for his livelihood as the customer. However, not every tailor is your tailor, and not every customer (if you’re a tailor reading this) is your customer too. There’s a certain vibe that must exist between the two to make the relationship successful.

Explains why you don’t get the best service of a good tailor sometimes while others do. There may just be things that they are doing that you are not. If they were that bad, most of them would’ve closed shop, rather you see them always busy, working. Here are a few tips on how to get the best out of your tailor 99% of the time.

EDUCATE YOURSELF

I said earlier about your tailor being responsible for how you look and all, however, you can’t delegate that responsibility to him alone. Study your body type, height, weight, body irregularities (we usually have unequal body parts), and skin tone.

Know what works for you and what doesn’t. Also, have a basic knowledge of what a good cut and sewing looks like, as a standard to follow. These are talking points when you meet a new tailor and things for him to note when he’s making your garment. This also makes the tailors’ job easier, with a very low possibility for any amendment.

ASK FOR RECOMMENDATIONS

Having to go out in search of a tailor can be a daunting task. There should be someone in your circle that everyone always compliments or admire their style. There’s a tailor behind that admirable look. Ask the person for the tailor’s contact. Some may not like to give you though, as they may not want competition in the group. But with persuasion, you should be able to get it. Call the tailor and arrange a meeting.

MEET WITH THE TAILOR

Preferably in their factory or showroom. Here are a few reasons why;

• You can see real-life samples of their job and carefully observe them.
• You can see fabric samples and outcome after sewing.
• There should be a full standing mirror, so measurements can be carefully done and you can point out specific concerns on your garment.
• Depending on whether it’s a factory or showroom, you can see their staff strength. Note, a tailor with a strong staff strength is less likely to disappoint. Be wary of a tailor that works alone, no matter how good he is.
• You know where to track them in case they go MIA.

This is not to say you still can’t do business with a tailor virtually, in fact, I make clothes and send to different parts of the world without ever meeting the person and it fits perfectly. I’m just saying if you have the time and if the distance is not an issue, you can always go over to the tailor’s place. These are other points to observe whether virtually or physically;

THEIR SPECIALTY

A tailor can be very good at making jackets and shitty with pants. The same applies to traditional wears and shirts. Be sure of your tailor’s specialty for the best results. If he’s good with natives, stick to that with him and find another good with other garments. If you’re lucky enough to find one good in all menswear, great for you!!

LISTENING AND COMMUNICATION SKILLS

From your conversation, you should be able to know if a tailor is experienced to handle your garment. Does he listen to your needs? does he give research or data-driven opinions and recommendations? does he understand style and how clothes should be combined and worn for what? Does he know fabrics and their qualities and which fabric to use for which design? These are all cues you pick up to determine how good a tailor is.

PRICE

“soup wey sweet, na money kill am”-pidgin proverb. Just like everything in life that is quality, good tailoring will cost money, but it doesn’t mean you should go break the bank. I’m all about affordable clothing. You can compare prices if you’re on a budget and conclude on who to settle for. Whether high end or low end, try not to owe your tailor. It can destroy your credibility with him and consequently his service to you.

After ticking the boxes on the points stated above, it’s time to do the job… here are other things to look into:

A good tailor will most likely be a busy one, remember not only you like the good stuff. So, the idea is to plan. You already know your staples (what you wear the most) or events you will be attending. Don’t wait till you need it. Make sure you make your orders way ahead of time.

The rule of thumb on this is to backdate the time you need the job, say you need it in 2 weeks, tell your tailor next week. Parkinsons law states that “work expands to fill the available time for its completion”, if your tailor knows he has less time to do a job, he’ll do it faster. Secondly, it gives room for amendments if there’s a need for any. Thirdly, it helps to prevent a rush job. Finally, you can dry clean and enjoy the comfort of having your clothes ready for your event.

Not to make an excuse for tailors, but tailors disappointing sometimes is usually due to circumstances beyond their power. I remember some years ago, I had loads of orders, 2 of my workers took ill and my generating set too packed up. Working was like war. If I had not built a good track record with my clients over the years, I would’ve lost some of them that period. You see another reason why you need to have enough garments on standby and planning ahead?

• BUILD A RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR TAILOR

Many people underestimate the importance of this point. After you’re satisfied with a tailor, you will probably be needing him for years. For example, I have clients that I’ve been making clothes for, since they were in the university, got married and had kids, now I make for them and the kids and the cycle continues. Building relationships implies consistency (you now make more clothes with him and he understands how you want your job done as well as your style), you will get better padi prices and your family tailor can always find a way to squeeze in some emergency jobs for you.

• HAVE REALISTIC EXPECTATIONS

Some clothes or designs will not just work for you even if God came down to sew for you (meanwhile, hope you know God is a designer, lol). Body type, height, skin tone  are things to consider when choosing clothes. Also, there’s a reason why some fabrics are more expensive than others, the quality of fabric influences a lot in the final outcome of your garment. I advise quality over quantity in this case and I’m sure you’ll get good results 99% of the time. 

I hope this post was helpful, please leave a comment about any other topic you’ll like to learn about and you can sign up for more fashion tips and tricks. Thank you