GEORGE TOWN: With Hari Raya Aidilfitri getting closer, the sewing machines are running at full speed to get new attire ready for customers.
To cope with a surge in clothing alteration requests from shoppers, hundreds of tailors at Bukit Jambul Complex here are working hard behind rows of sewing machines.
The 30-odd tailoring shops in the seven-storey building have extended their working hours in a scramble to alter clothes for customers.
The shops, typically quieter outside festive periods, are now packed with Hari Raya outfits awaiting alterations or collection.
Shahafini Mohd Shobri, 26, said her shop stopped accepting orders for full custom-made dresses in mid-February to cope with walk-in requests.
“Most customers bought their baju raya online and the size doesn’t fit.
“They then realise dresses bought cheaply online are not always made according to the stated measurements.
“Many needed to downsize or trim the dimensions, with some requiring extensions,” she said, adding that orders had been coming in since early this year.
She said competition among tailors in the building is stiff, with some offering simple stitching from as low as RM5, while a full dress could cost about RM100 depending on the design.
“So many tailors have set up shop here in recent years,” she said.
“While it has increased competition, it has also turned this area into a hub where customers can get their tailoring done in one place.
“I still have loyal customers who buy fabric from nearby shops and bring it here to be tailored into dresses of their choice.”
Shahafini works with five other staff from Bangladesh and Pakistan to manage the festive rush.
Tailor Roslina Mohd Yunus, 60, said she stopped taking full dress orders at the start of Ramadan to concentrate on alterations.
“I used to tailor mostly dresses.
“As more people now buy ready-made outfits online, I have been receiving more alteration jobs,” said Roslina, who has been a tailor since she was 19.
She said she previously completed about three full dresses a day, but now spends most of her time adjusting sleeves, waistlines and hems.
“I start work in the morning and close at about 10pm during this period,” Roslina said.
Another tailor, Mohd Firdaus Rahman, 34, said daily orders had increased almost tenfold compared with non-festive periods.
“On normal days, we get about five orders.
“Now it is about 50 orders daily, with most customers coming after breaking fast in the evenings,” he said.
Mohd Firdaus added that while some customers required major resizing, many only needed light sewing or patching.
“The Hari Raya season is always the busiest time.
“Even small repairs matter because everyone wants to look neat for the celebration,” he said.
For Hari Raya, traditional attire remains an important part of the celebration. Men typically wear baju Melayu paired with samping and songkok, while women don baju kurung or baju kebaya, often in coordinated colours.
In recent years, modern cuts and pastel shades have become popular, though many still favour classic designs.
