The Adventures of a Ladies’ Tailor

“Where shall we begin, Masterji?” I chirped. Vijay, the Masterji, was not amused with my over-enthusiasm. His eyes narrowed as he peered through his thick glasses and cleared the table.
“The first thing you notice is the fabric. Its texture, make, whether it will stitch well, drape well, have a life etc. Once that’s done, you take the measurements,” he began. Easy.
The project on hand was a kurta, the customer was Manju, a housewife, who was kind enough to let me take her measurements. In an eager move, I placed the measuring tape on the shoulder and ran it down her arm. “It’s 38 inches,” I said with the air of a professional. But over confidence can be fatal. And this is where I realised tailoring is no cakewalk. “Lesson number one,” said Masterji, as he took the tape, “Always stand back and assess your subject, and then hold the tape in a descending order, place it on the neckline and let it run at a 90 degree angle.”

The length turned out to be 40 inches! When it comes to being a ladies tailor, or any tailor for that matter, the entire game lies in taking the measurement. An inch can make or mar the design. The next in line were the vital stats — chest, waist and hips. Ever wondered that it’s the wise ol’ little tailor master who has direct access to the most well kept secret of woman — her vital stats? Right from the bustlines to the buttlines! And he’s one man who’ll be discreet and decent.
A new page turned in the diary. Measurements were noted, and the fabric was readied after running a round of ironing. Now, to cut, you have to first check the direction of the pattern, ‘rukh’ of the cloth as they say. Then, turn it inside it out and give it a double fold length-wise. “We’ll measure the gher, usually it’s 26 inches plus four inches,” Masterji got his chalk and directed me to mark. This is where I confess – tailoring is rocket science. “If the body size is 30 inches, we’ll add another inch for margin,” he said.
“Usually, we cut at angles, but if a lady is big around hips, then cut in a curve. For sleeves, the deeper the neckline, lesser scope for movement, so smaller the cut in the underarm,” he went on, while we tried to keep up with it. Fractions and divisions, additions and subtractions, angles, permutations and combinations — the precision is maddening! The cloth is folded four times, so, every measurement undergoes a one-fourth division! “Don’t forget the side pleats,” he says. This was ‘darn’ tough! Seriously, it’s not easy taking the measure of a woman!

Class was over, and I had only managed to learn one and the most important lesson — measurement. I also got to cut a shirt piece.
So at the end of my lesson, I realised that flowery prints, laces, empire line cuts and textured salwars are in. And so is a renewed sense of respect for the charming darzis. The next time you visit a ladies’ tailor, don’t haggle for the stitching price.