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Liana Cafolla

Tailoring can offer craftsmen a chance to learn a traditional  skill with close ties to a national culture, but there is a shortage of such experts in the industry.

'It's getting difficult to find good tailors,' said Nick Daswani, co-owner of Bobby's Fashions.

Maqsood Parvez, owner of  Shanghai's Tailor, said: 'Older ones are getting old, and the younger ones are not coming along. It's a problem that's worldwide.

'Every country is losing their tailors.'

The main deterrent is the long hours. Tailors at Mr Parvez's company work seven days a week, while Mr Daswani is on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and regularly works until 11pm.

He sometimes has to make deliveries and final adjustments in the middle of the night to meet clients' travel schedules.

Another problem is the long training period, compared to other businesses which offer faster promotion.

Tailoring apprenticeships vary, but most require a commitment of about two years.

To find tailors, businesses have a choice of recruiting from the competition, or  developing their own.

Both methods work.

'We mostly hire from our own field,' Mr Parvez said, pointing to the advantages of operating in an area crowded with similar businesses. 'We know every tailor.'

To meet the growing demand for tailors, men's tailor Ascot Chang Company is planning an in-house apprenticeship programme.

Company manager Lincoln Chang Chung-ho said due to the difficulty in finding good tailors, the company  started training its own people in its factories and shops. He said beginners were welcome to attend.

'We also consider graduates from Hong Kong Polytechnic University and other institutes with academic training in textiles and clothing to join as apprentices,' Mr Chang said.

There are many well-trained fashion designers on the market, but few good custom tailors.

'Many young people are not interested in the business, because they would rather get into the banking and finance sectors to look for opportunities that offer faster earnings growth and more sociable hours,' Mr Chang said.

'But this profession is not all about the money, it's about continuing the tradition and technique of Shanghainese tailoring,' he said.



Help swell ranks of custom tailors, if you think you are cut out for the job