Brings Regular Income
THERE is no missing them. They ply their trade around the neighbourhoods with their main tool (usually a sewing machine) perched on their shoulders, as they attract potential customers by clanging their scissors. They are the itinerant tailors, who provide on-the-spot services to those wanting to do minor mending and adjustment of their clothes. They not only sew up torn clothes, but they are also capable of altering ready-made ones to fit better. And though they might not be that elevated or elegant in their prowess in comparison to a professional tailor or designer, still they fill a vacuum in that sector. While they sometimes settle at a particular point when tired, these tailors mostly move from one place to the other, entering every nook and cranny of the community to deliver their services. They bring tailoring services to the doorstep of their patrons, which makes things easier, as well as serve as their main strength.
Shedding light on how to successfully master the trade, Ahmed Musa, who has been in the business for three years, explained that a potential ‘Obioma’ as they are popularly called, needs to know how to sew, as well as be strong and healthy enough to move from one location to the other with the sewing machine. According to him, the business is not meant for lazy people, as it involves walking in the sun, while seeking customers.
“Some customers are kind. They would not only pay the exact amount charged, but would go ahead to give you water to quench your thirst. They even go to the extent of allowing you to have some rest before continuing with your journey. The job is not for lazy bones,” he said.
But as difficult as it may appear, some young people are doing it and making cool money from it. Yahaya Mohammed, who relocated from Kano to Lagos in search of greener pasture, said the business is easy to start and is rewarding, if one knows the skills.
“I sometimes make as much as N20, 000 a day, though on a bad day, I make N1, 000. My daily take-home wage is not stable, but the most important thing is that it brings steady cash and has enabled me cultivate the habit of saving whenever I have surplus,” he said.
But how is he able to make as much as N20, 000 a day in this business? Mohammed explained that the money comes, when he does exclusive jobs, the type regular tailors may not want to undertake. Accordingly, he amends anything made of fabrics aside sewing new clothes, the type called cut and sew, for children and some adults.
“We undertake special jobs that people would ordinarily not imagine itinerant tailors to do. I have amended some people’s pants and undies. These are items of clothing nobody likes taking to the regular tailor to adjust. And for amending sensitive materials like those, I usually charge higher because I know the owners would not want to take them outside and most times, they pay. Just imagine buying an expensive bra or pants and after wearing them twice or thrice, they start tearing at the sides? Though it seems somehow, but this is where we make good money,” he said.
Abubakar Isa, an itinerant tailor explained that ready-made clothes are not made for all body types, because some people do not always get their sizes. In such cases, they go for sizes closest to theirs, which most times means, they are oversized. This category of people gives such materials to mobile tailors for amendment.
“Some trousers are longer than the owner’s legs, as the designers made them for taller people. But sometimes such clothes appeal to shorter people. So, the solution is to bring them to us for amendment. As it is with trousers, so it is with gowns, skirts and any other ready-to-wear clothing items in the market.
“I make between N50, 000 and N60, 000 every month. I charge N500 to reduce to size a pair of trousers and N250 to reduce the waist. This could be higher, if other amendments are needed. These charges are not stable because the texture and quality of the material also affect pricing.
“For thick fabrics such as corduroy, jeans and others that are difficult to cut or can easily break the sewing needle, we charge higher. Also, there are some delicate ladies’ attires that are difficult to cut and even sew. We charge higher to make up for time wasted,” he said.
Looking at the itinerant tailors, one would likely think their job is easy and less tasking, than that of their counterparts in shops and factories, but this is not always the case.
Alkali Musa said while those in factories are known as designers, creatively producing different designs, street tailors take their time to amend torn materials. He disclosed that itinerant tailors also design for some people, just that their job mainly is amending and adjusting clothes.
“While some people, including those that lost weight, call us to amend their old clothes to fit their new body sizes, we still have customers that want us to sew fresh ones for them. Mobile tailors are flexible and could do any fashion job. We do such little things as button and zip fixing to cutting and sewing. Besides these, we also amend curtains and all manner of things made of fabrics.
“I make N2, 000 to N5, 000 daily and during special occasion like Christmas and Sallah, I make more because customers buy new clothes and engage us in handling minor jobs like trimming, reducing to sizes or outright sewing,’’ he said.
Disclosing that location and one’s ability to sew well affect income, Haruna noted that itinerant tailors in highbrow areas make more money than their counterparts in the suburb. According to him, while patching a tear could cost N500 to N100 depending on the position of the tear and size, around Victoria Island or Lekki, such jobs could only go for N50 to N200 in Ijanikin, Egan and other suburbs.
“Though people in highbrow areas pay more, one can never take away the fact that we get more jobs in the suburbs. People here are always amending one thing or the other,” he said.
On what it takes to properly handle the business, David Idoko said skill training is very crucial. With six months to one-year intensive training in measurement, cutting and sewing, anyone can go into the business. He also explained that in addition to training, an intending mobile tailor should undergo a few months of apprenticeship to know how to charge customers and the technicalities involved in the business.
“Itinerant tailoring is beyond the carrying of sewing machine from street to street. One also needs to undergo some training and apprenticeship of some months to know how to fix prices, the routes to go to get customers and materials not to touch to avoid damaging them, as well as how to carry out minor repairs on the sewing machine.
“Doing this would not only help a new entrant grow in the business, but would save him some money and keep him away from trouble, too. There are delicate materials that one needs hot ironing and special care to handle so that the sewing would be fine. But as itinerant tailors do not carry electric irons, we avoid touching such materials,” he said.
He said the business is cheap to start and that the important tools of the business are portable sewing machine, two pairs of scissors, needles and different colours of thread, all off which could be acquired between N40, 000 and N60, 000.
Is training really necessary? Jackson Bassey, who has been in the business for 10 years replied in the affirmative. In his view, training is important because it would enable one to handle the sewing machine, know the length of material to use for a particular design and even how to turn a patch into a nice design.
“We do the same thing like professional tailors; we are not really different from them. It’s just that some of us choose to roam the streets looking for customers because the big businesses are not coming.
“Customers give us their clothes, stay with us and we sew to their satisfaction. Some of the body-hugging materials you see on people are some of our products. Clients, including youths of both sexes want exclusive jobs, so they invite us to their compounds or apartments for those jobs they cannot take out,” he said.
On some of the challenges, Joseph said making the tailor to pay for damaged clothes as well as customers’ inability to properly communicate to the tailor precisely what they want.
“There are some velvet or silk materials that when not properly measured and cut would leave one leg longer than the other. This also happens with some designer clothes. In most cases, the owners of such materials ask the tailors to pay for the damages, which may result in fighting. There is also the problem of language barrier, when the tailor, due to little or no education may do the opposite of what the customer wants. We cannot rule out all this, but it must be noted that all trades have their ugly sides,” he said.
