Yanzhi Lu – Wuhan’s Tailor Street

Travel around Asia and one of the first things you will notice is the abundance of tailor shops. Sometimes they are spread around the city; other times they are concentrated in one area. It is always easy to find the best ones by talking to locals or others who know the area. Usually, you will need at least a week for any custom order from start to finish but sometimes it is possible to speed up the process, especially in more touristy areas.

In Beijing, more than 200 fashion design studios are luring customers away from expensive malls and brand names.

“The clothes displayed in shopping malls are expensive because of their brand-names. We have the same fabrics and can make the exact outfit as one offered by a brand, but at a much cheaper price,” one studio owner said.

“The main patrons of my studio are young and middle-aged women aged 20-55 years; women under 30 account for two-thirds of my clients. Our main patrons are senior high-school and college students, as well as young white-collar workers,” the owner added. “The one thing they have in common is that they want fashion and individual style.” (wantchinatimes.com)

In Shanghai, one of the well known locations is the three-story South Bund Soft-Spin Material Market which houses hundreds of fashion stores. in Wuhan, the shops are found on or near Yanzhi Lu. Walking along this street will give you a good idea of what is available. Along with the individual retail shops, there are a couple of large indoor markets where many tailors have their own private cubicles, usually not any bigger than a small bedroom. Along with the tailors, you will find others selling accessories such as buttons, ribbons, snaps, etc. Not to mention the thousands of meters of fabric available almost everywhere you look.

 There are many shops that have off-the-rack clothing but most visitors will be looking for something custom-made. One easy way to get your idea across is to bring along a picture either the same or similar to what you are looking for. With a little bit of charades and’or broken Chinese, it is never too difficult to communicate what you would like. Most are masters at copying something you already have, as well. Want another dress or jacket the same as one you own already, but just in another color or fabric? You will be amazed at their ability to clone any existing object right down to the spacing of the stitches!

The process is usually the same from place to place. The first trip will involve being measured and actually ordering the garment. Some customers will buy the fabric and have the item tailored at the same shop. But it is not unusual to purchase the fabric you want at one location and have the item made at another. If you get measured first, you will be told how much fabric you will need to purchase. When you return at a later date, there may be alterations required, there may not. It’s good to have a little extra time available just in case this last step is necessary.

 Don’t forget that the vast majority of these places will only take cash. There will be a initial deposit required when you first make the order, with the balance paid once the item has been completed and picked up.

Buying tailor-make fashions is a great way to support the local economy, interact with the residents, and pay less than you would in a retail shop for a similar piece of clothing.