Why You Need a Good Tailor in Karachi - How to Pack Light, Dress Well and Make Friends When Traveling Internationally

Paula Williams The Opportunity You’re going somewhere in the Middle or Far East, you have a list of meetings and possibly some social engagements to go to, and you have NO IDEA WHAT TO WEAR!

I may not know how to wear this outfit, but I did get a lot of help from friends!

The Solution

This actually happened to me last February. John and I were going to Pakistan for the wedding of a friend, and then to some business meetings in India and Dubai.

I knew that Pakistan would be very conservative, so I didn’t pack any tank tops, tight jeans or short skirts. I had also heard that Lahore is a very fashion-conscious city and that weddings were very festive. (Conservative but festive is what we’re going for here, any idea how to do that?) I wanted to fit in with the wedding party and make sure we didn’t stick out like sore thumbs in the wedding pictures, or embarass ourselves in front of friends or relatives, or later in front of potential business associates in India and Dubai.

Now, I love beautiful clothes as much as the next girl, but there are times, even in the U.S., that I have my doubts about what to wear for a particular occasion.

Tailors that Make House Calls

Fortunately for us, the family we were staying with had arranged for a tailor to visit on our first day in Pakistan (a tailor making house calls, imagine that!) This was an incredibly thoughtful gesture. It actually happened in Lahore, not Karachi, but my husband is a huge James Bond fan and we thought it would be cool to be able to quote the line from the movie – “I know a good tailor in Karachi.” It sounds so exotic but turned out to be a perfectly sensible thing to do. The tailor took measurements, we selected fabric, and he left. He finished two salwar-kameez outfits for me in the next two days – one in fancy, sequined fabric for the wedding parties, the other in a plainer cotton for sightseeing, meetings and other everyday activities. (This is an outfit with long, loose pants, a loose tunic, and a coordinating dupatta or scarf.) A different tailor made a long buttoned tunic over loose white pants for John.

Feeling Strangely Comfortable

We felt strange wearing these clothes, since they are very different from the jeans and T-shirts, or business clothes we usually wear. But we didn’t look too out of place at the wedding functions, and felt less conspicuous that we thought we would. I noticed that when I was dressed like a local, even strangers were friendlier and more helpful. I got fewer uncomfortable stares on the streets. Women especially went out of their way to smile and nod, and to help me out with the language (my kindergarten Hindi is bad and my Urdu is worse) and make me feel included. Also, these clothes were uniquely well-suited to the climate and environment. We toured a farm and village in a remote area of Pakistan – I wore the blue salwar kameez. It kept off the sun and bugs and was remarkably air-conditioned. Much more comfortable than jeans, which is what I had originally intended to wear. Our hosts were much more comfortable taking us places sightseeing when I was wearing local clothes because we didn’t attract as much unwanted attention. Everyone interpreted our gesture of wearing local clothes in the spirit it was intended- a gesture of friendship and intention to understand this beautiful and ancient culture.

The situation was less pronounced for men, who can wear western clothes (dress pants, a dress shirt and blazer or suit jacket) pretty much anywhere in the world and look appropriate. Women, on the other hand, look really out of place in even the most conservative of Western clothes.

Causing a Scandal

A case in point – I wore a very conservative, high-necked black ball-length Western dress to one of the wedding parties (there were four parties on subsequent nights, and my new wardrobe wasn’t keeping up with the laundry.) I thought it was a safe choice. It caused a scandal. Young people were literally pointing and staring at my “bare” ankles. (Sheer stockings apparently don’t count for much in this part of the world.) That experience made everyone uncomfortable – myself, our hosts, the wedding guests, and so on. I resolved to stick to local clothes whenever possible.

Benefits of Finding a Good Tailor

• You can find a tailor on the Internet, or with the help of your in-country contacts. (Women are usually especially glad to help you with clothes!)
• Tailors are easy to find in any major city.
• You can send your measurements ahead (remember that most countries use the metric system) along with a list of occasions you’ll be attending.
• If you’re not able to arrange for clothes ahead of time, ask your hotel to recommend a someone. Make a visit to the tailor one of your first agenda items on your first day in-country.
• Your tailor will have a good idea of what everyone else will be wearing to that type of function and can guide you appropriately. It’s in his best interests to make you look good!
• It’s almost impossible for a western woman to find off-the-shelf clothes in the East.Women in India especially find it repugnant to buy and outfit off the rack, since clothing should be one-of-a-kind. Also, if you’re tall, you’ll have a hard time finding appropriate clothes that have long enough pants and sleeves.
• In most cities, even tailored clothes are inexpensive. They cost much less than the airline surcharge for overweight luggage or extra baggage.
• If you’re going to be returning to that city, you may want to keep the clothes there. (You may be able to leave them with the tailor or your hotel can arrange for local storage.)
• You might want to take some of your favorite clothes home with you – you can wear them to themed dinner parties or other occasions. They are usually hand-made, high-quality, one of a kind items. Some clothes are appropriate for anywhere, especially men’s clothes. John had a beautiful suit made by a tailor in Lahore that he gets compliments on in the U.S.
• You can always give your clothes away when you leave! Even if your clothes are a little long, they can be altered for a local person.
• A tip for women – A salwar kameez outfit is easier for a Westerner to manage than a sari. Saris take a lot of practice to drape correctly. Although women all over the East manage to carry things, catch buses, ride motorcycles, and so forth wearing them, I have no idea how they do it and wouldn’t recommend it without years of practice. Salwar suits come in fancy varieties for parties and social occasions, and there are plainer types that are very professional and appropriate for meetings and business engagements.

Conclusion

Findng a good tailor in Karachi (or Tangiers, or Bombay, or Kuala Lampur) is an excellent strategy, especially for an American woman visiting for business or pleasure. Although you can “get away with” wearing Western clothes in the major tourist and business centers of any major city, you miss a huge opportunity to connect with the local culture if you don’t venture off the beaten track. In your forays into the local culture, you and your hosts will be much more comfortable with you if you are dressed appropriately.