TAILORING

A society needs different people holding different profession so that they can contribute their various skills to the development of their society. But if you look at Muslims they tend to obtain popular and traditional business that give an immediate reward. then, our society could not be developed as a progressive nation and can be left behind anyway. thus, we should try to train our youths of various professions and skills without further delay, so let's have a look at various types of profession including Tailoring business.

 Tailor can be defined as a person who makes, repairs, or alters clothing professionally, especially suits and men's clothing. Then what we called tailoring is a job for a tailor. Besides, the term refers to a set of specific hand and machine sewing and pressing techniques that are unique to the construction of traditional jackets. Retailers of tailored suits often take their services internationally, travelling to various cities, allowing the client to be measured locally. There are three methods of tailoring which is local, distance and travelling tailoring. Local travelling, Typically, the tailor is met locally and the garment produced locally. This method enables the tailor to take professional measurements, assess posture and body shape to make unique modifications to the garment. Local tailors will typically have a showroom or shop front allowed clients to choose fabrics from samples or return the garment easily should it require further modification. This is the most traditional form of tailoring. Hong Kong and London are the most famous for high quality bespoke tailoring, in average it takes about 2 to 3 fittings and about 3 to 4 days to hand make one suit. Distance tailoring involves ordering a garment from an out-of-town tailor enabling cheaper labour to be used. In practice this can now be done on a global scale via e-commerce websites. Unlike local tailoring, customers must take their own measurements, fabric selection must be made from a photo and if further alterations are required the garment must be shipped. Today, the most common platform for distance tailoring is via online tailors. Unlike distance tailoring, travelling tailors provide a more personal service to their customers and give the customers an opportunity to see the fabric samples and meet the tailor in person. Travelling tailors travel between cities and station in a local luxury hotel for a short period of time to meet and provide the same tailoring services they would provide in their local store. In the hotel, the customer will be able to select the fabric from samples and the tailor will take the measurements himself. The order then will be shipped to the customer within 3-4 weeks time. Unlike local tailoring, if further alterations are required the garment must be shipped.[1]

     To make one suit of clothes needs specific techniques to make sure the clothes will be done perfectly. First of all, as a tailor of course they need to know about textile knowledge. It is include which fabrics that is suitable to use for their design to make it match. Furthermore, as a Muslim we must always remember to not to used thin types of fabrics especially for women because it is prohibited in Islam. There are variety types of fabrics in market like cotton, chiffon, silk, satin and many more. Tailors need to choose the best material before they can sew it and form a dress. Besides, other than choosing fabrics tailor also need to specialize in cutting the material. It has to be fit with the measurement taken so that the clothes will fit their owner well. Next are techniques on how to used sewing machine effectively when we are making a large amount of clothes of course tailor need to have machining skills which can make their job smooth and fast. People nowadays only use sewing machine to make it fast other than using hand make sewing types. [2]

Other than that, by learning those tailoring techniques we will be able to make our own costume made clothes. Lately, we can see that there are so much types of clothes design either for man or women nowadays but always not following by rules and regulation in Islam. Sometimes, for women it is too fit until can appear the body shape and for man there are trousers that it too short which is all prohibited in Islam. So, as a caring Muslim towards rules in Islam we need to learn how to sew our own clothes instead of buying the readymade one which is usually expensive. With the good tailoring techniques and spent some amount for the high material fabrics which is less than the readymade one will surely satisfied us because it is come from our material and design. The most important thing is we can choose our own material which is surely thick and comfortable. Furthermore, by practicing all those techniques will make us improves our skill in tailoring. For the sake of our future, we better prepared with some skills that can helps when there is difficulty in life. When you decide to sew yourself something instead of going to a store and buying what somebody else has designed, manufactured, and marketed, you're tapping into your own ingenuity and inventiveness.  Like so many of our abilities, once you tap into them, you realize how much more you're capable of than you ever thought possible. There is so much to know about sewing and the learning never stops.  Fabrics, notions, techniques and so on.  No matter what level sewer you are, there's always a new challenge ahead.[3]

More than that, another benefit are: Resourcefulness, there are lots of ways to repurpose what you already have instead of buying something new. For instance, a sheet can become a tablecloth, shower curtain, or window curtain. Saves money, knowing how to alter or repair clothing reduces the need for repetitive purchases. A flaw doesn't render the item immediately unwearable. In fact, sometimes you can find pieces at a store sold at a significant discount that weren't make perfectly but can be fixed. Appropriate fit,  Every body type is different and so finding something that will fit perfectly can be a challenge to say the least. Depending on the construction of the item, it may be such a that with a little bit of alteration you can get it to be a more appropriate fit for your body type. By doing the work yourself, you can also save a lot of money by avoiding the expensive tailor or alteration shop. Unique pieces, the ability to create or refashion a piece of material means you can have a look that is uniquely you. Fabric colors and patterns are so vibrant and well..awesome that it's hard to not imagine all the fun and creative uses for them. Your creation will be unlike anyone else's. Go with it. Personalized home furnishings, even simple home furnishings can be easily sewn. Pillow covers, cloth napkins, curtain etc. are wonderful ways to add personality to your home, not to mention do so more affordably. Calming, I find that working on a piece of embroidery or other hand needlework can be a calming way to end the day. It develops patience, and that is always a quality worthy of work! Bless others, did you know that there are organizations that will take things like home sewn pillowcase dresses and menstrual pads to give to little girls in need elsewhere in the world? You don't have to be an experienced seamstress to give in this manner! Self-reliance, I appreciate the notion of learning to do for myself and becoming less dependent on someone or something else to care for my needs. My home and family can be dressed regardless of our level of resources.[4]

The knowledge and art of tailoring, of cutting and sewing cloth which is the two basic aspects of constructing clothes from a pattern then developed slowly and gradually in Europe between the twelfth and fourteenth centuries. The Oxford English Dictionary's first reference to the word "tailor" gives the specific date of 1297 and certainty by that date tailoring guilds, as well as those of weavers, and cloth merchants were well established in Europe. During the Middle Ages clothing had been regarded as a means of concealing the body. But with the Renaissance came the accentuation of the human form. The loose robe, that standard uniform of the medieval period so easily constructed from a single piece or two of cloth, was shortened and tightened, and eventually cut, pieced, and sewn together in attempts to bring into prominence the contours of the human form. This was the birth of tailoring and, in fact, of fashion. These attempts at re-constructing the human body in fabric called for a growing expert skill and division of labour. Soon the cutter, the one who makes the pattern and tailor, the one who does the sewing, joined other craftsmen as important members of the community. Until this time the cloth had been the distinguishing feature of garments, and the wearer took most of the responsibility for the design and, in most cases, the actual production of his own clothes. But little by little, the tailor took on equal importance with the weaver, and gradually came to overshadow him. Master tailors in the growing towns eventually became responsible for the clothing needs of society, and the art and science of tailoring became a highly specialized, complex, and jealously guarded craft.  1

Tailoring is one of the praiseworthy professions in Islam. "Luqman the Sage" had chosen this as his occupation. It is quoted from the Holy Prophet (s) who said:

"The job of the righteous men is tailoring and the job of the pious women is spinning. “ 2

The reverend Shaykh had chosen this job as a means of livelihood. Hence, he was known as Shaykh Rajab Ali Khayyat (the tailor). Interestingly, his simple small house, as described before, was his tailoring workshop, too. In this respect one of his children says: 'At first, my father had a room in a Caravanserai, where he pursued his tailoring profession. One day the landlord came to him and asked him to leave the place. The next day and without any arguing or demanding any due rights, my father packed up his sewing machine and sewing table, brought them home, and gave the room back to the landlord. Ever since, he worked at home in a room near the entrance as his tailoring workshop. This is one of the examples that tailoring career is encouraged in Islamic society. To make our Muslim attire we are recommended to make it by ourselves or sent it to the also Muslim because we have to make sure that it is following our attire rules. [5]

Being a good tailor is not easy as the society thinks. First of all they must be sincere and work for the sake of Allah s.w.t. As the trustworthy we must follow the command to avoid difficulty in hereafter. In Islamic perspectives a good tailor must make sort kind of clothes that follow the shariah in Islam. It must be the best outfit that can cover Muslim aurah either for man or women instead of material and fabrics. Besides, the fabrics used must satisfied their customer and encourage them to wear proper outfit. Sometimes, the customers will request a lot of types of clothes design that may satisfied their needs. But always remember in mind, as a professional Islamic tailor we must always advices them to custom design that loose and cover all parts of the body.                                    

Islam    requires that all people pay attention to their appearance, dress decently, maintain dignity, and enjoy what Allah has provided for clothing and adornment. In Islam, the human body is a sacred trust that should be maintained, protected, and nourished. From the Islamic point of view, clothing serves the purposes of protecting, covering, and beautifying our appearance. The Qur'an encourages us to dress in beautiful clothing:

 “Oh children of Adam! Wear your beautiful apparel” (Qur'an 7:31). [6]

However, the Qur'an also warns against neglect in appearance and public nudity.

“Oh children of Adam! Do not let Satan seduce you, in the same manner as he got your parents out of the Garden, stripping them of their raiment” (Qur'an 7:27). [7]

            Muslim men and women observe a standard of modesty that may be considered conservative, but they feel that these guidelines, established by Allah, are for the benefit of both individuals and the society in general. The first bit of guidance given in Islam describes the parts of the body which must be covered in public. For women, in general, standards of modesty call for a woman to cover her body, particularly her chest. The Quran calls for women to :

 "Draw their head-coverings over their chests" (24:30-31) [8]

            And the Prophet Muhammad instructed believing women to cover their bodies except for their face and hands. Most Muslims interpret this to require head coverings for women. Some Muslim women cover the entire body, including the face and/or hands. For men the minimum amount to be covered is between the navel and the knee.  It must be loose enough so as not to outline or distinguish the shape of the body. Skin-tight, body-hugging clothes are out, for both men and women. The Prophet Muhammad once warned that in later generations, there would be people "who are dressed yet naked." See-through clothing is not modest, for either men or women. The clothing must be thick enough so that the colour of the skin it covers is not visible, nor the shape of the body underneath. The overall appearance of a person should be dignified and modest. Shiny, flashy clothing may technically meet the above requirements, but defeat the purpose of overall modesty.

For women, it is all about protecting women "from the lustful gaze of men." These conditions reinforce the idea that no part of a woman's body should be seen and that her clothing should not attract unnecessary attention. After further research, found that there are other reasons Muslim women adhere to these guidelines including religion, modesty and comfort. For all of the reasons I have found, the one common thread seems to be the belief that the familiar honour resides in the conduct of its women. "Honour depends on a woman remaining chaste; should she be violated in any way, the men of the family risk being seen as weak and perhaps even being ostracized. Thus, in order to be respected by men, and protected from them, in public a woman should not flout her looks". Women activities in the Muslim world are less denied women such as education and civil rights. Sadly, there have also been incidences in the Western world where Muslim women have been harassed for how they dress in our society, which make us just as bad as the people who force their ideas on their own societies. Women should be allowed to dress as they wish wherever they call home, but more importantly, women should not be defined by what they wear but who they are. They do have freedom of speech through their clothes and personalities. They are bounded to some religion rules that make them be submissive to their higher power. Women do have rights and virtues to dress and feel wanted and worthy, but this dilemma does not work on the Islamic religion. [9]

In a nutshell, tailoring is a praiseworthy occupation to be one of our careers. Take it as a serious job then you will manage to be successful. There are so many benefits and advantages in learning and practising all those tailoring techniques. In Islamic perspectives we are encourage to learn it because it is one of the major skills that can help us in our future which is improved our financial and skills knowledge. It also would gives us advantage when we can costume made our family clothes by our own way. So, as a great and strong ummah we need to build our own skills to make sure we are not being under estimated by the other religions and nations. Either man or woman, both need to have some skills to improve their social skills. Tailor gives so many influences towards process of making many types of clothes or outfit. By that way, tailor need to play their role to affects people wear the proper attire following the Shariah. No matter what religion we are, we still need proper attire to show that people will look forward about our attitudes and spiritually. Dress requirements are not meant to be restrictive for either men or women, and most Muslims who wear modest dress do not find it impractical. Islamic clothing is but one aspect of modesty. More importantly, one must be modest in behaviour, manners, speech and appearance in public. Dress is only one aspect of the total being, and merely reflects what is present on the inside of a person's heart. The Quran describes that clothing is meant to cover our private areas, and be an adornment (Quran 7:26).[10] Clothing worn by Muslims should be clean and decent, neither excessively fancy nor ragged. One should not dress in order to gain the admiration or sympathy of others. If you're interested in becoming a tailor, start learning now. Find out what your preferred interests are and look for someone who can help you get the skills and knowledge you need. It's worth it in the end. The job takes attention to detail, a willingness to practice, and an unwillingness to send out garments that are less than perfect. Plus, you have to be willing to keep on learning throughout your whole life.

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[1] The Complete Book of Tailoring- Adele P.Margolis- Doubleday Books- September 01, 1978

[2] Classic Tailoring Techniques- Cabrera- Fairchild Books- 1978

[3] Classic Tailoring Techniques- Cabrera- Fairchild Books- 1978

[4] Reviving Home Making- Whitney- Creative Publishing- January 1999

[5] History of Tailoring:An Overview- G.Bruce Boyer- Eden Books- 26.02.96

² Hadith

[6] Qur'an 7:31

[7] Qur'an 7:27

[8] Qur’an 24:30-31

[9] Easy Islam- Dr. Anisah Bt Ab. Ghani- PTS Publication- 2008

[10] Qur’an 7:26