Tailor shops in those days…

The 1980s were the most difficult time for the country. The daily worries of most people during the subsidy period at that time were only about food and clothing. Clothing at that time was very poor, if you worked for the State, you would still get a 5m/year fabric coupon, but if you were a freelancer, you had to take care of yourself. So the feeling of holding a bundle of fabric and walking into a brightly lit tailor shop to make new clothes is not easy to forget...

Remains of the once famous Tao tailor shop on Thong Nhat Street.

At that time in Nha Trang, on Thong Nhat Street there were a series of famous tailors: Quoc Te, Adam's, Nguyen, Tao... Shops specializing in tailoring women's ao dai were Son Nu Da Lat, Song Hiep, Phuong Thao... Other major streets such as Tran Quy Cap, Nguyen Trai, Ngo Gia Tu also had them, but people often remembered the shops on Thong Nhat Street. To buy a piece of fabric, one had to go to Thong Nhat Street to have it tailored properly, because during the subsidy period, this street always had a very special position. The shops, stores, and shops on Thong Nhat Street represented... a class in society. The tailors displayed in front of a bright glass cabinet, hanging stacks of colorful fabrics and newly finished clothes waiting to be delivered to customers, which was the dream of the young generation in their dressing up age...

Recalling the heyday of tailor shops, no matter how difficult the year was, the family had to save up to make new clothes. So at the end of the year, from the 11th lunar month onwards, tailor shops ran at full capacity but still could not meet the demand. It was normal for shop owners to delay the appointment for picking up clothes for a few days. In those days, going to have a new suit made was so nerve-wracking. No matter how impatient or how much they urged the tailors, customers still remembered to avoid the shop on the 12th of the 12th lunar month, because that was the anniversary of the tailoring profession's founder. On this day, shops were busy making offerings and not working.

Tailors at that time often chose a familiar shop. All my life I only had clothes made at Tien Dung shop on Phuong Cau street. The shop owner was quite special, when measuring, he always measured in one go and then wrote down the parameters in the book. I was surprised at first, asked how he remembered dozens of measurements, he smiled kindly and said it was his job. Now meeting again, looking at the dying tailor shop, I naturally felt sad. The couple were old, neither of their children wanted to follow in their footsteps, so they kept the shop open as long as they could to enjoy their old age, not really interested in tailoring... Another tailor shop about to go into the past!

Da Lat's Son Nu Shop has now switched to selling clothes. Photo: KHANG NGUYEN

At the entrance of my alley, there is a small tailor shop without a sign. The owner is a middle-aged woman, gentle and skillful, so most of the people in the alley sew here, the prices are reasonable. She said that learning a trade was very hard in those days. The owners of big tailor shops still accept apprentices as trainees, meaning that the apprentices do not have to pay, and the owner also provides lunch, but in return, in addition to learning the trade, working as an assistant, they also have to do housework. Learning each step of the trade is done by hand, each step takes about 5-6 months, such as learning to sew collars, sew cuffs, sew buttons, etc. Only when they are proficient will the owner let them measure and cut. After about 4-5 years, when they are proficient in all the steps and can sew a complete outfit, the owner will let them open their own shop.

Until now, I still remember clearly the first time I went to have a suit made, hesitantly entering the International Tailor Shop at the beginning of Thong Nhat Street, as nervous as entering an exam room. The shop owner kindly led me to choose the fabric, a whole warehouse of luxurious imported fabrics... After measuring, the shop owner made an appointment for me to come back to measure again after the suit was put together, make adjustments, and then officially make the suit. Over time, I have bought several ready-made suits from fashion brands... but that first suit still retains its classic beauty, not outdated at all, with every stitch meticulously crafted, and still very pleasant to wear.

Entering the 2000s, when fashion brands and industrial tailors developed, traditional tailors gradually lost customers. Ready-made clothes under the brands An Phuoc, Pierre Cardin, Viet Tien, Khatoco, Tomy... were both beautiful and convenient, winning the hearts of consumers. Then, when a series of high-end and low-end T-shirt brands sprung up like mushrooms, they officially forced traditional tailors to close. The once famous tailors are now only in memory, except for those specializing in tailoring and cutting Ao Dai for women, which are still doing well.

Nowadays, the once famous tailor shops have disappeared. My familiar Tien Dung tailor shop is now only an old couple sitting and watching TV. My son hears about tailor shops, even though it was just over a decade ago, his eyes are wide open, very surprised. Most of his clothes and those of his friends are ordered online or in shops. He only knows about sewing machines when he needs to mend clothes, which are now open all over the streets of Nha Trang. Mending clothes seems like a lot of work because not everyone wears ready-made clothes that fit well...

MERCURY

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