Tailors in Dubai have been glued to their work stations over the past few weeks as orders for bespoke Eid Al Fitr outfits flooded their books this year.
Seamstresses and tailors in Bur Dubai have been busy day and night customising, mending and making final adjustments to celebratory outfits for Eid.
Bright pinks, nudes and purples have proved to be popular colour choices for clients this year, with organza, cotton and chiffon fabrics being snapped up for occasion wear.
This year has been great overall. We've seen a good flow of orders
“Last year was a tough time for many, with the Covid-19 situation globally, and orders were quite low for us,” said Anil Ramchandani, 31, owner of Kachin Tailors in Bur Dubai.
“This year has been great overall. We’ve seen a good flow of orders and many people are a lot more comfortable to celebrate these special occasions with their families.
“Eid is a festive season, so many of our male clients have been ordering custom-made kurta salwar kameez [Indian attire], with an average price of about Dh900.
“People also buy their loved ones great fabrics and bespoke clothing, so we’ve seen a lot of orders for gifted items.”
Mr Ramchandani said with summer drawing closer, lightweight fabrics and bright colours such as sky blue, pink and different tones of green were in demand.
Though well-wishers will be marking Eid at a social distance with immediate family this year, preparations for celebrations are in full swing across the city.
Over the past week, shop shelves started to fill with popular sweet treats such as dates and chocolates, and decorations began adorning malls and neighbourhoods across the city.
In Meena Bazaar on Monday evening, the popular shopping district had a great buzz as excited shoppers picked up custom-made outfits from tailors in preparation for the long weekend.
Niraj Makhija, owner of Dream Girl Tailors, said the shop has been much busier this year in the run up to Eid Al Fitr.
“We are making a minimum of 50 to 80 pieces a day,” he said.
“Some items are simple refits or mends, but some are full on custom-made, intricate outfits made especially for the Eid celebrations.
“This year we have high demand for Indo-western wear and Arabic mix, anything from salwar kameez to embellished abayas and niqabs."
With five master cutters and 45 tailors in store, he said they have been working split shifts, morning and evening, in the lead up to Eid.
The most requested fabric for outfits this year have been organza, voile and cotton, with pinks and nudes a popular colour choice for female clients.
Depending on the type or work required and length of time to sew, Mr Makhija said a custom-made piece starts at about Dh150 but the intricate ones can cost hundreds and even thousands.
Najma Salman, 41, only took over a tailoring business in Meena Bazaar last year and said things have picked up significantly since 2020.
“We definitely have a lot more orders this time around because there is no lockdown,” she said.
“Most of the requests we get are for outfits from the Asian subcontinent – pieces like salwar kameez, chudidaar and kaftans.
“My master tailor, Abdul, has had a lot of orders for formal dresses too.
"Even though people have been urged to celebrate with just immediate family at home, they are still choosing to dress for the occasion, which is good for us.”
Like most tailors in the area, Ms Salman said bright colours have been on the top of most clients’ lists this year, from pinks to yellows and purples.
She said the lead time for an order depends on the type of item requested, where some can be turned around within 24 hours and more intricate designs within three to four days.
“It’s been great to have a bump in orders again. Between this Eid and the upcoming Eid Al Adha, there is a real feeling of optimism for the fashion industry.”
Dubai retailers expect business boom during Eid Al Fitr - in pictures
Tank warfare
Lt Gen Erik Petersen, deputy chief of programs, US Army, has argued it took a “three decade holiday” on modernising tanks.
“There clearly remains a significant armoured heavy ground manoeuvre threat in this world and maintaining a world class armoured force is absolutely vital,” the general said in London last week.
“We are developing next generation capabilities to compete with and deter adversaries to prevent opportunism or miscalculation, and, if necessary, defeat any foe decisively.”
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
The specs
Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors
Power: 480kW
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)
On sale: Now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Sheikh Zayed's poem
When it is unveiled at Abu Dhabi Art, the Standing Tall exhibition will appear as an interplay of poetry and art. The 100 scarves are 100 fragments surrounding five, figurative, female sculptures, and both sculptures and scarves are hand-embroidered by a group of refugee women artisans, who used the Palestinian cross-stitch embroidery art of tatreez. Fragments of Sheikh Zayed’s poem Your Love is Ruling My Heart, written in Arabic as a love poem to his nation, are embroidered onto both the sculptures and the scarves. Here is the English translation.
Your love is ruling over my heart
Your love is ruling over my heart, even a mountain can’t bear all of it
Woe for my heart of such a love, if it befell it and made it its home
You came on me like a gleaming sun, you are the cure for my soul of its sickness
Be lenient on me, oh tender one, and have mercy on who because of you is in ruins
You are like the Ajeed Al-reem [leader of the gazelle herd] for my country, the source of all of its knowledge
You waddle even when you stand still, with feet white like the blooming of the dates of the palm
Oh, who wishes to deprive me of sleep, the night has ended and I still have not seen you
You are the cure for my sickness and my support, you dried my throat up let me go and damp it
Help me, oh children of mine, for in his love my life will pass me by.
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ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates, Etihad and Swiss fly direct from the UAE to Zurich from Dh2,855 return, including taxes.
The chalet
Chalet N is currently open in winter only, between now and April 21. During the ski season, starting on December 11, a week’s rental costs from €210,000 (Dh898,431) per week for the whole property, which has 22 beds in total, across six suites, three double rooms and a children’s suite. The price includes all scheduled meals, a week’s ski pass, Wi-Fi, parking, transfers between Munich, Innsbruck or Zurich airports and one 50-minute massage per person. Private ski lessons cost from €360 (Dh1,541) per day. Halal food is available on request.
THE DETAILS
Director: Milan Jhaveri
Producer: Emmay Entertainment and T-Series
Cast: John Abraham, Manoj Bajpayee
Rating: 2/5
Essentials
The flights
Whether you trek after mountain gorillas in Rwanda, Uganda or the Congo, the most convenient international airport is in Rwanda’s capital city, Kigali. There are direct flights from Dubai a couple of days a week with RwandAir. Otherwise, an indirect route is available via Nairobi with Kenya Airways. Flydubai flies to Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo, via Entebbe in Uganda. Expect to pay from US$350 (Dh1,286) return, including taxes.
The tours
Superb ape-watching tours that take in all three gorilla countries mentioned above are run by Natural World Safaris. In September, the company will be operating a unique Ugandan ape safari guided by well-known primatologist Ben Garrod.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, local operator Kivu Travel can organise pretty much any kind of safari throughout the Virunga National Park and elsewhere in eastern Congo.
India squads
Test squad against Afghanistan: Rahane (c), Dhawan, Vijay, Rahul, Pujara, Karun, Saha, Ashwin, Jadeja, Kuldeep, Umesh, Shami, Pandya, Ishant, Thakur.
T20 squad against Ireland and England: Kohli (c), Dhawan, Rohit, Rahul, Raina, Pandey, Dhoni, Karthik, Chahal, Kuldeep, Sundar, Bhuvneshwar, Bumrah, Pandya, Kaul, Umesh.
ODI squad against England: Kohli (c), Dhawan, Rohit, Rahul, Shreyas, Rayudu, Dhoni, Karthik, Chahal, Kuldeep, Sundar, Bhuvneshwar, Bumrah, Pandya, Kaul, Umesh
Disposing of non-recycleable masks
Use your ‘black bag’ bin at home
Do not put them in a recycling bin
Take them home with you if there is no litter bin
- No need to bag the mask
Two-step truce
The UN-brokered ceasefire deal for Hodeidah will be implemented in two stages, with the first to be completed before the New Year begins, according to the Arab Coalition supporting the Yemeni government.
By midnight on December 31, the Houthi rebels will have to withdraw from the ports of Hodeidah, Ras Issa and Al Saqef, coalition officials told The National.
The second stage will be the complete withdrawal of all pro-government forces and rebels from Hodeidah city, to be completed by midnight on January 7.
The process is to be overseen by a Redeployment Co-ordination Committee (RCC) comprising UN monitors and representatives of the government and the rebels.
The agreement also calls the deployment of UN-supervised neutral forces in the city and the establishment of humanitarian corridors to ensure distribution of aid across the country.
Chelsea 2 Burnley 3
Chelsea Morata (69'), Luiz (88')
Burnley Vokes (24', 43'), Ward (39')
Red cards Cahill, Fabregas (Chelsea)
Abu Dhabi GP schedule
Friday: First practice - 1pm; Second practice - 5pm
Saturday: Final practice - 2pm; Qualifying - 5pm
Sunday: Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (55 laps) - 5.10pm
Sun jukebox
Rufus Thomas, Bear Cat (The Answer to Hound Dog) (1953)
This rip-off of Leiber/Stoller’s early rock stomper brought a lawsuit against Phillips and necessitated Presley’s premature sale to RCA.
Elvis Presley, Mystery Train (1955)
The B-side of Presley’s final single for Sun bops with a drummer-less groove.
Johnny Cash and the Tennessee Two, Folsom Prison Blues (1955)
Originally recorded for Sun, Cash’s signature tune was performed for inmates of the titular prison 13 years later.
Carl Perkins, Blue Suede Shoes (1956)
Within a month of Sun’s February release Elvis had his version out on RCA.
Roy Orbison, Ooby Dooby (1956)
An essential piece of irreverent juvenilia from Orbison.
Jerry Lee Lewis, Great Balls of Fire (1957)
Lee’s trademark anthem is one of the era’s best-remembered – and best-selling – songs.
Terror attacks in Paris, November 13, 2015
- At 9.16pm, three suicide attackers killed one person outside the Atade de France during a foootball match between France and Germany
- At 9.25pm, three attackers opened fire on restaurants and cafes over 20 minutes, killing 39 people
- Shortly after 9.40pm, three other attackers launched a three-hour raid on the Bataclan, in which 1,500 people had gathered to watch a rock concert. In total, 90 people were killed
- Salah Abdeslam, the only survivor of the terrorists, did not directly participate in the attacks, thought to be due to a technical glitch in his suicide vest
- He fled to Belgium and was involved in attacks on Brussels in March 2016. He is serving a life sentence in France
