Tailors see brisk sale of custom-made kanduras

Changing lifestyles, altering fashion trends and increasing prices of cloth have failed to dampen demand for custom-made kanduras in the UAE, and the long, white traditional Arab male dress remains the garment of choice for men in the country.

Tailors are working overtime to meet the rush of customers ahead of Ramadan, especially those at the Al Madani Tailoring Group.

Mohammed Al Madani, Chairman and CEO, Al Madani Group, said: "A strong yen, weak dollar and high petrol prices have increased the cost of cloth imported from Japan. Price of Japanese polyester fabric – the preferred cloth for kanduras – has gone up by at least 25 per cent. The cost of an average kandura has gone up from Dh110 to Dh145."

Despite this demand has not fallen, Al Madani said.

His group, and others such as Al Thawb Al Watani Tailoring, are chains of specialised tailoring shops with modern stitching machines, employing 300 tailors.

The companies also make Guthra, the male headscarf, the Egal or the black band that fixes the headscarf in place and other clothing accessories for Arab males.

"A kandura lasts for one year – from Eid to Eid. During Ramadan, we are fully booked in the first week and after that we accept only VIP customers. During the Haj season, too, there is a rush for kanduras," Al Madani said.

Even the arrival of ready-made kanduras in the GCC market has been unable to dent the demand for the tailored version. UAE men still prefer custom-made kanduras with lots of embroidery. Due to differences in style, there is almost no export of kanduras in the Gulf.

"In the good old days, an Emarati man used to buy a kandura every month. After briefly favouring western dresses, the new generation of Emaratis, too, like kanduras," Al Madani said.