Locally manufactured clothes

The current trousers of the year

 

I've written about some aspects of the clothing industry here (second hand 'bale' import shop, second hand 'bale' auction, second hand market) but one aspect I have not covered is locally produced clothing. Tailors are ubiquitous in Tanzania, especially in urban areas as they don't need an office rather they can simply move their foot-powered sewing machines and clothe to anywhere they please. It's not uncommon to see them strewn about the city in front of random shop fronts. School uniforms are a big part of their business but many people use them for full gowns and outfits, especially for special events like weddings. It's common for weddings to have coordinated custom tailored clothes for the wedding parties. I have used these tailors mainly for repairs which is something I absolutely love. Small things like broken zippers, holes in pockets, and loose stitching are a convenient and cheap service offered. 

On a slightly higher level are clothes that are mass produced somewhere in a mass manufacturing facility. This is most evident for me when it comes to trousers. Sellers in Iringa randomly go through different phases where everyone has the same brand of trousers. Two years ago it was, very randomly, Jeep brand. They even had a metallic shield that was stylishly sewn onto the rear of the trousers but to the best of my knowledge the vehicle maker does not have an official trouser manufacturing subsidiary. How these brands and names are chosen? Who knows, but the result is the proliferation of a new brand each year, which is possibly the same manufacturer. I realized how successful they are when I saw that four of the men in my workplace had the exact same trousers as me! They fit well but the stitching and quality of the trousers is not the greatest quality. However, I'm happy to support the local industry and the environment is so tough on my trousers anyway that not even high quality trousers stand a chance at long term survival!

The classic human powered sewing machine and street set up.