Have you ever had a terrible experience with a tailor?
When we raised this question on Instagram a few weeks ago, a whopping 87% of women told us yes. Some DMed us the troubles they’ve faced: indifferent tailors; outfits meant for special occasions that did not arrive until the last minute; saree blouses where the neck was so wide it kept slipping off the shoulder; loose fabric folds on the back or sleeves…
Some stories were truly terrible. A friend told us that her MIL is terrified of her tailor.
“She’s always wanted a blouse with a dori back, but her tailor told her she’s too old to pull it off and refused to stitch it! I don’t know why she keeps going to him.”
That’s really the question that bugged us. Why, after so many crappy experiences, do we keep going back to them?
“What’s the alternative?” demands Akshaya S. “Some clothes you can buy readymade, like kurtis. But I prefer my saree blouses custom-made.”
However, readymades don’t work for everyone. “I am an XS and I never find classy clothes in my size. I’ve actually had to shop in the girls’ section!” rues Tina Mathew. Plus-sizers have a similar problem. “We end up wearing clothes like tents and feel crappy in them. I’ve even rooted through the maternity wear section but it’s so disheartening,” says one Bangalorean who prefers to stay anonymous.
These stories are exactly why Binks was created. For years, our founder Aamna Khan had watched the women around her put up with bad tailoring experiences. “When I moved from Mumbai to Bangalore, I just couldn’t find a reliable tailor in the city. I wasn’t entirely comfortable with the male tailors in Commercial Street. I bounced around a few boutiques in Indiranagar and Koramangala but found them overpriced. And everyone was equally lax on timelines. That’s when I thought enough is enough.”
What if just by googling ‘best tailor in Bangalore’, you could find someone great? “Getting clothes custom-stitched should be a delightful experience, not a drag. That’s what I am doing with Binks. It’s an online boutique for busy, independent women that gives you a great fit, on-time delivery, and doorstep pickup and drop.” says Aamna.
Here are some of the things we do to pull this off.
Great fit guarantee
We believe you shouldn’t have to fit into your clothes; your clothes should fit you. We work with your sample garment as a baseline. If you don’t have a perfect sample, you can give us the best one you’ve got and tell us what needs tweaking. We also ask for a photo of you wearing it (with your face cropped out) so we can figure out how it sits on you. This extra input has helped us craft many a perfectly-fitting dress from an imperfect sample!
Our designers make 2D digital patterns of your dress (typically used by large garment manufacturers for a more accurate, consistent fit). We save this for future orders so that we don’t need to start from scratch each time.
By women, for women
We have an all-women team of designers and support staff. Everyone you interact with is a woman you can trust—someone who relates to the problems you’ve faced with clothing and knows how to fix them. Which is also why we’re all about thoughtful details: strap holders in blouses, ample seam allowance for alterations later, pre-washed lining, and all the quirky requests you may have. Roomy pockets on a kurti? Detachable sleeves on a blouse? Ask and you shall receive!
Never tried an online tailor before? It’s fast and efficient. You don’t have to vie for your tailor’s attention: you can speak to a designer from the comfort of your couch. You don’t have to make repeat visits for alterations. In fact, you don’t have to make any visits: we’ll pick up your sample blouse/kurti and fabric, get the stitching done, and drop it back at home.
In the current COVID-shadowed climate, isn’t this a great way to get something new and pretty for your wardrobe without compromising your safety?
Ping us on Whatsapp to get started. We are on +91 8544070539.
