KINLEY KHANDU CHODEN
Thimphu
Behind every neatly stitched kira, tego, wonju and kuthang is a tailor working long hours under mounting pressure to meet customer expectations while struggling to keep a small business alive.
Although tailoring remains an important source of livelihood for many Bhutanese women, interviews with several tailors in Thimphu reveal that inconsistent customer flow, shortages of skilled workers, competition from ready-made clothing and rising operating costs continue to challenge the sustainability of the profession.
For many shop owners, tailoring provides just enough income to meet daily expenses, leaving little room for savings or business expansion.
Twenty-six-year-old tailor and shop owner Tendrel Zangmo has been operating her tailoring business for the past five years. While she says the business provides sufficient income to cover monthly expenses such as rent and transportation, almost all of her earnings are spent on daily necessities.
“My earnings depend entirely on the number of customer orders and the quality of my work. When customers are satisfied, they return and recommend my services to others,” she said. However, despite earning enough to sustain her business, she is unable to build meaningful savings because most of her income goes toward operating expenses and household needs. Her husband also assists with rent and other family expenses whenever necessary.
According to her, customer demand fluctuates significantly throughout the year. On average, she receives only two or three customers a week, making it difficult to generate a stable income.
Running the business also involves unexpected costs.
Sewing machines occasionally break down, requiring repairs that not only increase expenses but also delay customer orders. Delays often lead to customer dissatisfaction, while some customers postpone payments or fail to pay altogether, creating additional financial strain.
Although government business loans are available to entrepreneurs, she has chosen not to apply.
She said that while such support could help expand her business, she worries about her ability to repay the loan should business decline.
“I appreciate that these loans are available, but I fear falling into debt if I cannot make the repayments,” she explained.
A challenge repeatedly highlighted by tailoring shop owners is the shortage of skilled and reliable workers.
Tendrel said finding competent employees has become increasingly difficult. Even when experienced tailors are hired, workplace management can become problematic. At other times, workers lack the necessary skills, resulting in mistakes that damage customers’ garments.
“When customers are unhappy, they blame the shop owner, regardless of who made the mistake,” she said, adding that she often bears both the financial loss and the responsibility for customer complaints.
She also noted that many customers believe tailoring charges are expensive without understanding the amount of time, craftsmanship and effort required to produce traditional garments.
To sustain her business, Tendrel shares earnings with her staff under a 60:40 arrangement, where the tailor receives 60 percent of the payment while the remaining 40 percent is retained by the shop to cover operational costs.
Another tailor, Sangay Choden, who has owned her tailoring business on Changzamtok for the past three years, shared similar concerns.
Specialising in traditional Bhutanese attire, particularly Kuthang and other garments, Sangay received her tailoring training through the Ministry of Labour. She said her earnings are sufficient to cover daily expenses, although she is only able to save a small amount.
Like Tendrel, Sangay believes the shortage of trained workers remains one of the greatest obstacles facing the profession.
“It is difficult to recruit skilled tailors. If workers lack experience, customers complain about the quality of the finished garments, and as the owner, I am held responsible,” she said.
Because of repeated complaints resulting from employees’ work, Sangay has stopped recruiting additional workers and now completes most tailoring orders herself to maintain quality.
Tailoring staff also experience challenges despite not carrying the responsibility of managing a business.
Tshewang Lhamo a 22-year-old tailoring employee, who completed a one-year tailoring training programme in Kawajangsa before working briefly in Bumthang, said she moved to Thimphu seeking better employment opportunities and has now been working in the capital for nearly three months.
She specialises in traditional Bhutanese garments, including belt kira, tego and wonju.
According to her, one of the biggest difficulties is meeting customers’ expectations.
“Customers often expect us to complete their clothes on time even when we already have many orders to finish,” she said.
Despite these pressures, she said her income is sufficient to support her personal needs.
Another tailor, Kinzang Choden in Changbandu, who has worked in the profession for two years, said unrealistic deadlines frequently force tailors to work overtime.
Specialising in tego and wonju, she said her monthly earnings vary depending on the amount of work available but are generally enough to support her family.
Since only two people operate the shop, they intentionally limit the number of orders they accept each week to ensure quality. However, some customers insist that their garments be completed within very short timeframes.
“Sometimes we have to work late into the night to finish urgent orders,” she said.
Not all tailoring businesses face the same level of difficulty.
Lhuendrup Zangmo, who has operated her tailoring shop in Druk Shopping complex since 2019, said she earns approximately Nu. 20,000 a month, sharing the income equally with her staff.
While customer demand rises during school and college admission seasons when students require uniforms, business slows considerably during other periods.
She identified the growing popularity of ready-made clothing as one of the main factors affecting traditional tailoring businesses.
“Many customers now prefer buying ready-made garments instead of having clothes tailored,” she said.
Despite the various challenges, the tailors interviewed remain committed to preserving Bhutan’s traditional tailoring skills while earning a living through their craft.
However, their experiences highlight the vulnerability of small tailoring enterprises that rely heavily on seasonal demand, customer satisfaction and skilled craftsmanship.
For many of these entrepreneurs, maintaining quality while managing rising costs, labour shortages and changing consumer preferences has become a delicate balancing act. Without a steady pool of trained workers and consistent customer demand, sustaining a traditional tailoring business remains a demanding profession that requires resilience, dedication and long hours of work.
