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About Tailors |
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| If someone wanted to become a tailor in Shanghai a few decades ago, it needs three years time to learn making a coat. After the three-year study, the teacher would offer an opportunity for students to take extra studies for one to two years. In other words, it needed five to six years to learn the techniques of tailoring. As the living standard at that time was very low and not every child had the chance to go to school. Therefore, children started to work and learn to be a tailor when they were teenagers. |
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| Why did they choose to be a tailor but not other professions? At that time, the wages of making a suit was much higher than other professions. For example, an office worker could only earn around HK$60 per month, but a tailor could have around HK$120. It was a double of the office worker's wages. So, some poorer families sent their children to go to learn being a tailor. |
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| The tailoring industry was a great contribution to Hong Kong in the past fifty to sixty years as it gained lots of foreign exchange. The Europeans and American spent lots of money buying our tailored suit. It allowed Hong Kong to obtain a considerable income. The business progressed day after day, and there were new members joining the track of being a tailor. Some tailors continued their job in Hong Kong, some of them exported their services to other countries. Most of them went to New Zealand, Australia. Even the United States military bases needed tailors to modify the soldiers' uniform. Hong Kong tailors became famous. Tailoring industry in Hong Kong had gone through a booming period. |
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| Nowadays, Hong Kong has only 15% of tailors remained. Their wages are just the same with an ordinary office worker. The youngest experienced tailor in Hong Kong has probably reached 55 years old. |
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