The Sewing Workshops in Alleys

Due to depressing economy and sharp reduction of employment, relevant industries have relocated to overseas to establish new factories. The employment has reduced significantly in Taiwan, and the previous employees have to fend for themselves for other industries. However, as the factories in areas adjacent to the China gradually saturate, those who relocated to China has returned to Taiwan, though the number was few. As for sewing workshops, skilled workers are hard to find, and higher salaries are paid in order to keep them.

Take the sewing workshops interviewed this time for example, it is not small, messy or dark as people used to imagine; on the contrary, it is clean and well-organized. Although it is not a large space, it is comfortable. The workshops produce garments for department stores. The upstream factories are responsible for design and cut-parts production, while the sewing in the later stage is outsourced to such sewing workshops. The level of sewing highly relates to the quality and cutting of the garment, therefore, the craftsmanship of tailors tells the difference between high and regular grade garment.

Many tailors today worked in other industries before, retired or changed their previous industry. It is obvious that the talents are reducing, and the industries in the past are disappearing. Therefore, how to maintain the development of such industries and make the talent and industry prosperous as before while reserving the culture is a problem to be discussed.

Mr. Cheng-tien Chan, the President of Taiwan Textile Federation, said that “the textile industry of Taiwan takes the lead technically in the world, which makes Taiwan proud”. We get to know that the current technology and refinement of process of Taiwan industries take advantage compared with other countries and regions, however, the lack of brands incapacitate Taiwan to become the focus of the world for a long time. 

As the global fashion market gallops, the small garment factories of Taiwan are expected to manufacture differentiated garments with their high-end technology under the competition environment of high elimination rate. For example, people today pay more attention to the function or intelligence of sports and leisure clothing, or even environmental protection. Only in this way, these factories could stand out of the competition.