With a market full of fabrics and textiles, and lots of reasonably priced tailors, don’t come to Bali without custom making your own clothes!
We’ve all been there – you go shopping and fall in love with that perfect little black dress but they don’t have your size or the fit is just slightly off. Well in Bali all your style problems are solved! You can make your own clothes for a fraction of the retail cost in shops, plus it’s a great and fun way to get your creative juices flowing! Whether it’s a cute leather backpack, a new suit for work, or an easy breezy summer dress, do not leave the island without custom making your own threads! Here is how in 4 easy steps:
Step 1:
Have an idea of what you want to design, and try to find pictures online or draw out what it is you want. Find out what material you want to use and then the hunt for the fabric is on!
Step 2:
Fabric shopping in Bali can be a hot and sweaty task, but also a fun way to interact with the locals and to see a side of Bali most tourists don’t get to experience. The best place to go for fabric shopping is textile heaven; Jalan Sulawesi in Bali’s capital, Denpasar. Here, you will find one long street with shop after shop selling all types of fabrics; cotton, lace, rayon, linen, sequins, mesh and more. There are hundreds of different colours available, with rolls upon rolls of varying textures and prints. Have fun trawling through and don’t forget to bartar for the cost. Some will be fixed price, but be aware that for a yard of rayon cotton you shouldn’t be paying more than IDR 100,000. Most shops on Jalan Sulawesi are open Monday to Saturday from 9am until 5pm and from 9am to 3pm on Sundays.
Step 3:
Find a tailor! There are lots of tailors scattered around the island, so it depends where you are staying. Most are little shops which have a ‘Tailor’ sign outside – go in and hope they speak English or practice your Bahasa. We recommend Kuta Leather and Tailor, located in Kuta – they speak good English, and they can even come to your hotel or villa to show you their swatches of fabric!
Step 4:
It will take the tailor a few days to make your sample [dependant on his/her workload]. Once it’s ready you will be asked to check it, and make any changes you want. The payment you will make at the end includes any size alterations that need to be made for the garment to fit you properly, so make sure you get it right! Then, all that is left to be done is pay up and wear your unique piece of clothing loud and proud!