Trip to the dressmakers

A typical dressmakers

Numerous people have told me that everyone must wear new clothes for Christmas.  This is a local tradition which is strictly carried out.  Everyone has seen my entire wardrobe as it is very limited, so I can’t produce something from the bottom of the pile to stun them with.  I have spent two months admiring the local ladies’ best clothes, which are made of lovely African patterned cotton, with a certain degree of envy.  Typically they wear long flared skirts with matching short sleeved tops.  After some soul-searching, because my budget is limited, I decided to treat myself to a locally made outfit. 

Making the finishing touches to my outfit

The local market has many dressmakers, working on treadle-operated machines.  I asked Christine, the matron at the children’s home, to come with me to introduce me to a good dressmaker in case I was ripped off.  Together we went to a dressmaker who is a friend of hers, only to find that she was not at the booth.  The booth is rented by a number of women who use it casually, bringing their own Singer machines on their heads, ready to attach to the treadle tables in the booth.  The dressmaker who was there phoned Christine’s friend.  In the meantime we sat and talked, watching the other dressmaker work.  In the meantime I chose some cloth in a suitably festive colour scheme.  When Christine’s friend arrived, I showed her my sarong and one of my blouses, which I wanted her to use as templates.  The price was small, 50 SSP (South Sudanese pounds) for labour plus 65 SSP for the cost of the cloth.

The finished product

Today I went to fetch the finished product.  As you will see from the photo, the outfit is not cut to match the pattern of the material.  The design of the skirt is the local traditional one, with a drawstring waist, in a very different pattern to my sarong.  The blouse has long sleeves as requested, but is not the same design as the blouse I had shown as a template.  I realise that all these women are self-taught and making a living as best they can, so this was not completely unexpected.  They do not have professional training and can only make designs that they have practised and taught each other.  The result is lovely if unorthodox, and will remind me of the dressmakers of Nimule whenever I wear it. 

On a side-issue, one day I came into the staff dining room to find two of my oldest Primary 5 girls talking to the matron.  They were very despondent because they had failed their end of year exams for the fifth year running.  Naturally they find it extremely disheartening to see the younger children passing and moving ahead while they are doomed to stay.  They were asking the matron’s advice on what to do as they are now in their teens.  Christine suggested that they stop school and learn to make clothes.  She strongly recommended this as so many local women are very successful at making a living that way.  She said that the home would pay the necessary start-up costs and find someone to teach them.  The girls accepted her advice.  Soon they will join the legion of women who create the elegant ladies who throng Nimule.