KUALA LUMPUR, March 13 — For years, as Aidilfitri nears, Malaysians on the hunt for the best baju raya will turn to social media and online shopping platforms for the latest styles and friendliest prices.
This year though, a number seem to be skipping the brands altogether.
Hafiza Jaafar, who sews from her home in Nilai, Negeri Sembilan, noticed a growing demand not for tailored clothing from scratch, but to alter ready-made attire bought online.
“They buy online because it seems cheap, but once they’re wearing it, the material doesn’t feel right and the sizing is completely standard; it doesn’t account for the fact that most of us carry our weight differently in different places,” she told Malay Mail.
The 39-year-old tailor who has been building her clientele largely through word of mouth said that instead of bringing her fabric for new outfits, her customers were now asking her to adjust the sizes of these off-the-rack pieces, among other things.
She charges as little as RM5 to RM10 for minor alterations, but added that major work that requires the seams of a garment to be entirely unpicked and rebuilt runs to RM50 or RM55.
While she usually caps the number of customers to 30 during Raya season, Hafiza has reserved the last two weeks before Aidilfitri this time around just to focus on alterations as there has been an overflow in demand.
“I’ll finish all the tailored orders first, and then keep those two weeks open for alterations because I know they will be coming,” she said.
Hafiza said the price for a standard baju kurung, whether in the traditional or modern style, starts from RM90, depending on the fabric and the details – like lace trims – requested.
A jubah (robe), being a single piece, is priced slightly lower at around RM70 while a kebaya begins at RM100.
The most she has ever charged for a single garment is RM180, for a beaded wedding dress complete with veil, which she sewed entirely by hand.
Zaharatul Aini, 30, the founder of Ainilili in Shah Alam, Selangor described this year’s baju raya orders as stable – a word that, in the current economic climate, carries more weight than it might seem.
“Alhamdulillah, numbers are up slightly compared to last year. Returning customers are coming back, and many are bringing family members with them,” she said.
She said that tailored baju raya for women ranges from RM180 to RM350 depending on the complexity while prices for men are between RM120 and RM250.
“There’s been a slight increase compared to last year because material costs have gone up, but I’ve tried to keep things reasonable.
She explained that prices at Ainilili reflect both the rising cost of materials and her determination not to price herself out of reach.
“The rise has been noticeable, especially for fabric and accessories. I’ve had to adjust wages as well to make sure my team is paid fairly. It has affected my prices, but I’ve tried not to push them too high. I want my customers to still be able to afford it,” she said.
Zaharatul said that a custom outfit almost always wins on both price and fit when compared to ready-made premium brands, but the contrast might be less against a cheaper brand, except for the “way it sits on the body”.
“When you sew to someone’s measurements, it shows. That’s what people are paying for,” she added.
Nobi Salleh’s studio in Shah Alam is better known for wedding wear, but she also tailor makes Raya attire.
The founder of Nobi Salleh Bridal shared with Malay Mail that this year, the number of orders for new baju raya, especially matching sets for families, that she received surged at the last minute.
“I don’t know why, but this year everyone wants things last minute. My customers were overwhelmingly families, mothers ordering sedondon sets for children, mothers-in-law coordinating outfits across households,” Nobi said.
Sedondon is the trend of dressing the whole family in the same colour or fabric during festive occasions.
Nobi said that her prices start at RM180 for a modern baju kurung and between RM200 and RM250 for a baju Melayu.
She said her rates have remained unchanged since 2022, not because the costs have stayed the same but because she feels she cannot pass the increase on to customers.
“There’s nothing I can do about it, I have to absorb the costs myself. So on paper it looks like we’re bringing in more, but when you actually sit down and work it out, it doesn’t amount to much,” she added.
Nobi said she has also received a surge in the number of baju raya alterations, explaining that her customers weren’t just coming to her with one or two garments but stacks of them.
She said she would still accept these orders whenever she can, but makes sure to set clear expectations from the start.
“They came in with more than three pairs, sometimes. I think they suddenly realise they are visiting different houses over Eid and need different outfits for each one,” she said.
