What constitutes the value or 'Underground' Tailoring

[Costi]

Dear T4phage, I cannot presume to explain what happened in all countries of Eastern Europe, but I can tell the brief story of the tailors' trade in Romania after 1945 (it may well be generalized, though with slight variations, to many other Eastern-European countries).
Before the beginning of WWII there was a rich tailoring tradition and a flourishing trade. There were top cutters and tailors for the elite, as well as those serving the middle class.
After 1945, as you explained yourself, the communism brought the idea of egalitarianism, which implied that everyone was supposed to dress and look the same (idea exarcebated in China with Mao's tunic collar suit). The economy was down after the war, so the only practical way to dress millions of people was through the industry.
Starting with 1955-1960 privately-owned shops of all kinds were nationalized and their patrons, in the best of instances, became mere employees of the now state-owned businesses. Particularly for artisans (of all kinds) the cooperatist system was instituted, which meant that artisans were all equal members (shareholders) of the coop; therefore, the workers owned their own means of production - whatever tools and equipment each trade employed. We should not ignore the fact that tailors were a social cathegory belonging to the working class, even though they worked mostly for the artistocrats and the bourgeois (whom the communists did their best to destroy); therefore, as workers, they could not be blamed or punished - so the state had to find a system to give them a way to make a living.
The best of these artisans kept working for the newly rised communist elite. These hypocrits, although publicly proclaiming egalitarianism, were actually a privileged elite who now could finally afford living the lives of the wealthy people they had disowned and done away with. A few so-called "fashion houses" that were created kept the trade alive for those few who could afford it. Young apprentices were assigned to the old experienced artisans in the newly created coop system, who learned the trade and became master tailors in turn. Trade schools were also set up, in which the young (15 years old) who were not particuarly inclined towards more intellectual subjects could start learning the trade.
1989 with the fall of communism marked a new turnpoint, as the communist elite who had actually kept this trade alive for its own benefit, suddenly left the stage. Low-quality industrially-made clothing mostly from Arab countries and Asia (China, Turkey too) but also from western-European countries invaded the national market. The high inflation rate and the resulting poverty of the population kept people concentrated on more basic needs than bespoke clothing. The cooperatives practically went bankrupt because their managers had no idea how to react to the emerging market economy; most of them simply dissolved. The tailoring trade lost its clientelle, earnings decreased, no new apprentices took up tailoring. Trade schools disappeared.
The nouveau-riche turned to "brand" industrially-made clothing popular in western Europe rather than bespoke tailoring (firstly because they didn't know any better and secondly because, if if they did, the tailoring trade was too disorganized to offer the required quality).
The risk of total dissolution of the tailoring trade is actually much higher now, 17 years from the fall of communism, than it was 60 years ago when the communists came to power.

[TVD]

Costi's description fits post war Czechoslovakia fairly well. From my experience, until 1989, a larger proportion of the population used bespoke tailors than would have been the case in the Western world. This was because off the peg clothes were difficult to obtain and bespoke tailoring relatively affordable. However, the bespoke tailor was not competing on quality: fusing was commonplace, and barely a handstitch to be seen.

The most telling anecdote about the communist apparatchiks who frequented the tailoring co-operatives was the high ranking diplomat who had the pockets of his suits lined in plastic: in order to take caviar and smoked salmon home from diplomatic receptions.

After 1989, the co-operatives started falling apart. In Prague, rent rises extinguished them by 1992.

I know of three tailors there who started up their own businesses afterwards, two of them personally, and I respect both. One has been tailoring for me now for eight years, and his retired head cutter another eight before that. The other used to do some work for my father. Of the third I only know the shop window. The wares shown will prevent me ever venturing further.

What is encouraging that after an initial obsession with labels and brands, more and more customers emerge who value fit and craftsmanship. These are no longer the returning emigres, but successful local professionals. The quality has definitely gone up since 1989. The problem is that very few artisans remain, and prices today are not cheap, even by Western levels.

I hope the trade will regain a critical mass, but unless some young apprentices are found, it will be gone in twenty years. I need to order more suits, fast.