The ubiquitous darzi has always been a Pakistani woman’s best friend and worst nightmare. A good darzi – the kind who gets the measurements and fit right and produces the clothes within a given timeframe – is worth his weight in gold, but is extremely hard to find. Women now have the option of buying ready to wear clothes a variety of brands, however unstitched fabric retains its charm because it allows women to design outfits according to their own needs and specifications.

Based on the understanding that there is a huge gap in the market for an efficient sewing service, two different companies are using a mix of technology and good sense to offer women an entirely new way to get their clothes stitched without leaving the comfort of their homes.

Darzi Express, established by MBA student, Muhammad Ahad earlier this year has a straightforward procedure. Customers call a hotline and book a pickup and the rider collects the unstitched fabric (there is also an option of sending a pre-stitched kameez along with the order for measurements). Once the order reaches Darzi Express, the production team calls the customer to collect any other specs and details (customers can also send designs and sketches via Whatsapp and Viber). Once this process is complete, Darzi Express stitches the clothes, checks them and posts the stitched outfit to the customer within 48 hours.

The service charges Rs 1,500 for a three-piece suit, Rs 1,000 for a single kameez and Rs 500 for a pair of pants, which Ahad says is “very competitive with the standard market rates.” Discounts are available for new customers and when there is a major lawn launch.

Darzi Express markets itself through Facebook with a series of videos which portray the trials that women face in dealing with a darzi. Characters like Aslam ‘Jhoota’ Darzi and Bechari Aleena play out fictional scenarios that many women have experienced with their darzis.

More recently the fashion retail store, Labels, has also launched a similar service called Stitch My Fabric. Unlike Darzi Express, however, the process at Stitch My Fabric can be completed online. Additionally both local and international customers can also buy unstitched fabric online from any of the major brands and have it delivered directly to Stitch My Fabric, making the process even more seamless and efficient.

Zahir Rahimtoola, CEO of Stitch My Fabric (and Labels) says that while the core target audience may be international customers who are looking for an easy way to get traditional outfits stitched and delivered to them, the idea is to “target as many women as possible.”

However, the service does not come cheap. Stitch My Fabric charges Rs 2,380 for a three-piece suit, Rs 1,914 for a shirt and pants and Rs 1,350 for a plain kameez and promises to deliver the clothes to the customers within three (local) to eight (international) days.