LilyTailor: Reshaping the clothing industry for women | The Business Standard
Skip to main content
  • Latest
  • Economy
    • Banking
    • Stocks
    • Industry
    • Analysis
    • Bazaar
    • RMG
    • Corporates
    • Aviation
  • Videos
    • TBS Today
    • TBS Stories
    • TBS World
    • News of the day
    • TBS Programs
    • Podcast
    • Editor's Pick
  • World+Biz
  • Features
    • Panorama
    • The Big Picture
    • Pursuit
    • Habitat
    • Thoughts
    • Splash
    • Mode
    • Tech
    • Explorer
    • Brands
    • In Focus
    • Book Review
    • Earth
    • Food
    • Luxury
    • Wheels
  • More
    • Sports
    • TBS Graduates
    • Bangladesh
    • Supplement
    • Infograph
    • Archive
    • Gallery
    • Long Read
    • Interviews
    • Offbeat
    • Magazine
    • Climate Change
    • Health
    • Cartoons
  • বাংলা
The Business Standard

Friday
June 13, 2025

Sign In
Subscribe
  • Latest
  • Economy
    • Banking
    • Stocks
    • Industry
    • Analysis
    • Bazaar
    • RMG
    • Corporates
    • Aviation
  • Videos
    • TBS Today
    • TBS Stories
    • TBS World
    • News of the day
    • TBS Programs
    • Podcast
    • Editor's Pick
  • World+Biz
  • Features
    • Panorama
    • The Big Picture
    • Pursuit
    • Habitat
    • Thoughts
    • Splash
    • Mode
    • Tech
    • Explorer
    • Brands
    • In Focus
    • Book Review
    • Earth
    • Food
    • Luxury
    • Wheels
  • More
    • Sports
    • TBS Graduates
    • Bangladesh
    • Supplement
    • Infograph
    • Archive
    • Gallery
    • Long Read
    • Interviews
    • Offbeat
    • Magazine
    • Climate Change
    • Health
    • Cartoons
  • বাংলা
FRIDAY, JUNE 13, 2025
LilyTailor: Reshaping the clothing industry for women

Mode

Kaniz Supriya
17 October, 2021, 12:20 pm
Last modified: 18 October, 2021, 12:19 pm

Related News

  • Price wars grip China as deflation deepens, $30 for a luxury Coach bag?
  • Expelled from Columbia for cheating, funded millions for scaling it
  • Bangladesh’s startup ecosystem thriving with $1b raised so far: ICT secretary
  • BB to launch Tk900cr fund for startups: Governor Ahsan H Mansur at Investment Summit
  • Startup businesses allowed to invest $10,000 abroad

LilyTailor: Reshaping the clothing industry for women

LilyTailor is a digital platform where customers can avail tailoring services

Kaniz Supriya
17 October, 2021, 12:20 pm
Last modified: 18 October, 2021, 12:19 pm
Photo: Courtesy
Photo: Courtesy

The whole idea of custom-made clothes used to be a big no for fashion enthusiast Rafina Tabassum. She felt it was too much work and visiting the tailors was a hassle.   

"From buying fabrics to making the tailor understand my design, it always felt so off to me. LilyTailor has changed the entire concept of tailoring for me. Now, all I have to do is imagine the dress I want and the rest is handled by LilyTailor," Rafina informed us.   

LilyTailor, a vertical of Lily, has addressed the inconvenience and discomfort of women going to local tailors.   

The Business Standard Google News Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel

It is a digital platform where female customers can avail tailoring services. Customers can also buy ready-made dresses along with fabrics and clothing accessories.   

The tailoring industry in the country is highly male-dominated, and the service they provide is average. This is where LilyTailor stepped in and made the paradigm shift.  

Photo: Courtesy
Photo: Courtesy

How it works  

It enlists local tailors under a network and distributes their labour accordingly.   

One can book an appointment through Lily's Facebook page or website.  

Their designated female staff visit client's houses to take measurements and collect the fabrics. Clients can even provide fabrics if they want.   

The entire process is comfortable and hassle-free.  

Tajbia Karim, an associate professor of Bangladesh University of Professionals shared with us why she prefers LilyTailor over local tailors.  

"Being a working woman, it is tough for me to make time to visit tailors. LilyTailor has made my life easier," she said.  

"My other issue with local tailors was their service; they are quite unprofessional and very rarely deliver on time. Now I do not have to worry about these," she added.  

Founder of LilyTailor. Photo: Courtesy
Founder of LilyTailor. Photo: Courtesy

The beginning  

Syed Md Saifullah (Saif), an alumnus of Brac University, founded Lily in 2017. But back then, it was a ride sharing app. The tailoring services began in 2018.   

As a student, Saif worked as a part-timer in a digital marketing agency where his job was to handle customer queries on social media.   

His boss at that agency inspired him to become an entrepreneur and eventually he decided to work on customer services.  

LilyTailor aims to evolve as a unique women's clothing platform where consumers can avail any clothing-related product or service from its carefully selected partners.  

On the start-up's profits, Saif said, "There are a couple of revenue streams we have been working on. We are monitoring them closely for a smooth supply chain for all the parties involved."   

Photo: Courtesy
Photo: Courtesy

The partners  

LilyTailor's partners – local tailors, small manufacturers, small and medium-sized merchants and micro fashion entrepreneurs – are what make the brand.   

These often suffer due to many infrastructure-related setbacks. On top of that, the Covid-19 pandemic caused massive damage to the businesses.  

Moreover, the majority of them do not have access to formal financial resources, which makes it even more difficult for them to survive and grow.  

The owner of 'Choyonika Tailor' located at Mirpur-10, Jahangir Alam shared his experience with LilyTailor with The Business Standard.   

"My tailoring business suffered a lot during the pandemic, and because of LilyTailor, I have been able to recover from the loss," he said.   

"Along with regular local orders, I receive additional orders, which brings in extra money," he added.  

Photo: Courtesy
Photo: Courtesy

Future plans  

"Being an early-stage start-up, we are doing everything we can to support local tailors and small businesses. But in the long run, we need to form meaningful partnerships with other credible organisations," Saif said.    

He explained that they are actively discussing partnerships with relevant companies who will provide easy and collateral-free access to finance for the local shops.   

"We want to build a thriving ecosystem of clothing businesses and involve more female entrepreneurs," he said.    

Managing LilyTailor while travelling between Bangladesh and Canada is not easy for Saif, but the young entrepreneur wants his work to create a positive impact on people's minds.   

Features / Top News

LilyTailor / Startup / online tailor / Fashion

Comments

While most comments will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive, moderation decisions are subjective. Published comments are readers’ own views and The Business Standard does not endorse any of the readers’ comments.

Top Stories

  • Taskeen Ahmed, DCCI president. Illustration: TBS
    'Will boost business confidence': DCCI welcomes agreement between Yunus-Tarique on election
  • Sketches: TBS
    How an escalating Iran-Israel conflict could impact Bangladesh
  • News of The Day, 13 JUNE 2025
    News of The Day, 13 JUNE 2025

MOST VIEWED

  • Wreckage of a Boeing 787 Dreamliner showing part of its registration "VT-ANB" in Ahmedabad, India, June 12, 2025. REUTERS/Amit Dave
    Air India Dreamliner crashes into Ahmedabad college hostel, kills over 290
  • File Photo of Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus: UNB
    Prof Yunus to receive Harmony Award from King Charles today
  • Energy adviser Fouzul Kabir Khan with other government officials during a visit to Sylhet gas field on 13 June 2025. Photo: TBS
    I would disconnect gas supply to every home in Dhaka if I could: Energy adviser
  • Bangladesh Bank Governor Ahsan H Mansur. TBS Sketch
    Bangladesh mulls settlements with tycoons over offshore wealth: BB governor tells FT
  • UCB declares no dividend for 2024 to comply with regulatory requirement
    UCB declares no dividend for 2024 to comply with regulatory requirement
  • UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus
    Disclosure of unconfirmed Yunus-Starmer meeting shows ‘diplomatic imprudence’: Analysts

Related News

  • Price wars grip China as deflation deepens, $30 for a luxury Coach bag?
  • Expelled from Columbia for cheating, funded millions for scaling it
  • Bangladesh’s startup ecosystem thriving with $1b raised so far: ICT secretary
  • BB to launch Tk900cr fund for startups: Governor Ahsan H Mansur at Investment Summit
  • Startup businesses allowed to invest $10,000 abroad

Features

Photos: Collected

Kurtis that make a great office wear

4h | Mode
Among pet birds in the country, lovebirds are the most common, and they are also the most numerous in the haat. Photo: Junayet Rashel

Where feathers meet fortune: How a small pigeon stall became Dhaka’s premiere bird market

2d | Panorama
Illustration: Duniya Jahan/ TBS

Forget Katy Perry, here’s Bangladesh’s Ruthba Yasmin shooting for the moon

3d | Features
File photo of Eid holidaymakers returning to the capital from their country homes/Rajib Dhar

Dhaka: The city we never want to return to, but always do

4d | Features

More Videos from TBS

Iran-Israel military power; who is ahead?

Iran-Israel military power; who is ahead?

32m | TBS World
Did the possibility of an Iran nuclear deal set back after the attack?

Did the possibility of an Iran nuclear deal set back after the attack?

2h | TBS World
IRGC chief Major General Hossein Salami killed in Israeli strike

IRGC chief Major General Hossein Salami killed in Israeli strike

3h | TBS World
'Historic' meeting between Yunus and Tarique underway in London

'Historic' meeting between Yunus and Tarique underway in London

6h | TBS Today
EMAIL US
contact@tbsnews.net
FOLLOW US
WHATSAPP
+880 1847416158
The Business Standard
  • About Us
  • Contact us
  • Sitemap
  • Advertisement
  • Privacy Policy
  • Comment Policy
Copyright © 2025
The Business Standard All rights reserved
Technical Partner: RSI Lab

Contact Us

The Business Standard

Main Office -4/A, Eskaton Garden, Dhaka- 1000

Phone: +8801847 416158 - 59

Send Opinion articles to - oped.tbs@gmail.com

For advertisement- sales@tbsnews.net