How to Build a Blouse Stitching Rate List That Covers Your Costs

Overview

A blouse price should cover labour + materials + finishing + design work + overheads + profit. Labour is the master’s or karigar’s pay for that blouse. Materials are lining, padding or cups, hooks, dori, latkans and thread. Finishing includes things like piping and, for sarees, fall-pico. Design work means embroidery, handwork, patchwork or a complex back. Add a fair share of rent, electricity and your own time, then your margin. Rates vary a lot from city to city, so build your list from your own costs.

Step 1: Know your labour cost per blouse

Labour is usually the biggest cost.

• If your karigar is on piece rate, you already know it: the rate you pay per simple blouse, per lined blouse, per princess-cut blouse, and so on.
• If your karigar is on monthly salary, divide the monthly pay by the number of blouses of that type a karigar finishes in a normal month. If a karigar earns ₹15,000 a month and finishes about 60 simple blouses, labour is about ₹250 per simple blouse. Use your own numbers.
• If you stitch yourself, still put a value on your time. Your hours are not free, and one day you will want to hire help.

For cutting, a master may cut and a karigar may stitch. Count both.

Step 2: Add materials and finishing

List what goes into each type of blouse:

• Lining (cotton, satin or other), measured in metres
• Padding or cups
• Hooks, zips, dori, tassels and latkans
• Thread, interlining and canvas
• Piping, lace or borders when the boutique supplies them

Price these at what you actually pay, including the trip to the market. Small items add up quickly.

For saree work, fall-pico (attaching the fall and finishing the saree edge with picot) is usually listed separately, since many clients bring a saree for the blouse and fall-pico together.

Step 3: Price design work separately

Design work varies so much that one fixed price rarely works. Common approaches:

• A base price for the cut (for example princess cut, katori, boat neck), plus add-ons.
• A separate charge for back designs, dori work or cut-outs.
• Embroidery and handwork priced by area, by the karigar’s hours, or by the outside job worker’s quote plus your margin.

If you send embroidery to an outside job worker, add their charge, the travel or courier cost and your time to manage it.

Step 4: Add overheads and profit

Overheads are the costs you pay even if no blouse is stitched today: rent, electricity, machine repairs, staff tea, phone and internet, software, packaging. Add them up for a month and divide by the number of garments you usually stitch in a month. That is the overhead share each garment must carry.

Then add your profit. Without profit, there is no money to grow, to pay yourself fairly, or to survive a slow month after the wedding season.

Simple formula:

Price = labour + materials + finishing + design work + overhead share + profit

Indicative price ranges by blouse type

These ranges are only a rough picture of what boutiques in many Indian towns and cities seem to charge for stitching only (fabric supplied by the client). They are not survey data. Metro designer studios can charge much more, and small-town tailors may charge less. Use them only to sense-check your own numbers.

The finish matters as much as the type. A neat, well-fitted blouse delivered on time is worth more than a cheap one that needs three alterations.

Step 5: Write the rate list

A good rate list is short, clear and easy to read on a phone. Include:

1. Base prices by blouse type, with and without lining.
2. Add-ons: padding, sleeves, piping, latkans, dori, back design, zip.
3. Finishing: fall-pico and saree edge work.
4. Urgent charges, for example delivery in less than your usual days.
5. Alteration charges for garments not stitched by you.
6. Advance policy and payment modes accepted.
7. Normal delivery time, and a note that wedding season takes longer.
8. GST note, if you are registered. See our guide to GST for boutiques and tailors.

Keep prices as “starting from” for design work, and give a final quote after seeing the design.

Step 6: Share it the right way

• Save the rate list as an image or PDF and send it on WhatsApp when a client asks for prices.
• Pin it on your Instagram highlights.
• Print one copy for the counter.
• Update the date on it, so old copies do not cause arguments.

Common pricing mistakes

• Copying a neighbour’s rates without knowing your own costs.
• Forgetting lining, hooks and padding in the price.
• Giving free urgent stitching during the Diwali rush.
• Not charging for alterations on outside garments.
• Raising prices suddenly in the middle of the wedding season without telling regular clients.

Turn the rate list into bills

Once your rate list is fixed, use it consistently on every bill. In VogueDesk you can record the advance at booking and carry it onto the final invoice, add GST when you are registered, and share the invoice link with the client. GST invoicing is part of the Boutique plan and above; details are on the pricing page.

If labour is your biggest cost, our guide on managing karigars explains piece rate versus salary in more detail.