A Gentleman's Distress
Posted: Wed Oct 11, 2006 3:35 pm
My trips to my tailor are supposed to be enjoyable. Often, they’re the highlight of what are more often than not trying weeks keeping body, soul, and family together – plus making sure the kids have done their homework.
So, imagine my chagrin when this week I found myself with dueling tailors.
This requires some background. When I first moved to Toronto, I had a tailor make me a couple of jackets, with which I was generally happy, and then commissioned three suits. I paid a hefty deposit and shortly after the tailor became very ill. There was, of course, no business continuity plan in place. His cutter ran for work with another shop and there was no way of obtaining a refund. The shop was locked with the goods inside. After two months, I contacted the man’s son, and after a further four months of negotiation (six months invested) reached a settlement whereby I would be given the cloth (some of which had been cut) in lieu of the deposit money, so that I could have the suits finished elsewhere. The son had no cash to refund me and the father’s books were in total disarray.
The good news is the tailor I found to finish the suits has become a favourite – both for his skills and because he is generally a lovely person. All seemed right with the world. Then, about a year ago, I got a phone call from the old tailor telling me he’s back at work. His son had never communicated the agreement we’d reached and the tailor appeared under the impression that only a month or two has passed since he’d gotten sick, when in reality he’d been away a year. With my brightest smile, and best gentlemanly armor, I went to the man’s shop to explain the agreement. All that worked out well, but then he started trying to sell me on commissioning some new suits. After waiting a year to get a refund, I was reluctant and frankly quite relieved when two months later the shop closed for good and a For Lease sign went up. I thought the old man had at last decided to retire, and based on his physical condition when I saw him, I considered that a blessing.
So, imagine my horror when I went to my current tailor for a jacket fitting and my original tailor walks in the door (with his underage wife) and commences to argue with my now trusted current tailor about how the jacket should be fit. My current tailor did some job work (mostly pant making and pocket work) for tailor number 1, and was coming to check on the status of some work.
As if that wasn’t enough, my old tailor and his wife then start to aggressively try to sell me on coming to their new shop right in front of my current tailor. This pitch, of course, included assurances that they would do everything better and more “high end” than what I was getting. I found the whole exchange to be deplorably ill-mannered and am at a total loss for what to say to my dear friend and trusted provider of well-fit clothes.
So, imagine my chagrin when this week I found myself with dueling tailors.
This requires some background. When I first moved to Toronto, I had a tailor make me a couple of jackets, with which I was generally happy, and then commissioned three suits. I paid a hefty deposit and shortly after the tailor became very ill. There was, of course, no business continuity plan in place. His cutter ran for work with another shop and there was no way of obtaining a refund. The shop was locked with the goods inside. After two months, I contacted the man’s son, and after a further four months of negotiation (six months invested) reached a settlement whereby I would be given the cloth (some of which had been cut) in lieu of the deposit money, so that I could have the suits finished elsewhere. The son had no cash to refund me and the father’s books were in total disarray.
The good news is the tailor I found to finish the suits has become a favourite – both for his skills and because he is generally a lovely person. All seemed right with the world. Then, about a year ago, I got a phone call from the old tailor telling me he’s back at work. His son had never communicated the agreement we’d reached and the tailor appeared under the impression that only a month or two has passed since he’d gotten sick, when in reality he’d been away a year. With my brightest smile, and best gentlemanly armor, I went to the man’s shop to explain the agreement. All that worked out well, but then he started trying to sell me on commissioning some new suits. After waiting a year to get a refund, I was reluctant and frankly quite relieved when two months later the shop closed for good and a For Lease sign went up. I thought the old man had at last decided to retire, and based on his physical condition when I saw him, I considered that a blessing.
So, imagine my horror when I went to my current tailor for a jacket fitting and my original tailor walks in the door (with his underage wife) and commences to argue with my now trusted current tailor about how the jacket should be fit. My current tailor did some job work (mostly pant making and pocket work) for tailor number 1, and was coming to check on the status of some work.
As if that wasn’t enough, my old tailor and his wife then start to aggressively try to sell me on coming to their new shop right in front of my current tailor. This pitch, of course, included assurances that they would do everything better and more “high end” than what I was getting. I found the whole exchange to be deplorably ill-mannered and am at a total loss for what to say to my dear friend and trusted provider of well-fit clothes.
