A Tale of Two Tailors

[C.Lee]

The first is a Sicilian, with over 65 years of experience under his belt. He learned from a great Master, one who involved him in fittings and showed him all aspects of the trade. From his start in Sicily, he went on to Milano, then North America. As the years ticked away, the number of clients decreased, as did the clients' level of discernment. Quality made way for value, elegance for comfort. Hand-made suits increasingly had more machine work, cloth for the seasons became three-season cloth, armholes got deeper, all semblance of drape and shape taken in,... The quality of his work no longer bore any resemblance to what he produced in Milan. Despite this, his cut was distinctive, and fellow Milanese expats in his adopted home would recognize his work.

Today, the tailor hand makes benchmade garments for a handful of clients. "To pass the time," he describes. His bench is humble, but that is all that he needs. His hands remain soft and skilled, though his eyes give him grief at times. Time has tempered his fire to what can be best described as an inferno: wine flies when this man speaks. The will to improve and learn remains strong, as are the memories of his life lived. His stories of Milan are told in high definition. A visit with him at his home and workshop is one of life's great experiences for this admirer. I remain baffled by what one man can make out of shears, needle, thimble, thread and iron.

The second is Hong Kong Chinese, with 53 years of experience. He started in Hong Kong as a trouser maker, and moved around the shop through the years to learn other areas of the trade. He made for "professional dressers" back then, elegant men who knew to dress. They disappeared over the years, and now in North America, he only has but a few "professional" clients, and even they come mainly for alterations. His relative youth requires him to continue his trade, and his time as a one-man operation is consumed with doing alterations for a public who is unaware of the dragon within.

A pity, if you ask me, as the man can cut and fit. His first pair of trousers for me achieved in one fitting what my Sicilian tailor took five pairs to achieve. Not to be outdone by his trousers, his first coat was glued to the neck from the first fitting onwards. That execution can not be taken lightly. Sadly, his make is stiff and padded, a result of the accumulated dust from an unknowing clientele. If only more customers would challenge him, and awaken the dragon...

His stories too are an education, as is watching him work. Having to make a living brings about an economy in a man. His feet are sore from seeing customers, and his hands hurt him - never a good sign - but he continues on, and the twinkle in his eye is his node to the few clients left who know.

I am truly humbled that I have come to know these two men. What we have shared together in our common home both sides will remember.

Regards.

[davidhuh]

Dear C.Lee,

there is always a human being behind the shears. Thank you for sharing this.

Cheers, David

[Rob O]

Thank you C Lee. Great sketch of two unsung and under-appreciated proponents of this fine art. I hope their talent is exploited better in future.