As the shock of the new year slowly settles in, and January fades into the regularity of February, I thought I’d reflect some on the greatest profession: Tailoring.
Some time ago I wrote a post on my personal blog (saccaggi.me) joking about how difficult it is to even define tailoring as a profession. I continue to describe tailoring as a service more than a product, and thus we’re here to do whatever stylish desires your heart can conceive ;)
If you’ve been following me for a while you know what a nightmare I’ve had finding employees skilled enough to deserve even the term sewer, let alone tailor. I’ve actually just decided to deal with the problem head-on and train my own people, as well as some additional peeps at Sinikiwe (though that’s a whole ‘nother story)
That aside; Last year we took a look at what our clients really wanted, and off-set that with what we’re able to offer a great service on: Alterations.
Not only is this service in very high demand, but it allows my two apprentices to work repetitively on simple jobs. Thus they gain valuable tailoring experience, while getting to understand the common construction processes for various garments.
And by uncanny coincidence this service is exactly inline with the sustainable vision of the business
Alterations, the most sustainable thing you can do
There’s no doubt that the fashion industry has an enormous role to play in reducing humanity’s impact on the environment. In this day and age many fashion brands are producing more ethically, organically, and environmentally conscious products. You can check out some killer sustainable fashion in the Shop.
But before you purchase a vegan leather bag made by monks, the most sustainable thing you can do is to make the clothes you already have last as long as possible. There are two parts to this which we’ve become intimately involved with here at The Green Tailor.
The first is to mend, patch, fix etc. your clothes before replacing them. Often small holes or broken zips can be easily patched or replaced, and if you’re wanting to get all philosophical about it there’s always the wabi sabi route.
The second is to alter your clothes to your personal style. The best example lately is gents having their old pants tapered to look more modern. So instead of tossing your baggy pants for a brand new sweat-shop produced pair, rather drop in on a Thursday and we’ll modernize them for you for a fraction of the cost ;)
We also very rarely cut excess seams when altering, meaning that you can change the style again when the fashion changes, all while keeping the same pair of pants, ie. saving the environment (PARTY!).
We took this pair of pants from a 42 to a 32 to see if it was possible. You can read more on that story here. You’re also always welcome to drop in for a coffee on a Thursday and we’ll see what we can do for you.
At the end of the day, a good tailor’s first offering is his honest and professional advice; what product or service would best suit your needs and budget, and where to find them. After that his most valuable offering is the quality of his workmanship in executing your desires; and to ensure all of this runs smoothly it’s all about offering a friendly and efficient service.
The Studio is at 625 Levinia Street, Garsfontein, and open every Thursday from 9am to 8pm. You can also subscribe to this blog by hitting the follow button, and join the monthly newsletter here for fashion scandal and exclusive designs.
The Green Tailor 