Being a tailor was my childhood dream, and as some dreams morph into nightmares the past decade has been a mixed bag. Turning my hobby into my career has had some amazing advantages, but it has not been without drawbacks. I miss the free creative energy with which I used to experience sewing. Although going professional has forced me to level up my craftsmanship far beyond what I would have achieved as a hobbyist, today I think far more in terms of budgets, timeframes and deadlines, and far less in terms of enjoyment.
Lesson Number One
There are good and bad aspects to everything in life, it’s your choice of focus and your opinions that make then enjoyable or not. With time and practice you will learn to automatically focus on the positive aspects and enjoy even the frustrating parts of your life. But the first thing to accept is that it’s always a mixed bag, with nothing ever being entirely good or entirely bad.
My favourite aspect of tailoring is the interesting people I meet through our services. From ambassadors to children, businessmen to retirees and everyone inbetween. I am always excited to meet new people and learn about their lives. To offer them our simple service as tailors, which has such a huge impact on their lives as they move through their day.
Lesson Number Two
No-one who is willing to be entirely honest, can be completely boring. Everyone has a story, has a talent, and has a rich life that they’re deeply invested in. Everyone has a value that they bring to the world, and often this is where they seek out our services; they want to communicate more clearly, easily and accurately about who they are and what is important to them.
In addition to what you say, your vocabulary, actions, deportment and (obviously) clothing, say so much about who you are and what you value. How you communicate is a package that must be understood as a whole, which can actually be less than the sum of its parts. Let me explain;
Lesson Number Three
You couldn’t list the various ways in which people communicate even if you tried. Suffice to say it’s subtle, varied, continuous and infinite. Even while you sleep the house you live in and the pajamas you wear are sending out messages, if only to your own subconscious mind about the person you are. Whatever message you’re wanting to communicate, everything about you is taking part in that broadcast. You might unfortunately find that what you say, and what you wear; what you want, and how to act, are not all aligned, not all saying the same thing, and the cacophony of unintelligible gibberish can leave you and others confused.
Style is an easy way to bring harmony to your life, ensuring that how you look corresponds with who you are and what you value. Men have an added layer of complexity when it comes to fashion: conformity. Men fight a constant battle between fitting in and standing out. In some ways it’s a relief to know our style choices have already been made for us, and that less is expected of us in terms of fashion. But within these strictures of society you must find a way to express your uniqueness, only then will the whole be greater than the sum of its parts, and this is the true magic of fashion.
Lesson Number Four
Communication, over and over again, communication! Looking back over these blogs (I’ve written one every year since the business began) I see this is my most recurring theme for 12 year! It is the number one skill I see in all successful people, and not just financially successful. I often discuss relationships, goals and dreams, politics and religion with my clients, and ask them to share with me their secrets of success. And it always, in one form or another, boils down to communication.
A big lesson for me last year was my communication with my staff. I’m honestly shocked that I only just started communicating the time budget of each job. I constantly told people they needed to work faster, but never put it into the finite terms of ‘this job should take one hour’.
Lesson Number Five
Business is its own skill, and the better you get at it the better creative decisions you’ll make. Parting ways with Charles, bringing in Alba and the new standards that I now enforce has opened up a lot of mental space for me, and I’ve been thinking more creatively about the business. I’ve started offering tailoring lessons, recording a YouTube channel, and growing a Patreon following, all of which is opening up more mental space for me to be creative.
Can it be that the business is finally growing (something I’ve thought every year for 12 years only to still be potting around with one single employee?) No matter, I’m still here, and still making fashion, which is really the greatest blessing and privilege!
Thank you to everyone who has supported me over the years, my clients who have forced me to grow, my friends who have stood by me, and my family who has never given up on me! I wouldn’t wish this journey on anyone, but I would also not choose to avoid the growth this road has brought me.
You can follow our fashionably sustainable journey on Patreon, Youtube and Instagram, and see my previous yearly meditations on business and fashion here.
The Green Tailor 
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