Here are 5 helpful tips that will aid you when using a tailor’s service and, at the same time, these tips pay homage to tailors as true professionals! Trust us when we say that this is a relationship you must invest in.
1. Have your clothing cleaned beforehand
No one wants to touch someone’s dirty and soiled clothing, especially a tailor who has his or her nose in your clothing while they sew. Kindly do your due diligence and wash the clothing you want tailored or have it laundered at a drycleaner before taking to the tailor. This is a huge deal to a tailor and you will be respected for it.
2. Give the tailor ample time to do the work
If you want quality work done on your clothing, understand that these things can take time. The more time you can give a tailor to alter your garment, the better. Depending on what needs to be done, this process can take one to two weeks to complete and you may have to have a second fitting to make sure your garment fits perfectly. No one wants to be rushed, but there are situations in which tailoring work can be done quickly (like my pant-ripping story); don’t make a habit out of rushing your tailor, though. Be patient.
3. Achieve the ultimate fit
A tailor can take your clothing and alter it to fit you the way that it is supposed to – just for you. If you have gained or lost weight, clothing can be tailored to fit your body at its current size. If your tailor is truly skilled, he or she can make clothing from a designed pattern to fit your body type and style preferences (also called a ‘custom process’). Also, with specific measurements a tailor can help you discover your true size. This can aid you when you are shopping for clothing at a retail store.
4. Take care of your tailor and your tailor will take care of you
Historically, tailors were never paid for their work. In fact, if you were having a bespoke suit made, it was very rare that you would go directly to a tailor. Instead, you were usually helped by someone called a ‘cutter’, who measured you and designed a pattern around those measurements. These patterns and measurements were then given to the tailor to be sewn. If you did pay a tailor for their work back in the day, they would say, “you’re worth your custom”, which is where we get the phrase ‘custom suit’ today.
It is apparent today that we pay tailors for their service and skill. However, do something a little over the top to let him or her know how much you appreciate them. This could be in the form of a tip, gift basket, hand written cards, or even a coffee. It’s gestures like these that go a long way. If you take care of your tailor, your tailor will take care of you!
5. Refer business to them
Tailoring is an art! And this art form is hard to come by these days. So the best way that you can support such a must-needed profession is to refer your friends, family, or whoever may be in need of tailoring to your favorite, trusted tailor. It is a huge help to keep your local tailor in business – you place value on him or her personally, as well as on the community as a whole by keeping a local (and vital) business functioning.
Written by Joshua Fairweather
Personal Clothier / Style Consultant
joshuafairweather@venturecover.com