The typewriter clicked away… Click-click, click-click-click… The project was up and running, and his first document was already on its way.
He wasn’t a quick writer. Not by far. Every word he wrote was taped with caution while he continuously worried about misspellings and ununderstandable terms. To be a self-employed tailor for 30 years, didn’t necessarily make you a good writer! But he needed to do this – he felt it was important.
As the hours went by, he tried to elaborate on that very first note he had written the other day. The first installment in that list was ‘Making’. Another, further down, was ‘Type Of Garments’. “If I start with these two easier ones, maybe the rest will come more naturally…?” That was what he hoped for, and that was, what he was trying to accomplish.
“I rather get some main areas written down first…” He had already made a list of type of garments he produced for customers, at least those that came into mind – the most distinct and recent ones. And now he was working on the more complex area of the whole tailoring experience – the actual making.
“But, with the vast possibilities in ways of making a garment… How do I know which combination that will be the most resourceful one to choose?” This was such a classic question within the tailoring community. The everlasting search for the most true of tailoring methods. How to do it correct! And even after the recent large addition of many external self-acclaimed bespoke experts, that had been thrown into the mix – criticising every stitch made and every garment cut, but from a customer’s perspective – things had not become any less complicated.
The problem with all of this was of course that bespoke garments were ment to be extremely personal, and individually made, catering to a certain specific person’s needs, both work-wise and privately, even including deeply personal movement and wear behaviour. And that ment of course, that everybody had their very own different ideas on what a correct garment for them should be! Even hailing their own or others opinions, as bonafide truths.
Frome a tailor’s point of view, on the other hand, it was more of a standardization thing. How could you differ a hidden good quality inner structure from a lesser one? By setting some standards of course. But how could you then explain these standards – very complex routines and choises – for someone who’s not knowing anything about it? Most likely by simplifying it.
And there it was. A power struggle between overly simplified descriptions (of technique and routine), and an ever changing opinion crowd – of some even not being customers, just mere opinion-makers. A certain segment wanted it stiff and neat, others wanted it soft and casual. And even some, just wanted to stay in the process not ending with a finished garment at all.
“I think I maybe just have to trust my own knowledge and experience in this area, and present just that, flat out.” he thought for himself. “And then add my own inner criticism!” He laughed. Well, that was the easiest part of it all! He had lots of that – inner struggling criticism. “So there it is!” he decided. And then continued his writing.