The Nostalgia of Tailored Shirts

I grew up in a time and place when life was simple. Well, simpler than it is now. People were disciplined. Neighbors cared about each other. Early to bed and early to rise used to be the mantra. Corporations were far and few between. City and county fairs was a legitimate way to get families together. TV time was family time. Dinner used to be at the dining table with everyone sitting together. And yes, all clothes were tailored.

Twice a year, once in spring and once in fall, my brother and I would accompany our father to the tailor to get our shirts tailored for the season. It was a magical time. To me, it was one of the more exciting times of the year. Here is what the tailoring timeline looked like:

Saturday afternoon - Go to the local fabric shops and look for 100% cotton shirt fabrics. Most of the time, we would stick with solids or stripes and sometimes checks. It was a genuine pleasure for me to see my mom haggle to get a good price on the fabric.

Saturday evening - Head over to the tailor shop, run by two brothers, who knew everyone by their first name. It was a matter of pride for me personally every time I saw them be surprised about how much I have grown since the last time they made a shirt for me. That gave me something to look forward to for every visit. The master tailor would measure us as he caught up with my dad about local and current affairs. Once we were all measured up, they would give us a hand-written receipt with all the measurements on it and a pick up day and time. Cash only payment. No credit card was ever used.

Pick-up schedule - Depending on the number of shirts we were getting tailored, the tailoring time was anywhere between 3 to 7 days. I don’t recall ever waiting for more than 7 days. I still remember the excitement and anxiety during the drive over to the tailor shop to pick up the shirts. It was truly magical and I miss it.

At the time, I never thought that getting a tailored shirt made would become such a luxury one day, like it is now. I am glad to have had a childhood where I got to experience the joy of tailored clothing.

If you also had similar experiences, I would love to hear from you! After all, it’s great to be nostalgic sometimes. Right ?

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