A tailor-made relationship!

These days, you hear a lot about the “growth-chart”. The doctor measures the height and weight and tracks the Body Mass Index through the growing years. Going back in time, by about four decades, growth charts were non-existent. However, someone did track your growth spurts. It was your tailor!

Each family had its extended circle- a family doctor, a family priest and even a family tailor. You built the relationship with these caregivers over a period of time. It made the service personal.

The tailor greeted you with a big smile the moment you entered the shop. The shop was compact- shelves stacked with clothing material and filled with the aroma of fresh cloth. He had an amiable disposition with a pencil perched on his ear and a measuring tape hanging around the shoulder. The drill was familiar. Asking you to stand straight and tall, he measured you from top to toe. He made you extend your arms and part your feet. It tickled you to get so much attention and made you feel special. At the end of it, he peered into the notebook and gave a frank assessment- “You have become taller by 3 cm. You have also become a little fatter- by 2 cm!” He promised to have the dress ready very soon.

Personalized stitching took its own sweet time- 3 weeks to a month. From the sheepish grin with which the tailor greeted you, you knew the dress was not ready. Disappointment was inbuilt in the journey and made the final outcome fonder. He managed to wriggle away with a convoluted excuse each time, with the assurance that the next time, it would be ready! The excitement was in the wait, in the anticipation of the eventual fruition.

In the absence of social media, your window to the world and its sartorial tastes was limited. The tailor was the fashion-guru. Sometimes, he insisted on a “Bush shirt” and bell-bottom trousers. The following visit, the style had changed. “It is all pleated pants nowadays!” he announced with certainty. By Diwali, he had a different suggestion. “You go for a safari suit!” You blindly followed his instructions and seldom regretted.

Contrast this with today’s popular culture. You have lost track of the number of malls in the neighbourhood. Every mall is littered with branded, ready-made clothes of bewildering variety. When you emerge from the mall, you carry multiple bags with new shirts and trousers. Ready-made wear is like saying –“One size fits all”. You can flaunt the brand name on the shirt pocket, but cannot avoid the inevitable fitting problems. You quickly pick the new shirt from the aisle and pay at the counter. It is instant. Sometimes, waiting is worthwhile. It is like getting hundreds of “forwards” on social media today, but not one letter specially written for you. You miss your tailor and the bond that you shared with him.

Back then, there was no need for self-help books and counsellors to boost your self-image. The tailor donned that role effortlessly. As you emerged from the trial room in a brand new safari suit, the tailor’s eyes lit up. He was effusive, “You look like a hero! Amitabh Bachchan will have to find a new job!” and put his hand affectionately around the shoulder. You felt on top of the world!