Gay Talese: Save the Tailors

Gay Talese, pioneer of journalism as we know it today, shares his affinity for tailored clothing. I have seen other bloggers post this video, but Gay's message here is very dear to me, as I do very much the same thing that he endorses in this video. I needed it on this site as well.

The emphasis in this video is not so much on bespoke clothing, but on stimulating the tailors' craft by using their wealth of skill and knowledge to personalize your existing wardrobe. The little details that Gay stresses in this video are what make tailors so important to the well-dressed man... especially to the man who wants his own personal style to shine through in his clothing.

In this video, Talese shares some of the personal touches he has had his tailors apply to his clothing, such as changing the color of the threads surrounding buttonholes on his jackets. I myself have had similar adjustments made to my own clothing prior to seeing this video, so I appreciate another man's love of the tailor's trade being made so mainstream.

It is true that tailors are a dying breed, which is saddening. "Alterationists" are a dime a dozen; the local dry cleaner can usually hem trousers or remove extra fabric from the seat of your pants. I prefer to have my work done by a tailor, one who could build me a custom suit or shirt if I asked him to. It is the tailor that transforms your garments not by hacking them up and sewing the seam, but by deconstructing the piece and lovingly recrafting it.

Save the tailors. Follow the Gay Talese "stimulus plan" to keep this wonderful species alive.

Until next time,
Cheers.
-Paul