By Zena Henry

HOW easy life has gotten since the emergence of technology and the creation of machines! In fact, life has gotten so easy that it is simply erasing traditional and even cultural ways of doing things. At least, that is what some remaining tailors believe is happening to their trade.

It is widely accepted that life has improved since the rise of technology; but for some, it means having to “get with the times”, even if that means the dissolution of something that they once loved.
Sixty four-year-old Michael Graham, or “Punt Man”, as his friends call him, got into the tailoring profession a bit late in life, but enjoyed the trade that kept him fed for more than 20 years.
With no professional or personal skills to talk about, but surrounded by at least five “tailor friends” within his West Ruimveldt community alone, Graham said it was almost inevitable that he, too, would become a tailor.
It was his friend, George Carter, or “Georgie” who now lives abroad, who taught him to sew. But he would go one better and master the art of producing menswear, particularly dress pants.

He distinctly remembers he and another tailor, whose call-name was “Bing”, taking over from ‘Georgie’ when he left the trade. Those were the good old days, Graham recalled, since most people like to have their clothing custom-made, particularly around Christmastime and September month when the new school year usually begins.
“People never used to buy ready-made blinds; dem used to sew,” he said. “And when is school time, is nuff wuk yuh getting fuh mek uniform.”
Those were the days, he said, when he sewed for the likes of former Town Clerk, Carol Sooba’s bodyguard, Shawn Hinds; football coach, Lennox Arthur; and former magistrate, Gordon Gilhuys.
Sadly, those days are long gone; for ‘small-fry’ like Graham, the increasing availability of ready-made clothing on the market soon started to take a serious toll on their trade. “All we did getting was one-one wuk; people wanting a lil tek-in-waist and small repairs.”
Eventually, he said, work stopped coming in altogether, and he went out of business.

REACHED HIS LIMIT
Seventy-eight-year-old Julian Fowler, who operates on Russell Street, says he doesn’t see himself lasting too much longer in the field. And it’s not because of his age, mind you! Just that he’s now become what he calls “an alteration tailor”.
Explaining what he meant, Fowler said, “All people want is mek changes to dem clothes. And it ain’t worth it.”
All he’s basically doing these days is working to eat, he said, adding:
“Tailoring dead, yes! People ain’t really need we no more; not when dem can go and get it ready-made in de store.”
Fowlers’ longtime friend, Cecil who frequents his tailor shop, concurred that tailoring is nothing like it used to be.
“I remember dem days wid Agard, Mohamed, de Chin Brothers and dem boys; dem used to sew fuh Burnham and dem men,” he said, adding that young people today wouldn’t know about stores like Bettencourt’s, which imported only quality material from places like England and Italy and so on. “That’s why people used to like mek dem clothes,” he said.
People delight in telling him that he’s gotten too old for the job, he said, but nothing could be further from the truth. “What they don’t know is we have all the skills; is just that dem young people ain’t want learn this wuk.”
Alas! Most of the recognised tailors of his time, he said, are either dead, retired or live aboard.

A YOUNGER BREED
At 45, Sherwayne Scarce, whose tailor shop is located a building away from the corner of Camp and D’Urban Streets, is a younger breed in the tailoring business; and he does not want to see it end anytime soon. Self-taught, he’s been in the business 22 years now.
These days, however, revenue is not like it used to be. For one thing, tailoring has moved to a place where alterations is what’s keeping the trade alive. And although he does not make as much as before, it’s enough for him to get by on.
In a “dying trade”, Scarce prides himself on the quality of work he produces. He said while the alterations to clothing pays, he also welcomes the special occasions, such as weddings, where he would be asked to sew the attire of the central ceremony.
O’Neal Innis, one of Scarce’s customers, said tailoring will never die. “As long as there are people like me who appreciate that special touch on their clothing, it won’t die,” he said.
Innis, who looks fairly young himself, said there are the professionals and ordinary persons who still want custom-made items. “I know a friend who lives overseas, but he does still come home to Guyana to have his clothes made by his tailor.”
Scarce said it’s hard to encourage young people to learn tailoring, because they are not interested. “This is a hard trade; it takes patience and practise,” he explained. Scarce does not plan to be a tailor for the rest of his life, though. He believes he has at least 10 more years before he branches off into some other investment.

‘JAKEY’S’
Leslie Jacob’s place, Jakey’s Tailoring Establishment, is one of the more successful stories. His business, at the corner of Norton and Camp Streets, has been around since 1968. The recipient of a National Award at the recently held 50th Anniversary Celebrations is a more than 50- year veteran who has sewn for some of the most renowned professionals in the county. He said that of the eight Guyanese presidents, he has sewn for six of them, including the incumbent, President David Granger.
Jacobs’ establishment is an ideal description of what was said about that special touch that is customer-made items. The 70-year-old has not only managed to stay relevant in a trade he says is dying worldwide, but his establishment can easily fit into any urban society, given the modern touch he has added.
Jacobs says that it’s not just technology that’s killing the trade, with cheap clothing through mass production, but it’s also the reluctance of young people to make the sacrifice to learn the trade. “They don’t want to make the sacrifice,” ‘Jakey’ said, adding: “Nowadays, they are being taught about fast money.”
Back in the day, he said, young people could have learned such trades as tailoring in the National Service, and later work in shops like his for a stipend until they would have improved. “But this is no longer the case; and many of the youths are not finding a way out.”
As he advances in age, ‘Jakey’ says his family would love to see him retire and join them overseas, but he is still unsure as to when he will be hanging up his tailoring tape. He owes his continued recognition in the field of tailoring to his experience, consistency and timely delivery of the product.