Rabbi Wendy offered this in a recent e-mail,
Gram always said, “There is no such thing as ready-to-wear; there is only ready-to-alter.” She grew up in a family of seamstresses and milliners, teaching me that we all think, mistakenly, that we should be able to take a garment off the rack and that it will fit perfectly. Not true! Tops and jackets must fit in the shoulders – bust, waist, hem, and sleeve length can be altered. Pants should fit in the rise and around hips. Length and waist can be altered. There is nothing wrong with our bodies; there ARE things wrong with the clothes.
Right ON, Gram!! And thanks, Wendy, for sharing Gram’s smarts with us.
One of the most amazing things I discovered was the local tailor. I had no idea.
First of all, she’s a wonderful person, a small Greek lady named Elena who will say, “I am liking you in this” (or “I no liking you in this”) as she pins and tucks. She works out of a little hole in the wall with Greek icons everywhere and photos of people in prom dresses and wedding dresses she altered. She knows everyone in town and greets everyone by name when they walk in the door. It’s just a great experience.
But mostly I had no idea this was even possible to get. I didn’t know this service was out there. A friend of mine told me about finding a tailor after she lost a lot of weight and needed to have clothes resized. She found Elena through Yelp–and it is astonishing what happens when you type in “alterations.” Who knew? And why didn’t anyone tell me?! I’ve wasted 40 years of my life on ill-fitting clothes! But no more.
I’ve learned which manufacturer’s sizes fit better than others. I, too, am blessed with two seamstresses in the congregation. And boy, do they notice when something needs to be altered…they are both a Godsend.
God bless the queens (and kings) of needles and pins!