Tony the Tailor is one of the few old-school shopfronts remaining on increasingly gentrified Smith Street. The signage is chipped, the windows are dusty and overall it presents an indifferent attitude to the hipsters.
When RM‘s pants needed mending, it was an opportune time to support a local long-standing business. I thought that despite the dingy exterior, the business must have survived for a good reason.
Sadly, Tony the Tailor was a disappointment. When I first entered, Tony was extremely crotchety. It may have been his bad back giving him trouble, but I was a bit put off by his cranky attitude, like I was disturbing him from his important work (he appears to make police uniforms) and when I tried to pin down a pickup time, he just told me that I should just come by and they might be ready. Secondly, all that was needed was a sewn patch. When I came to retrieve the trousers a few days later, I was told the week after. Then again, the week after that. Tony’s attitude didn’t improve over the three weeks, and when the pants were finally ready to pickup, he handed the garment to me with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth.
I don’t care if the repair only cost $25, and I should support a one-man band running his own business. I just don’t want to wait three weeks for a simple repair, nor do I want my clothes polluted with cigarette smoke. I’m going elsewhere next time.
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