The light drizzle didn't stop Fred Gibbons from dropping by the newspaper stand a few blocks from his shop. It was part of his morning routine so he and the owner, Jim, had become something close to friends. He would stop to skim through the day's papers before ending his visit with the fashion magazines.
It was always the women's section that held his attention. His eyes traced the lines of each outfit as he mentally adjusted hems, reshaped silhouette and corrected awkward fittings only he seemed to notice. The alterations existed only in his imaginations.
He carefully picked up the latest issue of Vogue. On the cover, actress Jennifer Lawrence stared stiffly into the camera, her mouth slightly parted. He frowned for the image was sharpened to the point of looking over-edited. Her beige blouse sat softly over red suit trousers but he knew, as an experienced tailor, that a fitted coffee-coloured pair would have made her eyes sparkle.
Still he imagined his father cringing at the thought of him designing a feminine style collection. What would the old man make of the shop if he suddenly rose from the grave?
Fred shook the thought away, pulled out his wallet and paid for the magazine. Jim smiled, took the money and wished him a good day.
As he eased the door of his shop open, there on the wall of the reception area was the photograph of his father. He stood tall beside an electric sewing machine, holding a bundle of silk material and a measuring tape draped around his neck as he beamed at the camera.
The man was proud of his work as a men's tailor but Fred hid his fascination for women's clothing from him because his father was snobbish like that.
Even after his death, he felt like something was holding him back—the desire to preserve his father's legacy and please his loyal customers. But business was dwindling and maybe it was time to let go of one man's dream and revive his own.
Three months later
“Have a good day, my friend,” Jim waved as Fred left his stand with another magazine neatly tucked under his arm.
The sight of his refurbished shop from across the street and customers going in and out made him smile. Business had grown so quickly that he had hired three additional tailors to expand into women's fashion.
Whether his father would have approved didn't matter anymore. He was proud of himself.
I hope you enjoyed reading this short piece. It's inspired by the Freewrite #dailyprompt phrase "feminine style".
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