Zumbach the Tailor was renowned for his fashionable suits. A man went to him to be fitted for a new suit.
After Zumbach altered the suit, the man stood in front of the mirror to check the fit. At first glance he noticed that the suit jacket's right arm sleeve was rather short, and too much of his wrist was showing.
"Say, Zumbach," the fellow noted, "this sleeve looks a little short. Would you please lengthen it?"
"The sleeve is not too short," replied the tailor. "Your arm is too long... Just pull your arm back a few inches and you will see that the sleeve fits perfectly." The man withdrew his arm a bit, and the sleeve was matched with his wrist. But this movement rumpled the upper portion of the jacket.
"Now the nape of the collar is several inches above my neck," he protested."
"There's nothing wrong with the collar," Zumbach insisted. "Your neck is too low. Lift the back of your neck and the jacket will fit well." The customer raised his neck a few inches, and sure enough the collar rounded it where it was supposed to. But now there was another problem: the bottom of the jacket rested high above his seat.
"Now my whole rear end is sticking out!" the man complained.
"No problem," Zumbach returned. "Just lift up your rear end so it fits under the jacket." Again the customer complied, which left his body in a very contorted posture. But Zumbach had convinced him that the problem was not with the suit, but him. So he paid the tailor for the suit and walked out of the shop in a most awkward position, struggling to keep all parts of the suit in their right places.
On the street he encountered two women walking in the opposite direction. After they passed, one woman turned to the other and commented, "That poor man is really crippled!"
"He sure is," the other replied. "But that suit looks fabulous on him."
Many of us repress our authentic selves when trying to fit into society. Although we might enjoy a semblance of acceptance, ultimately, we're being untrue and disrespectful to ourselves. So is your tailor altering the suit to fit your body or are you contorting your body to fit the tailor's suit?
Eugine Loh, 938Live, MediaCorp Pte Ltd
