In this line of work, there’s one moment in the year that I can honestly say I love more than any other.
It’s when a young man about to celebrate Coming of Age Day (the ceremony held each January for those turning 20) comes into the shop with his mum and dad, sometimes his grandparents too, and the whole family chatters away together while they decide on his suit.
Let’s be honest, 20-year-old lads hardly say a word to their parents, do they? (Ha.) At home it’s “Food,” “Yeah,” “Whatever,” and not much else. They’re at that age where they’re a bit rebellious, or just embarrassed enough to keep their distance.
Most of the families who come to us have never had a suit made to measure before. I take my time walking them through how to choose a cloth and how the tailoring works, and while the parents usually have plenty to say at first, sooner or later they always smile and tell me the same thing:
“Well, in the end, we just want him to wear whatever he likes best.”
I understand that feeling all too well. So I take the parents’ wishes to heart, and then I sit down with the young man one to one and we talk frankly. “On the day, what kind of man do you really want people to see?”
And then the lad who barely said a word in front of his parents starts asking, “Mum, is this too loud?” and “Dad, which button do you think is better, this one or that one?” He turns to them with a smile they haven’t seen in years, and they start planning it together, having a brilliant time.
Just watching that scene is enough to make my heart full.
The young man who brought in his grandfather’s suit
There’s one customer I’ll never forget. A young man came into the shop carrying a suit with great care and said, “I want to wear the suit my grandfather used to wear to my coming-of-age ceremony.”
When he showed it to me, it was a genuinely superb piece from another era, in both the cloth and the tailoring. But the times were different, and so was the body. The size of the shoulder pads, the length of the jacket, the waist and the thighs… His build simply didn’t match his grandfather’s, and altering it to fit a 20-year-old today would have cost as much as buying a brand-new suit.
Most shops would probably say, “The proportions are completely different, and altering it will cost a fortune, so it can’t really be done. You’d be better off buying new,” and that would be the end of it.
But when you know how grateful he is to his grandfather, and how much he wants to wear that suit on his big day, how could I say something so cold?
So I made him and his family a suggestion.
“Let’s not force your grandfather’s suit into a new shape. Instead, let’s tailor a new suit that fits your body perfectly, and carry on ‘your grandfather’s buttons’ by moving them onto it.”
The suit had been put away for many years, and some of the buttons had cracked with age, so we couldn’t use them everywhere. But the beautiful buttons that had survived intact, I sewed on with great care as the cuff buttons of his newly tailored jacket.
On the day, he set off for the ceremony in a brand-new suit that fitted him like a glove, with his grandfather’s warmth right there at his wrists. Tailoring isn’t only about fixing things. Passing on what a family holds dear is what making clothes is really about. That was a moment when I was the one being taught.
If you’re unsure, parents are welcome to come and talk to me first
Every year, as the coming-of-age season approaches, I get plenty of calls and messages from parents asking things like, “I’d like my son to wear a suit for the ceremony. What sort of options are there?” or “We don’t have much of a budget. Could you still advise us?”
If you’re a parent who isn’t sure yet, please don’t hold back. You’re very welcome to come and talk to me, even on your own.
Prices, how the process works, the schedule leading up to the ceremony: I’ll tell you everything openly and honestly. And if, after we’ve talked, you feel it doesn’t quite fit your budget, it’s absolutely fine to go to another shop!
What matters most is that the family feels happy with the choice and can celebrate their son’s new start with a light heart. So think of it as just having a look, relax, and come in for a chat.
At the photo shoot, I drag the parents into the picture too (laughs)
For customers who have their coming-of-age suit made at L’ECRIN, we offer a professional photo session package (for an extra fee), and there’s one thing I always make a point of doing.
“Mum, Dad! Don’t just stand there. Get in the photo, even if I have to drag you!”
Yes, I pull the parents in front of the camera (laughs).
At first they’re shy and wave me off: “Oh no, not me! This is for our son!” But think about it for a moment.
Once your child is grown up, the chances to take a proper family photo together are few and far between. After this, there may only be his wedding.
Years, even decades from now, you’ll open the album and see it: your strong, grown-up son looking sharp in a proper suit, and beside him his parents, a little embarrassed but smiling with pride.
When I hand over the finished photos, the parents are always so happy, and some of them get a bit teary. Seeing those smiles, I think from the bottom of my heart, “I’m so glad I do this job.”
You only turn 20 once. Come and make memories as a family
Coming of age is, of course, a special day for the young man himself, but it’s also a celebration for the whole family, a chance to give shape to twenty years of love.
The “congratulations” and “thank you” that usually feel too awkward to say can be shared through a single suit. Why not spend that kind of warm time with us here, in our small shop in Sasa, Nagasaki?
I look forward to welcoming your whole family.
More on coming-of-age suits
An Expensive Suit Isn’t Automatically a Good One: Where to Buy Shirts and Shoes, and a Tailor’s Honest Guide to Budgeting for Coming of Age Day
Is December Too Late? Why Coming-of-Age Suit Orders Close in Mid-November, and a Smart Schedule for Students Living Away from Home
Coming of Age Is Your Debut as an Adult: The One Rule for Looking Sharp, and Why It Starts with Your Shoes
A suit made to your measurements
Sleeves, trouser hem, jacket length, shoulders and arms are all cut to your own body, not a size chart. Fittings are by appointment only. Tell us the dates you are in Japan and we will propose a time.
