They call him ‘Mr Fix It’
THERE is no one on this planet who could convince Hector Matthews that he is a part of a dying craft.
“It’s not dying out. It cannot die out, not to me,” the 51-year-old tailor, told the Jamaica Observer North & East at his shop in Mason Hall, St Mary, last week.
In fact, Matthews is known as ‘Mr Fix It’ by community members who often turn to him for alterations to their garments.
“When they buy the ready-made stuff they have to come right here to adjust it. So I find that it is even better off for me. You make more doing adjustments right ya now than to make. It’s much easier,” he explained, while making an adjustment to a hat for one of his customers.
He shared, however, that he has not turned his back on “loyal” customers who are “very peculiar” about their clothes.
“Dem come and make dem clothes same way. Dem very loyal so I never refuse a job from them. Mi willing fi build from scratch fi dem,” he said.
Matthews said he sees the most customers in the summer during the back-to-school period, and equally at Christmas when parties and other events are in full swing.
He started his profession two decades ago and has consistently earned a living since then, he shared.
“A 28 years me a do this. You have the big companies dem weh produce faster and most times cheaper, but that don’t stop me. Mi never go school; mi parents dem send me go learn trade. Mi never like it at first, but it is paying off now,” Matthews told Observer North & East.
He said to date it’s one of the best decisions he has ever made to “stick by the trade”.
“I would never work for anybody. It feels good working for myself. It work out, enuh. You have the competition but it work out,” he emphasised.
Matthews said in the same way he learnt the trade he is willing to teach others, though he admitted that younger people are not willing to “pick up the trade”.
“I am willing to, but it’s hard to convince a youth now fi turn to this. Dem nuh see this as quick money. Mi cyah fight dem fi a thinking like that, but mi nuh have nuh regrets,” the tailor said.
At the same time, customers at the shop heaped praises on the tailor who they say is “the best”.
“Dem ya man ya a top man. No more nuh deh deh like him, tek my word fi it. A the best we have,” a male customer said.
A woman who was there agreed, noting that he was the only one she trusts with her clothes.
“Him a di best, a nuh lie we a tell. Ask anybody,” she said.
