Work In Progress

Can you tell us a bit more about what you do for work?
I actually just resigned from my banking job because I’m planning to jump into tailoring. I really enjoy tailoring, and I’m still in the process of learning. There’s a new tailoring store that will be opening in Singapore this month, and I’m hoping to join them.

Going from banking to tailoring is quite the jump. How do you feel about this?
I haven’t been banking for too long, so it isn’t too big of a jump for me, but it’s more of a jump from money to passion I guess. I won’t be making as much money tailoring, no doubt, but I want to be able to wake up every single day and look forward to what I’m going to do.

I believe in sustainability, and if what you’re doing for work isn’t emotionally and mentally sustainable for you, then one day, it’s just going to collapse.

What do you enjoy most about tailoring?
I was a mechanical engineering student, so I basically enjoy the whole process of working on projects, building something, and seeing the results at the end. Similarly, when it comes to tailoring, at the end of the day, after you make a jacket and put it on, it feels good, and there’s also a sense of achievement that comes with it.

There’s a mechanical aspect to tailoring which I also enjoy. And even today, as we get more advanced with computer-aided drawings and digital sewing patterns, there’s still a charm to keeping things traditional in tailoring. Nothing beats walking into the store and seeing your physical model right there—a paper pattern based on your body.

Is there a particular quote or philosophy that you’re trying to encompass at this turning point in your life?
At the end of the day, when you look back, you shouldn’t have any regrets. I guess that’s the most important thing. If you just keep slogging for the rest of your life, yeah, your life’s comfortable, but if you never take any risks, then you’re risking everything. That’s what I feel, which is why I took this big career jump and huge pay cut.