A short story
Chapter 1
Early Setbacks
In 2015, a foolish young man sat at a wooden table. This foolish young man had followed his passion and been studying aesthetics since the age of fifteen. His boss at the Big Company which dealt in beauty had called him into his office to give him some constructive criticism on the work he had done since joining the company only a short time before. Let us just say that this review was not positive. One particular phrase still rings in the foolish young man’s ears to this very day: ‘I just don’t believe that you possess an entrepreneurial spirit.’ In response, the foolish young man did what all foolish young men do when confronted with disaster: He quit his job. Upon the advice of his best friend, he founded a small business doing what he was most passionate about. That day, a certain blog about all things classic menswear was born.
Chapter 2
Beginnings
Around the same time, the foolish young man started doing for friends what he had been doing for himself for years. The foolish young man took old handmade suits from a distant island and re-tailored them. When re-tailoring these ancient artefacts, he had two main concerns. Firstly, they should never look re-tailored. Secondly, they should always do justice to the original Master’s vision. People began talking about the foolish young man’s work. In the meantime, the foolish young man had moved to the capital and had begun working for another Big Company. However, he continued working in his workshop after work, writing articles for the local gentlemen, studying the old Masters’ teachings, and re-tailoring the ancient artefacts.
Chapter 3
The Golden Mile of Tailoring
After moving to a dwelling with more space within the capital, the foolish young man began to wonder if he might not be able to turn his hobby into his full-time profession. However, when asking himself these questions, one thing became clear to the foolish young man. Namely, that the ancient texts of the Masters were no longer sufficient. He would have to meet the Masters face-to-face. He travelled to the Golden Mile where the best suits in the world are made, in order to learn the Master’s teachings and be able to share them with his people. The foolish young man felt very small when confronted with these houses of worship. He had studied their histories and traditions but didn’t know how to learn their secrets. The fact that he had applied to be an apprentice at these very houses many years before did not make his task any less intimidating.
Chapter 4
Meeting the Masters
Much to his surprise of the foolish young man, the Masters (whom were the gods of the young man’s idolatry) were not only more brilliant than he could have imagined but also more humble. They were willing to share their knowledge with him. Of all the Masters, one had always had particular significance to the foolish young man. The Great Master could make a man a suit that made a man appear a giant with a broader chest and very wide shoulders. Much to the foolish young man’s surprise, even this greatest of Masters was incredibly helpful and even shared many of his tricks, despite the foolish young man’s inexperience. Furthermore, the Great Master bestowed an immense honour on the foolish young man. He would teach the foolish young man his secrets and, in return, the foolish young man would spread word of the Master’s greatness. The foolish young man gladly accepted.
Chapter 5
The First Companion
Around this time, as if by chance, the foolish young man met a bearded man who shared his love for the great art of tailoring. Though they did not share the same Masters, they managed to look past their differences and quickly became friends. As the immensity of their respective tasks grew more and more apparent, they decided to found a fellowship. Not only did their tasks become more manageable, but they actually found themselves making more and more ambitious plans every day.
Chapter 6
Mother of Invention
However, all the while, the foolish young man’s reserves of artefacts from the faraway island were drying up. The foolish young man and the bearded man needed to find another solution. They needed to figure out how to create artefacts similar to those made on the Golden Mile.
Chapter 7
The Fellowship Grows
The young man wanted to spread his reach throughout the many neighbouring kingdoms and determined that his native language would not suffice. With his experience communicating with the locals of the far away island and on an island even further afield (where, incidentally, he honed his sword-fighting skills), the foolish young man attempted to imitate their language to transmit the message of the Masters. Having read his first attempt, a customer of his, a young turtle who loved puns (and, inexplicably, wore a crown) kindly and discreetly informed him that he might be in need of a translaturt. This turtle rewrote his texts and translated them into other languages, so that foreign gentlemen could hear the foolish young man’s message. Around the same time, many other animals pledged their aid to the young man’s mission. They too were believers in the ideas he championed and wanted to provide assistance in spreading his message.
Chapter 8
Years later
The young man’s following grew. Contrary to even his expectations, more and more gentlemen in the capital put their faith in him and his bearded friend to provide their suits. The young man felt that he was closer to his dream of seeing all of the gentlemen of the capital dressed like those on the Golden Mile.
Chapter 9
The Future
The foolish young man currently splits his time between working with his bearded friend and his animal followers and fearing that he will one day wake up from his dream. If you asked the foolish young man what his ultimate goal is, he’d likely respond that he wants to continue making suits and shirts that make the men of the capital shine. However, I suspect he’d like to one day be able to enjoy the praise of the Masters from the Golden Mile. As to whether he’ll ever find an entrepreneurial spirit, only time will tell.
