Our “Greenpoint at Work” interview series takes a look at the lives of people living and/or working in the Greenpoint-Williamsburg area.
We recently spoke to Arthur Arbit and his wife Ash, who run the longstanding local business Chasing Tailor (Ash also has her own line of bridal accessories under the name WORKROOM 1991). Devastatingly, the Grand Street fire in May displaced the duo from their home, though they have continued to run their business. Friends recently started a GoFundMe, to which you can contribute here.
Read our most recent “Greenpoint at Work” profile here.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
Tell us about you, and how you ended up in the field.
Ash: I came to New York for college, and I studied literature at Eugene Lang at the New School. And at the time I thought I wanted to be a writer, and through my courses, I kind of fell in love with short stories, and through that, I discovered literary magazines and the idea of being able to build the whole thing was fascinating to me, that you could write the text, think about the cover art, the theme, putting together images with text to tell a story, and it kind of opened up my mind a little bit. I even took classes for book arts and discovered you could even make the entire book yourself, putting together the text block, building your actual book cover. And I realized that I just love making things by hand.
So that was kind of my foundation. And I’ve always loved sewing. When I was 13 or 14, my friend Morgan got a Brother home sewing machine, and it was the most exciting thing to us. We would go and thrift jeans, and we would modify them. We would taper them from the knee to the ankle to make our own skinny jeans. And it was the coolest thing.
I always wanted to learn how to sew, just for myself. I never wanted to be a designer and sew for other people, I just wanted to build my own wardrobe. And when I met Arthur, he actually taught me how to use an industrial sewing machine and proper sewing skills…I was apprenticing with someone for a while on how to make bridal accessories, and it became something that I was really good at and really enjoyed.
I only recently in January started my own line. And so now that when people come in to get their bridal alterations, they also can come into our showroom and try on wedding veils and hair accessories. I design, cut and hand make every accessory that we have here. All of our tulle is made in Italy. All of our ribbon is made in Japan. I use true French barrettes stamped: made in France. I try to only use really nice materials, and we don’t have any inventory at all. It’s all made-to-order. I offer complimentary veil try-ons and accessory try-ons. You can come into the studio, it’s a one-on-one appointment. You can try on all kinds of different silhouettes and styles, and I’ll let you know what finishes are available.
Arthur: I was basically just thrown into this business because my family is in the dry cleaning industry. I was kind of a bad kid, so my parents were always trying to plug me into all sorts of endeavors that’ll suck up my time and take me off the streets, as they say.
We had a neighbor who had a production house in New York City, when the Garment District was still not completely eviscerated…So I caught the tail end of that, and I watched a production house start from sketches and, you know, bringing it down to the end, to where the garments went into the showroom. And I watched that whole process happen right in front of me.
And me, I always was fascinated with the power of clothes. When you get an ill-fitting suit or a suit that fits well, it’s night and day. And one of my favorite lines to some of my clients who are lawyers is that you’re going to win cases just based on the fit of the suit, because it commands such respect. So, you’re, like, halfway there to winning, because you’re wearing a suit that fits well.
I wanted to wear a one-button peak lapel flat front pantsuit to my prom, and I couldn’t find one anywhere. But I found one that was, like, four sizes too big on me, and I brought it to the tailor who was our tailor at the moment for one of our dry cleaning stores. And he recut the pants from all four sides, which is unheard of, because you usually just cut it from the center back and it blew me away to the point where I had to learn how to do it. And needless to say, I started, and now it’s 35 years later.
Arthur, you’ve been in the neighborhood for decades, and you’ve been involved with a lot of different artistic pursuits.
Arthur: I was always interested in social events. And my brother is a DJ and me being a graphic designer, I did the flyers, he did the DJing. And we used to throw parties. And then at some point I realized that in Greenpoint and Williamsburg, there were art galleries popping up everywhere. This is like the mid 1990s. I knew a lot of artists, and I started one of the first art galleries in Greenpoint, and it was called the State of Art. And I had my roster of painters and the New York Times reviewed us a couple of times, and the Village Voice was still around, and they reviewed us a couple of times. And yeah, people came out and bought some art, but it didn’t last. It lasted for like two years.
I also got really fed up with artists because the egos were just out of control. Then I ran into a guy that was into rock, and I was into dance music at the time, and he introduced me to this whole other world of events where we started putting on rock shows. And that lasted for quite a few years. I did the flyers. I did the visuals like the projectors and stuff, and he booked all the talent, and we did it out of all these rundown places, which there were many back then. That lasted for quite a while. That was fun. The people I met were great. The musicians, they were enthusiastic about the whole scene, not just their own personal endeavors. I mean, we gave the Yeah Yeah Yeahs one of their first shows.
After that was done, I started doing a fashion event called Williamsburg Fashion Weekend. And that lasted for quite a few years as well. All while running Chasing Tailor!
You were quite busy then!
Arthur: Then eventually we got priced out of doing fashion shows as well. I mean, this is like 20 years of doing events. So, you know, I got tired of it, and sort of gave the reins to the next generation. And just started running my business very seriously.
Before it was sort of a side gig—not that we made any money doing all the other stuff. But I took it a little more seriously and built a website. People took it seriously and it became a thing.
Ash: To make a note, we don’t advertise. It’s all word of mouth, and it’s truly amazing. I mean, people tell us that they find us on Reddit and even now ChatGPT are bringing people to our shop, which is a little bananas. We’re above Bagelsmith (566 Lorimer St.), we’re not a storefront, there’s no sign. People literally tell us that they walk by it every day and unless they come up, they’re like, “I wouldn’t have known.” We’re a little bit under the radar, but we have a bit of a cult following when it comes to our clients.
What does a typical day look like?
Ash: You know, it’s a lot of what you would expect at any shop: answering phone calls, answering emails, scheduling clients—we’re by appointment only. We see people Monday through Friday from 9 to 5 pm, but we also make exceptions because we know that people have special work circumstances, so we try to accommodate as many people as possible outside of those hours. During the day, mostly the alterations take place, or the designing and making of the hair accessories.
And then for the second part of the day, that’s usually our busier time for fittings. People will come in. They’ll meet their tailor. He’ll walk them through their options and pricing. People will have a one-on-one consultation with Arthur. And they’ll get to talk to him about how they want to feel, how they want to look. They get to talk about why they love their piece. You know, they might fall in love with the fabric, but not necessarily like the silhouette of the sleeves and want to know what’s possible.
It’s the type of place where we know all the rules, and we’re not afraid to break them. There’s other tailoring shops that follow the standards like if it’s an English suit, it has to look a particular way, or if it’s an Italian suit, you know, it’s expected to be tailored in a very specific way. And here it’s, we understand that tradition and that history, but if you want to go in a different direction, we’re happy to make that dream come true for you, within reason.
Arthur: Not always happy. Sometimes I try to talk people out of mangling up, if it’s a vintage designer piece, and someone wants to do something crazy to it, I will gently try to talk them out of it first. But at the end of the day, the client wins because whatever they want, we’ll do it. Tailoring shops generally are known as very stuffy, by-the-book institutions. And that was some of the tailors I studied under. And I definitely don’t want to be anything like that.
You know, we have cool music playing, we have great art on the walls. We’re pretty loosey-goosey [but] definitely still have the respect for traditions. And I’m kind of a classic classicist, so if people leave it up to me, they’ll walk out of here looking very classic, like they walked off a set of a great classic film, kind of thing. But if they want to follow some trend and, you know, do some crazy stuff to their garment, I can do that as well.
Ash: We also have people who come in, and they just need a second opinion. And sometimes, you know, the suit is great or the dress is great, and it actually doesn’t need any alterations at all. They just need to talk to someone about it. You can come here and we’ll give you that advice. We’re not going to tell you to get something altered if it doesn’t need anything at all. You get to see it in a certain light and certain amount of mirrors where you can see yourself from all sides. And we’re like, it doesn’t need anything at all. And it puts people at ease, and it makes them feel good.
What is your favorite part of the job?
Ash: For me, I love designing something with someone. We see a lot of younger brides and they’re open to a veil consultation. I think if people are trying to break away from tradition and sort of the religious aspect of marriage, and they tell me right off the bat: “Listen, I don’t want to wear a veil.” I’m like, “that’s perfectly fine.” You know, we have other options. We have bird cages and hair bows, and there’s so many other things besides a veil.
And when they come into the shop, to the showroom and they see all of the different silhouettes, you know, we have like a Spanish mantilla style with a lace border or a Juliet cap which references 1920s and 1930s bridal styles—a little bit of everything.
And then they see them and they’re like, “You know what? Could I just try it on for fun?” And like, of course, when else in your life are you going to get to try on veils? Like this is your moment. You’re wedding planning, it’s part of the process. And they pop it on and then they immediately go, “I get it. I understand why people wear veils.” It gives that bridal effect. There’s a feeling to it. And it just kind of completes the look.
But there’s also brides who want a bow or they want a birdcage veil or a headband or something in between. And we’re always happy to work with them with their own vision. We love bringing people’s visions to life. And that’s something that’s so special here. You can take elements from different styles and make it your own. Or if you truly feel like you’re not sure what direction to go in, we can help style the piece for you. It’s like Arthur makes their wedding dress come to life.
Arthur: Yeah, for me, it’s kind of the same thing. It’s empowering to have clothes fit you properly. And that’s what I want. I wanna give people the full effect of whatever they bought. I wanna bring it into its full potential. And I mean, the looks on people’s faces when they come in for their second fitting, and I have done something to their suit or their dress and it fits them the way it’s supposed to, it’s priceless.
Ash: It’s like magic to them. It’s like when you see the look on their face when they put it on, and they look in the mirror for the first time, you never get tired of that feeling. It’s just so special.
Arthur: I’ve been doing this for over 30 years, and I’m still not tired of it.
What are some of your favorite local spots?
Ash: Well, we both love Taqueria Ramirez (94 Franklin St.) in Greenpoint. We think they have the best Mexican tacos in the neighborhood.
I really love Stella Dallas (285 North 6th St.) They have incredible true vintage and early vintage. But in the back—I don’t know if a lot of people know this—they also sell vintage fabrics, and I’ve collected a lot of fabrics from the 1930s and 1940s from them. We’re both collectors, Arthur and I; we collect different things. But because I sew, I tend to like the silhouettes of the 1930s and 1940s. So I collect a lot of vintage fabrics and glass buttons from that era as well.
Arthur really likes Maison Premiere (298 Bedford Ave.) for oysters and just the ambiance. You walk into it, and you feel like you’ve stepped into another time. We really love the atmosphere of it.
Arthur: Same with King’s County Imperial (20 Skillman Ave.)
Ash: That’s one of our favorite restaurants. Great staff, great ambiance. The food is consistently great, and the owners are really lovely.
Ebreo Vintage, by Julian [Colucci]…it’s primarily vintage, Italian suiting (142 Grand St.). He goes to Italy and brings back all of these hauls…He has an amazing selection, and we get so many suits from Ebreo Vintage.
Arthur: Ebreo is a great place. His brother Gabriel just opened up a fantastic falafel place around the corner on Bedford [Paolina, 287 Bedford Ave.] right across the street from Maison Premiere. We love Nick and Sons Bakery (892 Lorimer St.)—amazing. The croissants are crazy.
Ash: There’s a new ice cream shop—Common Meadows Creamery (227 Grand St.)—and they are doing fantastic work. They truly care about their ingredients. They’re using the best milk…they only use seasonal ingredients for their ice cream, and they have fantastic hours. And it’s not a stuffy place, and they’re just so lovely.
What do you do when you’re not working?
Ash: After we’re done working here, we go home and work, if Arthur’s not, you know, preparing a meal from scratch. He makes all of his own pasta from scratch every time. He makes his own yogurt.
We shop primarily at The Meat Hook (397 Graham Ave.) and the McCarren Farmers’ Market and McGolrick [Farmers’ Market]. And shout out to Emily’s Pork Store (426 Graham Ave.) because they’re an institution. I hope they never disappear. I hope the next generation carries on.
Arthur: Yeah, when I first started living in this neighborhood, there were like three or four pork stores right on that Graham Avenue strip, and it’s that and the other place, but the other place kind of lost its old school charm and became more hipster vibes but Emily’s is strictly old-school Italian. The people who run it are great. The food there is great—the only place where you can get the DOP tomatoes. If you want to make an authentic red sauce, that’s where you go for your tomatoes.
Ash: I’m slowly teaching myself more and more sewing skills. Sewing and tailoring are two separate things. A lot of people think that they kind of are more or less the same but sewing something from scratch versus taking an existing garment and taking it apart, most of the time sewers are not tailors, and tailors are not sewers—it’s two different crafts.
Arthur: The personality of a tailor is very unique. There is some kind of a fascination with taking something that already exists and making it better versus making something from scratch. It’s sort of like the thing that we’re talking about with Emily’s Pork Store. They are preserving a certain je ne sais quoi, and tailors, at least tailors of my ilk, we want to preserve the time stamp of the garment, and I’m interested in preserving its place in history.