A great fit requires tailoring 🪡

When’s the last time you went to a tailor? 

I went two weeks ago. I go to IBO’s Tailor Shop in downtown Norfolk, because this guy is an absolute magician. For those of us who are “non-standard” height (in my head I’m 5’ 9”, but my doctor and the DMV say I’m 5’ 0”), having one’s clothes tailored is the key to looking like an actual respectable adult. That is, if you care about things like that, which I do. 

Most recently I had Ibo fix a pair of white jeans, which I had previously (foolishly) taken for “alterations” at my local (also beloved) dry cleaner. Turns out that someone who is capable of hemming is not necessarily capable of a more complex “taking in” of a waist. Before this, Ibo made a formal dress and a winter coat look like they were actually made for someone who hails from Munchkinland…or so I’ve been lovingly told.

Other than us regulars, I imagine that most people visit a tailor only under specific circumstances like when:

🤵 A particular garment is the only one of its kind in your closet, like a tuxedo


👑 All eyes will be on you, like a pageant dress (sorry, I just watched Miss Congeniality with my daughter)


💍 You’re going to be in a zillion photos that you’ll look at forever, like a wedding dress


🧑‍✈️ You have to be able to do your job in it, day in and day out, like an airline uniform


🧥 It’s an investment piece that’s meant to last you many years and keep you comfortable, like a nice winter coat


Hold my measuring tape…

Does this sound like a LEASE to anyone else???

When you’re looking to lease a long-term retail space, you don’t just need a deal, you need the right deal, which means it’s been tailored to your specific business operations.

When a landlord sends you the first draft of your lease, it’s like they’re pulling a blazer off the rack for you. It should be the right style and fabric, and it should generally fit your body, since you already negotiated the basic business terms in your LOI. But just because it’s the size 8 navy blue wool you asked for, the blazer often doesn’t fit perfectly or look as sharp as it could. 

Maybe the sleeves need to be shortened. Maybe you want to add a colorful silk under the collar to show when you pop it. You need to make it fit, and you need to make it your own. Just like important garments, leases are never one-size-fits all, and even the right sizes need to be adjusted. 

Since we’re only negotiating the deal-breaker business terms in the LOI (rent rate, length of term, permitted use, etc.), there are still many terms that remain to be negotiated in the lease. So with the exception of the “size 8 navy blue wool” terms from the LOI, leases come “off the rack” with all the remaining terms already acceptable (and favorable) to the landlord.

Reviewing the first lease draft is like trying on the blazer for the first time – this is when you see the details need that changing. The magnitude and the nature of alterations each business makes will be different. So, as lease tailors, we’re often nipping and tucking:

 • Key dates - Delivery dates, rent commencement dates and construction schedules are complex and tied to one another, so it’s common to find errors or incongruencies that need fixing.


 • Hours of operation - The landlord assumes or expects you to be open at certain times, but does the schedule match what you’ve built into your financial projections? Did you expect to be closed every Monday? Does the lease allow for that?


 • Noise restrictions - Is your business like a Chuck-E-Cheez where you’ll make a lot of noise? Or are you a massage therapy studio that needs to be insulated from noise from the Chuck-E-Cheez next door? Do the noise requirements in the lease need to be pushed one way or another to ensure you can do your business?


 • Signage - As a retailer you’re likely to have seasonal promotions and special events, but are you allowed to post signs in your windows without getting landlord permission every single time? What about a sandwich board sign on the sidewalk? 


 • Parking - Where are your staff members expected to park? Do you need reserved spots for pickup orders or a delivery van? What about bikes? Can your staff lock their bikes outside? 


… the list goes on.

Yes, these are pretty weedsy details – that’s why we don’t deal with them in the LOI – but they’re equivalent to the 1” hem that makes the difference between getting where you need to go and constantly tripping over your pants. And when you’re wearing the same lease every single day for five to ten years, it had better fit properly.