Grassroots Suits

By Nerida Little / January 10th, 2012 in Talks / Brooklyn / 171 views

It is a fair statement to say that us kids today have an attention span similar to that of a kitten on cocaine. However there lingers in the back streets of our cities people who take time and care, who are dedicated and loyal, and who care most about quality and not speed (velocity, that is).

Martin Greenfield is one of those people. He owns and runs one of the last handmade garment factories in Brooklyn, and his story of allegiance to local manufacturing (he started as a floor boy in 1947 and bought the business 30 years later) is one to put us all to shame. A Factory In Brooklyn is a collaboration between director Matthew Edginton and men’s fashion and design blog Style Ledger. It takes us inside Greenfield’s factory to see the incredible attention to detail that goes in to handmade tailoring.

Our host—stylist Brett Fahlgren—presents us with some stark facts; in the 1960s, 95% of clothes sold in America were American made. Now that number is down to only 5%. The dwindling numbers are linked to larger global economic changes, but this film focuses on the impact on clothing quality. The company is still family run, and quality is definitely favored over quantity here. Only 65 suits are made each day by a bevy of workers across all four floors of the factory building.

It is an attitude that is related to older times; it is not profit or global influence that is important here, it is the production of clothing that is perfectly suited to each individual wearer. It is not about automation, it’s about tradition. And looking as dapper as Mr Greenfield himself.