Entering his small Carlton shop, one gets a unique feeling. There’s history and nostalgia in the air.

Time seems to stand still, suspended among the many family photographs on the wall, the rolls of fine fabrics, cotton yarns and the endless supply of clothes to be stitched, shortened and altered.

And then there’s the man himself, Galati, completely at home within these four walls, constantly ready to greet customers with that slightly busy tone that distinguishes him. Between each stitch he never misses an opportunity to smile or offer a reassuring gaze that seems to communicate, ‘Don’t worry, your dress is in the right hands.’

Originally from a small town in the province of Vibo Valentia, Galati began learning his trade early, at the age of 12.

“In those days, school was only compulsory until the fifth grade,” he explained. “My family couldn’t afford to keep me in school, because that would have meant sending me out of town and supporting me financially, which was impossible.

“So, there were two options: either go to the countryside to become a farmer, which no one wanted to do as the work was exhausting and yielded nothing, or find a job.”

Galati went on to explain that what he initially wanted was to become a carpenter, so he began his journey as an apprentice at a carpentry shop not far from home.

However, this pursuit was cut short by an unpleasant experience that, for the sensitive Galati, was a complete turnoff to carpentry. Fortunately for him, his mother managed to find him a job at a local tailor shop in what would mark the beginning of a lifelong journey.

Tailoring would take the young Galati all around Italy to work in various sewing businesses.

“When I was 17, I moved to Rome,” he said. “I also lived in Turin for a while, then at the age of 23 I left for Melbourne.

“The idea was to stay for four or five years and then return to Italy, but in the end I stayed.”

Galati initially came to join his sister who had been living in Melbourne for a few years with her husband. Thanks to his brother in law’s help, Galati managed to avoid going through the Bonegilla camp experience like so many other migrants, and instead went straight to work at a clothing factory.

Dissatisfied with factory work and very much convinced – as he still is to this day - that he’s one of the very best tailors in Melbourne, Galati decided to start his own business. After buying himself a sewing machine, he began operating solo out of his sister’s house.

He quickly began to make a name for himself and build up a formidable client list, made up mostly of people who were tired of buying “poor quality clothes that wear out easily and after being worn a couple of times do not have the same fit as before”.

 

Twenty-seven years ago, Galati decided to open his very own shop, G. Galati Tailors, at 198 Elgin Street in Carlton, taking over the space that had previously belonged to another tailoring family.

His work was always distinguished by high quality raw materials, as Galati would exclusively use English cloth, in his opinion the best in the world. He claims he was one of the few to do so, mostly because it was more expensive.

“For years, my customers would come to me for beautiful custom-made suits. Then, over time, things changed,” he shared.

“A lot of people started buying cheaper clothes, so my business shifted from ready-to-wear suits to repair work, adjustments and alterations.

“[The change] is also partly a result of the natural evolution of my work and figure. My hands, unfortunately, no longer allow me to work on making custom-made clothes.

“It takes a lot of precision and the use of a machine which I can no longer handle with the same ease as before.

“But despite everything, these days I’m swamped with work.

“I always have been, [which is good because] I’m a person who doesn’t like to sit around - I would go crazy.

“I’m lucky that at my age I can still work,” he admitted.

In the future, Galati doesn’t see himself stopping any time soon. He’ll continue operating his store and putting his sixty plus years of experience at the service of the broader community with punctuality, precision and quality.

“I’ll continue to do so as long as time allows.”