The first week was normal. I draped heavy wool over his fiberglass frame, pinning lapels and chalking lines for a charcoal overcoat. But by the second week, things got strange. I’d leave the room for coffee, and when I returned, the tilt of his "head"—that blank, neck-tapered space—seemed different. He wasn’t moving, exactly; he just seemed to be leaning into the work.

Now, I don't work on him; I work with him. Sometimes, when the house is quiet and the pins are tucked away, I catch myself thanking him. He never answers, of course, but the way he holds a suit tells me everything I need to know.

I bought him for my tailoring business, but Atlas had a presence that a wooden coat rack lacked. In the dim light of the sewing room, he looked less like a tool and more like a silent roommate waiting for an explanation.