Barnabas George from Pajifond-Margao is 72 years of age and has similar looks to Jack and his son Erasmo Sequeira, Goa’s foremost legislators and freedom fighters. But all you know is that Barnabas was inspired by them and started his career at the Coca Cola factory at Usgaon after his return from Belgaum.
“I wanted to start my own business and my mother was alone, so I decided to quit my job and took over this small shop, namely Tip Top run by a Mangalorean businessman,” which Barnabas took over and ran in his surname namely George Garments.
44 years later, George garments is unique and sells chef hats and chef suits, uniforms for security guards, boiler suits for engineering students and welders, scouts and guides uniforms and caps and different kinds of socks and also bow ties and hosiery for men and women.
“I realised that schools in Margao struggled with purchasing and customising uniforms in the 1970s and I wanted to run a garment shop which sells items that are not on display,” explains Barnabas who has now taken a back seat due to ill health and allowed his nephew Rowen George to take over.
Rowen explains that taxi drivers, chefs, hoteliers, mechanics, laboratory assistants or even men operated of hernia and who need a langoti come to George Garments to meet their needs.
A landmark in Margao, George Garments is situated enroute the railway flyover. Barnabas explains how he travelled from Ludhiana to parts to Gujarat to Mumbai to Nagpur, Belgaum, Tirupur, Hubli, Bangalore and Chennai to purchase and place his orders for the readymade garments.
“In our small shop where people buy over the counter, the challenge was to always ensure that we give the best fit and size. Today, I see third generation families who return to us because their parents settled in the Gulf, Canada and UK who have recommended them to go only to George garments,” stated Barnabas.
