Time is a dressmaker specializing in alterations.

The metaphor treats time as a tailor who continually “alters” what we wear—our circumstances, identities, relationships, and even our memories. Like a dressmaker’s adjustments, time’s changes can be subtle (a hem taken up) or transformative (a garment reshaped), suggesting that life’s fit is never permanent. The line also implies a certain inevitability and impersonality: alterations happen whether or not we request them. Baldwin’s phrasing carries a wry, worldly tone—change is not framed as tragedy or triumph but as routine workmanship—inviting readers to accept adaptation as a normal condition of living.