「エレガントストアさこん」は青いタイルが印象的なお店。施工当時は外壁にタイルを張るのがブームだったそう。戦前は精米店だったが、昭和35年頃に「佐紺装飾品店」となった。看板の設置は昭和48年。安子さんが二代目となる。安子さんがお店に来た昭和52年にはすでに建物ができていた。その頃の飯田町商店街はにぎわっており、衣料品、バッグ、化粧品など多種多様に取り扱っていた。「大衆向けでなく、少しグレードの高いもの… さこんさんに行けばいいものがあるって、お客さまは言ってくださった。」と安子さん。現在は洋品店のかたわら洋服の直しもしている。リメイクを頼むお客さんも多い。持ち物の整理で出てきた、スーツや着物や、ドレスなど昔の思い入れがあったり捨てられない服のため遠くから来店するそうだ。「ズボンだったら、ほら…ちょっと長いとか、ドレスもね、サイズ直しして…ちょっと広げてとか。手直しから始まって…。昔のスーツを長いチュニックにしたり、着物をお洋服にしたりね。喜んでもらえるのが、毎日の励みです」と笑顔で語る。

“Elegant Store Sakon” has striking blue tiles. At the time of construction, she said that putting tiles on the exterior walls was in fashion. The store was a rice mill before World War II. Around the 1960s, it became a “Sakon boutique”. The signboard was installed in 1973. Ms. Yasuko is the second generation. The building had already been in 1977 when she came to the store. At that time, the Iida town shopping district was bustling with activity, and her shop sold a wide variety of items, including clothing, bags, and cosmetics. “Customers told me that they could find high-class goods at Sakon,” Yasuko said. Today, in addition to selling clothing, she also fixes clothes. Many customers ask her to remake their clothes. They come from far to ask to remake their suits, kimonos, dresses, and other items they have found while sorting through their belongings that they have memories they can’t throw away. “I started with small alterations on it. I would take an old suit and turn it into a long tunic, or a kimono and turn it into a dress. I am encouraged every day when people are happy with my work,” she said with a smile.