OUR STORY
Located in South Yarmouth, MA Ocean Tailor’s has over 100 years of combined experience and detailed workmanship that ensures lasting quality for all of your custom home and boating needs.
Quality, service and value is the core of every aspect of our operations and our commitment to our loyal customers of Ocean Tailors. Since 1995, Ocean Tailors Custom Awnings, Porch Enclosures, Canvas, Cushions & Services has been the company to rely on for all of your custom awning and outdoor living needs.
In 2005 we introduced retractable awnings as an additional outdoor living need and haven’t looked back! Ocean Tailors has become the company to rely on for custom residential & commercial awnings, retractable motorized awnings, pergola canopies, and window awning throughout Cape Cod and the South Shore.
Our 2015 expansion in manufacturing facilities brought us to 65 Whites Path, Yarmouth, MA. We have more product diversity, technology and a local staff who contribute artistry, talent and skills to our business. Ocean Tailors provides clean and safe installation of their products which has developed us into a leading supplier of awnings and shade products (while still offering the custom boat and home canvas we have been known for!).
Ocean Tailors’ ownership, a family enterprise, is as active today in daily operations as we were in 1995.
Meet Our Founders
Dan Blajda
Master Craftsman
What, you may wonder, do a Polish fiddler, Kevin McHale, Ethan Allen, a "car bra" and a 120 foot schooner in Bermuda have in common? Enter Dan. A tailor by trade, Dan’s story —as you will now see—is what gave rise to the name Ocean Tailors.
Like Father, Like Son
One place to pick up the thread of the story is in 1971 when at age 14 Dan first apprenticed as a tailor with his father, who himself had tailored all his life. Over the next fifteen years Dan mastered the various arts of fitting, pattern-making, machine and hand-sewing techniques.
Reaching New Heights (6 feet 10 inches)
The years of mastering the tailoring art culminated in a rare opportunity for Dan: to tailor for an exceptionally unique and well-known human frame… that of Kevin McHale, the Boston Celtic legend (1980-81 to 1991-92), for whom Dan created various garments, including a full-length double-breasted peaked lapel cashmere overcoat.
The Master Upholsterer
Setting sleeves in leisure suits in 1976, creating patterns at the famous "Pandora" sweater factory... Dan even had a "hands on" role in creating a line of patterns for Brevardi’s popular "car bra" in the 80s. The next move was to Ethan Allen in Bedford, New Hampshire where Dan spent ten years as their in-house upholsterer, developing a flair for restoring antique furnishings and creating original designs.
A Tailor At Sea
It was on the sea coast of New Hampshire that Dan first ran his own marine canvas business before taking the plunge with a move from New England to Bermuda. There the quality of his tailoring soon earmarked him as a sought-after craftsman providing fine solutions for yacht-owners from all around the world, from France to the Caribbean.
A Fiddler On The Side
They say you can always tell the true quality of a tailor by how well he plays the fiddle. Really? No, but the moment you hear Dan’s musical skills its likely to stir your imagination… and maybe prompt you to wonder how your own yacht might benefit from the same artistry inside or out.
To listen to a sampling of Polka Dan’s Beet Box Band, follow this link and click on one of the 6 songs listed under “Digital Album” (you can listen for free and/or support the band and download their digital album).
Sandy Blajda
Operations Manager
As the first company contact with our customers, Sandy brings 29 years of success to every project. Her knowledge of the industry and hands-on experience offers each of our customers a knowledgeable, concise and current product consultation.
A Degree in Graphic Design combined with 10 years in the printing and publishing trade were building blocks to the discipline, detail and business savvy important for the success of any business. The importance of constant quality control along with the structure of production workflows in the printing industry always captured Sandy's interest. She has taken these experiences and blended them with Dan's natural artistry and finely honed sewing skills to form Ocean Tailors. Although Sandy jokes that she doesn't have any natural talents (sings in the shower only), she does have a flair for detailed projects and truly likes working with her clients.
Once a project is on board, Sandy’s focus is dedicated to customer satisfaction, and controlled project management.
Sandy constantly keeps abreast of the industry’s trends and direction, expanding the company’s product line to include the latest in sun-control retractable awnings, for both residential and commercial applications.
Sandy is also in charge of finding unique fabric options for each custom project! Take a look here of some of the unique brands of fabric we carry.
If at any time a client is in need of assistance, she is available for questions and advice from the beginning of the sales process to installation and post job service.
