One of the greatest changes in the fashion industry in recent memory is its (slow but sure) integration of gender-neutral styles into its seasonal collections — not to mention the rise of entirely gender-neutral lines and stores. As the conversations around gender change in fashion and popular culture, so do the ways people adorn themselves. With this comes changes to the custom garment industry, including the rise of suiting companies specializing in serving gender-nonconforming people.
The importance of gender-affirming clothing to LGBTQ+ people is undeniable, because with that freedom of expression comes the ability to be exactly who you are without having to conform to society’s outdated ideals. While queer, trans, and gender-nonconforming people have always worn suits, for the longest time, these populations have not been prioritized when it comes to mainstream suiting outlets. But with current cultural shifts, we’re seeing makers of the garment reject the gender binary. The following five custom suiting companies from around the country are doing their part to fashion the suit for LGBTQ+ people with nothing but high style and dapper flair for all.
Since 2005
Portland, OR
Seyta Selter began Duchess Clothier with the intention of making dapper ensembles available to a broader audience. Selter has since moved on, but Duchess, now run by General Manager Katie Reynolds, retains its original mission. “There was really nothing at all in Portland or in the Pacific Northwest that we were aware of that supported a community of folks that really wanted to customize their garments and had an appreciation for suits and suit making,” Reynolds says.
But Duchess has made a name for itself. It started first with custom garments of all kinds and began to focus on suits and separates in particular (though it still designs outerwear, ties, shoes, and more). Its involvement in the queer community evolved naturally. “The business had been founded on inclusivity and championing each person’s personal style and what makes them feel beautiful and accepted and celebrated,” says Reynolds.
Duchess often does British-style tailoring, but more than anything, the company wants to offer clients a way to express themselves. “We’re here really to listen, to hear what everybody is feeling, what they want to see on their bodies, what they feel the most comfortable with,” says Reynolds. In doing so, Duchess has gotten rid of its off-the-rack collection and gone completely custom. “What we’re most passionate about is creating looks that make each wearer feel truly seen.”
Since 2013
Los Angeles, CA; Tampa, FL; Charlotte, NC; Chicago, IL
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Before his transition, Leon Elias Wu had trouble finding menswear, so he decided to start a business that would function as a safe space for friends and family to meet their suiting needs. Since then, Sharpe Suiting's unique combination of clean, traditional, and modern lines has made fans of Laverne Cox, Corey Fogelmanis, Trace Lysette, and others.
“I think society’s ready, and [in] the next few years or decades, people will really see that there is a market for all human beings wearing suits,” says Marcía Alvarado, Sharpe’s director of marketing. “The reality is, if there was no gendering in fashion, if there were just clothes, people would have so much more confidence very early in life to be exactly who they want to be.”
Sharpe currently has design ambassadors who measure their bespoke suits in four cities across the country and are often booked out two months in advance, but the company is looking to expand in 2019. “We try to educate every client, knowing that suits 100 years ago were not bought off the shelf. You would walk into a tailor and the tailor would make your suit for you,” Alvarado says. “Your body is perfect just the way it is.”
Since 2013
San Francisco, CA
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Kipper Clothiers was started the day Proposition 8 was nullified in California, thereby legalizing same-sex marriage in the state. “We were going to start a custom suiting business for queer folks, [and] that was the day it needed to start,” says Co-Founder and Head Designer Erin Berg. “I’d gotten my first set of custom garments a couple months before and I knew that was gonna be the thing I could give to the queer community, because I felt so amazing and so affirmed in my first custom shirt and suit.”
Kipper has become celebrated for its classical styling with a modern twist, building on traditional menswear staples but adding a more flamboyant spin — if the client desires, of course. As proud as Berg is of the ways Kipper has grown since the company began in terms of both being sought out from across the country and mastering the perfect fit, he’s interested in keeping Kipper a small business in hopes of maintaining a personalized connection.
“I know how to make clients comfortable but also give people exactly what they want,” he says. “[I] put them in a garment the first time they try it on and they just come out beaming and they’re so excited for something that truly represents them.”
Since 2013
New York, NY
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Shao Yang started The Tailory because she couldn’t find a place for herself in the fashion industry. She wanted to work in custom suiting, but found that as a woman, nobody would listen to her. “[I] shopped the idea of suiting for everyone instead of one very specific demographic around, and got turned down every time,” she says.
So she started on her own. After meeting Danielle Cooper of the now-beloved site, She’s a Gent, Yang began outreach into the queer community. Cooper had recently started blogging at the time and told Yang of her love of tailoring, suiting, and menswear. But Cooper felt there was nothing out there for her and never felt comfortable.
Yang says, “I was like, ‘This is exactly why I started The Tailory. This is what I wanna do.’ And we’ve been working very closely since then. Through Danielle, I really took that to heart, got involved, and adapted my suiting and our aesthetics.” Yang describes The Tailory’s style as a heritage look with a fashion edge — “to fit everyone.”
Most of her business now comes from referrals, and she showed The Tailory’s “Ungendered” collection at men’s New York Fashion Week this past July. “I think a lot of fashion companies think mainstream fashion should be seen in one particular way and cater to one particular person or one group of people,” Yang says. “I never felt comfortable with that and I always wanted to challenge that.”
Since 2013
Brooklyn, NY
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Before they started Jag and Co., CEO and Founder E. Jaguar Beckford had a background in entertainment law. But as a person who is masculine-of-center, they found there were few outlets where they could comfortably find clothing.
“It was a very uncomfortable feeling from the ‘Can I help you?’ like I wasn’t supposed to be present in the store, [and] not knowing how to assist me with sizing,” Beckford says. “I said, 'Wouldn’t it be great to have a company where people can come in [to] have a consultation, where you could really make that situation a comfortable environment, a safe environment?'”
For five years, Beckford has been producing what they call the “formal yet playful yet business casual attire with a modern day twist” of Jag and Co. They’re well-aware of the importance of affirming clothing in the LGBTQ+ community.
“When a suit is designed for you, it is meant for you. It gives you a feeling of satisfaction, of confidence,” Beckford says. “Clothing for us, by us is so important. Because we over-stand what that process is, we over-stand what the feeling is.”
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