King & Allen, the bespoke tailoring company co-founded by Jake Allen and Adam King in 2003, has grown from a single Surrey shop into a leading name for inclusive suits, with five sites across the country including Wilmslow and Knutsford. The company has become a go-to for many in the LGBTQ+ community, a reputation heightened when singer Lucy Spraggan married her partner Emilia Smith two years ago.
A Gap in the Market
Jake Allen says he and Adam King launched the business after noticing a lack of options for different body shapes. "When we first decided this was something we had to do, people weren't really providing fits for different body shapes," he told the Manchester Evening News. "The style on offer was quite limited, and if you wanted to go bespoke then your main option was Savile Row really, and that's not accessible or affordable to everybody."
Unlike off-the-peg suits, King & Allen creates everything from scratch, allowing customers to dictate every aspect of the fit. "We can amend the pattern, change the sleeve length or whatever it is. It's still something that's pretty unique, I cannot believe no one's nipping at our heels to copy us," Jake added.
Challenging Assumptions
Jake explains how the company became involved in Lucy Spraggan's wedding: "Ahead of the wedding, Lucy had contacted ten tailors. Pretty much all of them, except for us, asked her what style of suit her male partner was looking for. They had just presumed she was asking on behalf of her fiancé."
That experience, Jake says, "really was a big catalyst for us having this big part in the lesbian wedding market. It really shone a light on us and what we were doing, but it also shows that there's these judgements that still exist today even though we are in a more progressive society."
Inclusive Approach
Jake notes that tailoring has historically been "designed for white, straight, affluent males," which can make it intimidating for others. He recalls a client who "put off their wedding for two years because they didn't have anything to wear."
The company employs cutters for both men's and women's suits, a rarity in the industry. "We started off with two, one for each style of cut, and that has really helped us in terms of being inclusive," Jake said. "We lean into all those aspects and start with a blank canvas. We go on a journey with each of our customers where we find out what they want a suit for, how they want to feel, how they want to present."
King & Allen also works to ease client nerves before appointments. "We always call our clients before they come in," Jake explained. "We know how daunting it can be and we do get people putting off their appointments because of that, so we try to put them at ease."
Dopamine Dressing
Jake describes the transformative effect of a well-fitted suit: "There's a real thing as dopamine dressing, and I think that's what a suit is. It's proven that when you feel confident and powerful in what you wear, it gives you a release of dopamine."
He adds: "We often have tears - happy tears - in the shop. There's been people who have seen themselves properly for what is perhaps the first time ever, either because they feel comfortable or because they're in the gender they wish to present as."
Jake advises other tailors to "just not jump to assumptions" and to be welcoming. "We are open and approachable, and that's become our mantra, really. We don't want the stuffiness that people may expect from a tailor," he said. King & Allen has stores in Wilmslow and Knutsford, with more details available online.
