Custom suiting in San Francisco. Why?
In the bay area, the fashion is simplicity. A rejection of formality.
What is the silicon valley uniform? For most, jeans and a t-shirt are the go-to. For a brief moment, this outfit heralded a powerful change.
A rejection of sorts. Corporate rejection. Rejection of expectation.
Being a professional meant being a suited clone. Everyone wore the same colors. We all got lost in the unfitted jackets and slacks.
Like that runner with a sledgehammer in the old Orwellian Apple commercial, Jobs and Zuckerberg shattered the social norm when they showed us that it was okay to dress down. It was a breath of fresh air. Forget dressing to impress - no one was impressed anyway.
“Want to go to work in jeans and a t-shirt? Do it!”
Casual dress is important for these reasons. Above all - It’s easy
But - easy isn’t always the answer.
The Silicon Valley uniform is not the pinnacle of fashion. It is not the main course. Rather, it is the bite of pickled ginger between plates. It’s been cleansing our palate for the next thing.
Our apparel has always been used to denote something about ourselves. We use it to associate with our tribe, or to display something uniquely personal. We wear our hearts on our sleeves and the legs of our pants.
San Francisco embodies the idea of “unique”, “acceptance”, and “freedom”. Young men and women are learning about themselves and making the rules for the society they want to live in.
We don’t want to be business-suit wearing clones. But neither do we want to be jeans and hoodie wearing clones. We want to be ourselves. We want an outward expression of who we really are.
Buying a suit now is a rite of passage in many ways. It accompanies important events - weddings and funerals; an exclusive dinner party. But for many who have spent the last several years inadvertently beginning to dress like everyone else, it’s an opportunity to show the world: This is who I am.
The Silicon Valley workwear revolution served the important function of wiping the slate clean and proving that it’s okay to dress how you want to. Given this tabula rasa, many have realized that a classic, suited look is classic for a reason.
For you who feel that way, Tailors’ Keep is here with open doors and a measuring tape handy to help you create your look. We haven’t been open long, but already, our city has embraced us with outstretched arms.