King & Allen, founded in 2003 by friends Adam King and Jake Allen specialises in wedding suits for trans and non-binary individuals. Their vision was radical yet simple: create beautifully crafted suits that celebrate individual style, without the prohibitive price tag or intimidating atmosphere that had become synonymous with Savile Row. Twenty years on King & Allen has sold over 30,000 suits and, thanks to its inclusive approach, is one of the UK’s best-loved tailors. At the heart of King & Allen’s success lies an unwavering commitment to making exceptional tailoring feel personal, accessible, and joyful. With a blend of traditional techniques and modern sensibility, the King & Allen team create experiences that make every client feel distinctly, wonderfully themselves.
How do you approach tailoring for trans and non-binary individuals to ensure the perfect wedding suit fit?
Our tailors take a holistic approach, getting to know the client, digging into the challenges they may have faced, understanding their vision and finding a solution that works for them. We create a style that fits our client’s gender presentation while ensuring their physicality is accounted for with the aim of making them look – and feel – amazing.
What key considerations should couples keep in mind when choosing a wedding suit that reflects their gender identity and personal style?
You would be amazed at how many people are (pardon the pun) wed to standard traditions. The big white dress for example, can be a huge source of stress for some who – even if they would never wear a dress in their day-to-day life – feel compelled to do so on their wedding day.
Traditional weddings are very gendered, from the father giving the bride away, the best man and father delivering the toasts, and the bridesmaids – led by the maid of honour – accompanying the bride down the aisle. For a wedding party, where many of those involved sit outside of the binary, all these rules can be exhausting. We like to encourage our clients to make their own rules. Once people understand that they can dispense with traditions, they realise they can wear whatever they like, whatever makes them feel good about themselves; their identity stops being a barrier and they can allow themselves to get excited about the process.
One of the first things we do is advise our clients to forget what they know about the “rules” when it comes to getting married. Then we bring it back to one key factor: the day is all about them. Our focus is on dressing individuals in the way that best reflects who they are and how they want the world to see them. From choosing between a two-piece or three-piece suit, to choosing their perfect fabric, lining and thread colour, every detail is tailored to a client’s preferences. We can customise pocket placement for both function and style, refine the look with distinct lapels and cuffs, and balance style and comfort with trouser side-adjusters or belt loops. Our goal is to craft a suit that is uniquely theirs.
Are there particular suit styles or cuts that work best for those seeking a more gender-affirming fit for their big day?
It is so individual, everyone’s body type is so unique. We work out how they see themselves and how they want to present on the day, and then create a style that works for them. Importantly we try to avoid assumptions. We don’t tend to lead with concepts like masculine or feminine, as this can mean different things to different people, so we let the client talk first, rather than directing them down a designated path.
What bespoke customisation options do you offer to make a wedding suit feel truly personal and comfortable?
We offer a range of options for personalisation which keeps growing as everyone brings their unique twist. We do a lot with colour, from button holes that represent the LGBTQIA flag, to the use of an accent colour, whether that’s inspired by the flowers or the bridesmaid dresses. We have the capacity to print whatever you want onto the lining of the suit and people use this in really creative ways, for example, printing their favourite images of them as a couple. Some like to have their initials and the date of the wedding embroidered into the lining, we create matching bow ties for pets, and coordinated suits for the kids – the only limit is your imagination!
Can you share any standout wedding suit designs you’ve created for trans or non-binary clients?
Influencer Max Siegel’s suit was a special one. He and his wife Lori, were married at the famous Burgh Island hotel in South Devon, the theme was 1920s art deco and Max opted for a forest green three-piece suit in a superfine flannel. We also created a three piece suit in a bamboo cloth with a bold windowpane check pattern, for Dani St James, Chief Exec of trans charity Not a Phase and founder of Zoah, an inclusive underwear brand. Her lining features gay icons including Freddie Mercury and Cher. The suit also has ‘11.11’ embroidered above the inside pocket, which is the time she and her husband Alex, message each other every day. We were also super proud to design singer and X Factor star Lucy Spraggan’s suit for her recent wedding to Emilia Smith – she looked incredible.
How do you ensure a supportive and inclusive experience throughout the tailoring process?
We take inclusivity really seriously. Not only do all of our team receive training but they genuinely understand the importance of listening and empathising with the challenges our clients face. From the super practical frustrations of not being able to find anything that makes you feel like yourself on your big day, to outright discrimination, examples of which so many of our clients have shared with us. We also understand that the idea of the tailoring process can be intimidating so we try to put people at ease well before they come in to have their first fitting by talking them through what they can expect and answering any questions they may have.
What advice do you have for couples wanting to coordinate their suits while still embracing individuality?
There are so many clever ways of creating a coordinated feel while allowing each person to express themselves as individuals. Suits can absolutely match, but they can also draw from each other, often we create different complementary suits, perhaps of the same fabric, but in different colours, then we switch the waistcoats and pocket squares around. This works particularly well if one of the couple is more flamboyant than the other, you can pull out elements and cross them over. Alternatively we select the same cloth but create a totally different style, or entirely different suits but matching linings, that’s what is so wonderful about working on a wedding, people are so incredibly creative and we are lucky enough to bring those ideas to life.
To discover the collections, visit: http://kingandallen.co.uk/
Instagram: @kingandallen
READ NEXT: How To Plan A Wedding Step-By-Step
