Chicago tailor makes all feel welcome
CHICAGO -- Uncommon Closet is not your average tailor shop.
It creates custom garments and tailors clothes for members of the LGBTQIA+ community and people with body types that are "overlooked by major clothing chains and shops."
"So many of my clientele have said to me that they didn't feel comfortable going to a traditional tailor shop, and then they found me," said Korri Burton, owner of Uncommon Closet.
The small business opened in the fall of 2017, when Burton's fiance, a transgender woman, wasn't able to find a wedding dress that fit her correctly.
"She has broad shoulders, she's 6'2", and it was just impossible to find her anything that she felt comfortable in," Burton said. "So I decided one day to up and leave my job, and I wanted to open this tailor shop."
Burton and their staff are dedicated to creating a safe space for people of all identities, genders, races and sizes.
"When people see you for who you are it carries you through," customer E Armea-Warren said.
Armea-Warren first went to Uncommon Closet when he needed a suit for his wedding. The tailor shop partners with Sharpe Suiting, a custom suit designer and manufacturer. Now, he comes back to get his pants, jeans and jackets fitted specifically for him.
"I think a lot of cis people don't understand when you get misgendered every day constantly, what it's like," Armea-Warren said. "It may not seem like a big deal, but if every day is like that for you, this one place is heaven."
In the future, Burton plans to open other shops around the country. But for now, they're happy owning a place in Chicago for people of all walks of life to feel comfortable being themselves.
"I want people to feel like we helped them either find or make better outfits that make them feel safe and make them feel powerful," Burton said.
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