SUIT YOURSELF

Fashion is reflective of the times. Take the evolution of the business suit and its role in the feminist movement, for example. It wasn’t until the women’s suffrage movement in the 1910s that female leaders donned suits in public— an iconic symbol that marked a new generation of women that rejected traditional gender roles and combated legislation.

The following decade granted them the right to vote, and simultaneously saw an increased acceptance of suits worn in public—specifically designs featuring the tweed material by fashion icon Gabrielle Chanel— freeing women from the impracticalities of the hobble skirt too. Safe to say from history, women donning suits is essentially an act of defying gender norms, and Sheryl Yeo, the founder of local custom garment label 3Eighth, is on a mission to grant everyone—regardless of their gender or sexuality— access to a good suit.

“I believe that when you wear a suit that best expresses your personality, it can certainly give you a boost of confidence—almost like putting on armoury.” The 29-year-old who started as a tailor’s apprentice goes on to explain that the inception of 3Eighth was a culmination of frustrations for women to exist beyond the cookie-cutter standards of what they had to be.

Besides its custom suit service, 3Eighth is also home to the new Staples collection featuring four made-to-order styles for both men and women. “Everyone deserves a chance and facility to be who they are,” she shares. “Whether they prefer more feminine styles or menswear-leaning designs.”