San Francisco Chronicle - (Sunday)
A PERFECT FIT WITH LGBTQ
Kipper Clothiers dresses up or down with bespoke suiting, custom denim
The Artisan Row Accessories designs interchangeable pieces.
Erin Berg recalls with precise clarity the moment he knew it was time to open Kipper Clothiers, a custom suiting and tailoring business.
“I remember exactly where I was —19th and Mission. I even remember what I was wearing,” he says. It was June 26, 2013, just a regular afternoon in San Francisco when the news broke: Proposition 8 was repealed by the California Supreme Court.
Berg immediately texted his friend Kyle Moshrefi, seeing the historic ruling as a sign for them — two queer professionals with backgrounds in suiting at J. Crew and Tomboy Tailors — to finally go into business for themselves. “We were both working in retail, and knew we were in the best place to be doing something like this.”
It was always about more than just clothing. Berg and Moshrefi wanted the brand to be not only high-end and individualized, but welcoming and accessible. “It’s born out of this passion not just for fine tailoring, but wanting to create a safe space for those in the queer community who may not
have previously had access.”
From their atelier in Hayes Valley, the Kipper team works with renowned fabric houses Scabal and Vitale Barberis Canonico for their textiles. The shop has an Ivy League clubhouse vibe, with a hand-crafted wood-and-iron table and vintage collegiate decor, and is every bit as welcoming as your best friend’s living room.
“My goal is to have the highest quality garments and textiles, but also provide an affordable garment. I really try to bring luxury to the queer community, and a one-of-akind, high-end service,” Berg says. Prices for two-piece suits start at $1,150.
“From the moment we started wedding planning, I knew I wanted a custom suit,” recalls Jess Robertson, a Kipper client who flew from the East Coast to work with Kipper for her Sebastopol nuptials. “When it came to off-the-rack, I’d never quite been able to find the ideal balance of
menswear style yet still fitted and feminine. Kyle and Erin helped guide the entire process. I’ve never felt better than I did in my suit that day.”
A lot has happened in five years. Bespoke suiting soon expanded to custom denim, due to a West Coast clientele that wanted versatile ways to dress down their suiting pieces. “Jeans have done extremely well for us,” Berg notes.
“I think about how far the brand has come,” he continues. “We provide an amazing service that is really life-changing for some people. You can see it in their faces when they put on something for the first time that’s made just for them.”
Sometimes, this joy is heard before it is seen. When a client comes in for his or her first round of alterations, Berg waits quietly on the other side of the partition. “I’ll hear little happy sighs, or a ‘wow’ or something like that,” he says. “It feels amazing. That’s why we do it.”
Catie Nienaber is a San Francisco freelance writer. Email: style@sfchronicle.com.
“We provide an amazing service that is really life-changing for some people.”
Erin Berg, Kipper Clothiers