The Black Tailors Who’ve Kept Dandyism Alive for Decades
From the barbershop-lined blocks of Birmingham to the storied storefronts on Chicago’s West Side, Black-owned tailor shops have long been custodians of cultural memory. These ateliers—many family-run for decades—are more than places to hem trousers; they are institutions of tradition, skill, and community. Black tailoring has dressed generations for Sunday service, first jobs, protest marches, and graduations, stitching together fabric and legacy.
As The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute prepares for its 2025 exhibition Superfine: Tailoring Black Style—inspired by Monica L. Miller’s Slaves to Fashion—it’s the perfect moment to honor the artisans behind the seams: Black tailors who’ve outfitted communities through milestones, movements, and everyday life.
Tailoring within Black communities is a tradition forged from resistance and skill. During slavery, individuals reimagined issued garments to express autonomy, creating underground clothing economies and enhancing appearances for special occasions. These early acts of sartorial subversion laid the foundation for Black tailoring as a cultural statement and craft.
Across cities like Detroit, Chicago, and Birmingham, the tailor shop has remained a central institution. From Elizabeth Keckley, who sewed her way into the White House, to Stops Cleaners in South Central LA, and Harlem’s Orie Walls Custom Tailoring, Black artisans have shaped American tailoring for centuries, creating garments imbued with pride, precision, and purpose.
Vogue visited several master Black tailors across the country, gathering their reflections on preserving tradition, evolving the craft, and sustaining the legacy of Black tailoring and dandyism.
In Birmingham, Robert Hill has been a pillar of Black tailoring since founding Robert Hill Custom Tailors in 1983. His love of suits began in childhood and grew into a craft honed under master tailors. Today, Hill remains a steadfast presence, offering both alterations and custom suits with a meticulous standard of workmanship and a deep respect for tradition.
Beyond sewing, Hill’s work represents Black dignity through presentation and care. Despite economic shifts and changing trends, his focus on quality and patience remains. Hill emphasizes that tailoring teaches invaluable life skills like discipline and slowing down, values he proudly maintains as fast fashion takes over the broader industry.
In Detroit, Hot Sam’s—run by Tony Stovall and Cliff Green—is the city’s oldest Black-owned menswear store. Green, a master tailor since high school, views tailoring as both technical mastery and cultural stewardship, ensuring every garment moves and fits with intention, while instilling clients with a sense of pride and self-respect.
Stovall sees Hot Sam’s as a sanctuary where Black men are celebrated and mentored. Having bought the store to promote Black ownership, he ensures that each client leaves not just dressed for an event, but prepared to face the world with dignity and confidence, extending lessons beyond fashion to health, education, and personal pride.
On Chicago’s South Side, Joseph Caldwell’s TailoRite Cleaners has served the community for nearly seven decades. Founded by Caldwell after returning from the Korean War, the shop adapted to community needs by offering expert repairs rather than solely custom suits, thriving with the support of Chicago’s Black-owned Seaway Bank.
Now 92, Caldwell still works alongside his family, reinforcing the importance of preserving garments—and traditions—instead of discarding them. His faith in his community’s resilience is evident in his shop’s survival and success, serving as a testament to Black entrepreneurship and solidarity.
In St. Louis, Betty Grimes of Betty’s Alterations & Tuxedo has been carrying on the tailoring tradition for over two decades. Starting out sewing hems at her godfather’s store, she built a loyal clientele through her precision and dedication, ensuring generations of Black men looked their best for life’s major moments.
Grimes’s work is an act of care and pride, whether adjusting sleeves for a prom suit or tailoring a graduation ensemble. Beyond craftsmanship, her commitment to professionalism and excellence—instilled by her godfather—reflects the vital cultural role Black tailors play in preserving dignity and tradition within their communities.
