Extra medium (EM tailored) wants to bring attention back to local craftsmanship, and unique design in response to high consumption and fast fashion. It is a micro-business, bespoke clothing brand that works directly with its customers, focusing on quality and helping to extend the life of a garment through repair and restoration.
EM tailored values sharing first and foremost, bringing our focus to the sensibilisation of people and their relationship with clothing. Humans are storytellers, sharing anecdotes and teachings from our ancestors. Humans used to tell stories using their clothing by repairing and restoring them from generation to generation. This practice has been lost over time.
EM tailored aims to shift our understanding of the garment-making process through sharing, bringing the culture of repair back into style, sharing heirloom wardrobe pieces and thus the stories behind them.
Our mission is to encourage consumers to be part of the design and creation process; to follow each of our garment’s local and handmade processes, and to learn the true value and quality of each. From our experience, a specific wardrobe is necessary to live in Brussels, with microclimates and rainfall even when 0% precipitation is forecast. EM tailored focuses on tailored pants and jackets made from a maximum of natural fabrics, strong enough to hold the winter yet light enough to wear year-round. With a near-zero waste practice, “scraps” are used to make smaller accessories or sculptural forms.
In an ideal future, there will only be local producers in fashion. People will prefer smaller design houses over the fast-fashion giants of today. Clothing quality will surpass that of today’s leading brands thanks to small businesses that fought with a passion. EM tailored was founded to help rethink today’s fashion industry and remind everyone of a world where repaired clothing and patches on an old pair of pants are valorised because of the stories they tell.
EM tailored does not conform to gender norms. It is neither a men’s nor women’s brand. We make skirts for everyone and tailor clothing for cis, trans, or gender non-conforming people looking to fit correctly in what they choose to wear. This kind of tailoring service is lacking in our cities. Some people may not feel comfortable going to a tailor for fear of being judged, for various reasons. EM Tailored is pleased to offer a friendly, open environment, with a welcoming atmosphere and a chance to share stories about the intimate ritual of finding the right garment for every body type.
