Business Attire Suited for Women

Lauren Warkentine

By Maggie Murdock Nichols

The idea for William and Lauren Custom Clothier came from an uncomfortable suit. Lauren Warkentine sat in a meeting, distracted. She was more than prepared, but her suit took up an inordinate amount of her attention. She threw it off at the end of the day and decided she would come up with a better way to wear a suit.

Lauren realized she wasn’t the only one wearing an uncomfortable suit. Suits are made from a pattern and few bodies fit that pattern. “There’s only so much alterations can do if the suit doesn’t fit to begin with,” Lauren said. Lauren researched custom suiting options and found that prices were high and quality was low. “I knew I could make suiting affordable by cutting out the massive middle man and replacing it with well, a woman.”

“Women’s suiting was always the goal, but men’s suiting was easily accessible.” Lauren tested many suppliers’ fabrics and found the perfect fit. She made suits for friends and family and realized there was a market beyond her network. She brought William Gattenby to the team as she continued working in her family business.

Well Fitted

Men were thrilled with their suits, they became repeat customers and referred their friends. Lauren continued to work towards her goal of creating custom women’s suits. She discovered suppliers use a template that is a man’s body and make adjustments based on provided measurements. “There just wasn’t a way to order a well-fitting suit for a woman. I wondered if I’d ever figure it out.”

Lauren noticed the difference between the way men walked in and the way they walked out with their suits on. Lauren persisted, “I wanted women to feel that way, too.” In the fall of 2020, Lauren ordered a custom suit for herself. “As soon as I looked in the mirror, I said, ‘There she is!’” she said with laughter. Lauren took a moment to celebrate and then reached out to the many women on a waitlist for a custom suit. “They’ve become our greatest supporters. Women love to share clothing finds with friends!”

Oklahoma Inspired

In addition to custom suits, William and Lauren produced a line of Oklahoma-inspired socks, ties, and a scarf. “The Soaring Scissortail is extremely popular,” she said. These ties and OU and OSU themed socks can be found online, in their retail space, and at Plenty Mercantile. “We also worked with OCU to create a collection inspired by the chapel windows, their signature colors, and star.” Businesses have used William and Lauren suits as a new employee welcoming gift, sales incentives, and milestone markers. Lauren has outfitted entire wedding parties, from grooms to ring bearers.

Since 2015, William and Lauren has changed and adapted. Lauren became a one woman business and as growth demanded, recently brought new members to the team. William and Lauren recently moved to a space in downtown OKC. They are open by appointment and seek to elevate the suiting process with comfortable seating, happy hours or coffee while they help you find the perfect fit. William and Lauren can be found on social media and on their website williamandlauren.com.