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Tailors cash in as Kenyans embrace bespoke suits
A collection of tailored suits and jackets in various colours and designs by Onyango Nelson Mandela, owner of Logical City clothing brand, displayed at his office during an interview on October 10, 2026.
Photo credit: Wilfred Nyangaresi | Nation Media Group
A ready made suit can be picked off the rack in minutes, in a standard size, at a price that local workshops struggle to match. Yet a growing number of Kenyan tailors are betting that buyers will pay more for what imports cannot offer: a garment cut to their own measurements, in a fabric and design of their choosing.
Two Nairobi businesses, SAO Sartorial and Logical City, show what that wager looks like in practice. Their owners say the competition is not only about price, and that some customers will pay more for a suit made to their specifications.
