Me+Em's Suit Lab Makes Women's Suiting More Inclusive for All Shapes

Clare Hornby has one goal with Me+Em's new Suit Lab: get every woman into a suit that actually fits her body. Not her neighbor's body. Hers.

The London-based founder and CEO launched Suit Lab as a modular suiting initiative built on what she calls "suit science," a framework the company spent significant time developing to help customers find a tailored silhouette regardless of shape. "Shoulder 'science' is the most important thing," Hornby said, putting the emphasis squarely on the part of a jacket that most brands treat as an afterthought. The result is a system of mix-and-match jackets and trousers available both online and in-store, with "endless mix-and-match options" as Hornby describes it.

The collection updates and expands existing silhouettes while introducing new ones. The Sharp Shoulder suit now comes in an Italian jacquard fabric, bringing texture into what can be a flat category. The brand's Oversized blazer was reimagined in a cropped length specifically engineered for an ideal hem-to-waist ratio, a proportional fix that changes how the whole look reads. Two entirely new styles round out the jacket lineup: the Slim Contour and the Oversized Short blazer.

The trouser side of the equation is where Suit Lab's mix-and-match logic really opens up. Customers can pair any jacket with a classic wide leg, a straight crop, or a kick flare. The Ultimate Wide trouser pushes volume further, while the Leg Elongater takes a more sculptural approach: soft but structured, fitted through the hips before opening into a flare. It's the kind of cut that does the work so the wearer doesn't have to think about it.

Hornby has been pushing this agenda for years, specifically targeting women who default to dresses and have historically avoided trousers. By her own account, that mission is working. Suit Lab is the next phase: not just convincing women to wear trousers, but giving them an architecture of separates confident enough to stand on their own and flexible enough to mix across occasions. The ambition, as she puts it, is simple: every woman should have at least one suit she can rely on and feel good in.

The modular approach is a smart response to the way women actually shop and dress now, building a wardrobe system rather than selling a single outfit. Whether Suit Lab becomes a permanent fixture in the Me+Em lineup or a seasonal push remains to be seen, but the design thinking behind it is thorough enough to deserve a longer run.