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Hong Kong Tailor?

Hong Kong Tailor?

Old Oct 24, 2003, 8:13 pm
  #16  
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Does anyone know of tailors for women's shirts & suits? Would you recommended these same places or somewhere else?

Have a first trip to HK coming up early next year and would definitely like to bring back some silk shirts and possibly more.

Thanks.
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Old Oct 25, 2003, 5:48 am
  #17  
 
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My ex- had a suit made at Ash Samtani and was generally pleased. She did bring a picture of the style that she wanted.

As mentioned earlier in this thread, I've been disappointed in Ash Samtani's quality in the past few years. I have heard good reports about WW Chan (oddly enough, located in the same building as Ash Samtani), and I plan to have them make a few items for me on an upcoming trip. Their web site does include a section on women's clothing.
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Old Oct 25, 2003, 9:29 am
  #18  
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Thanks for the information. I'm not going until February - if you're back by then, please let us know how you liked WW Chan as an alternative.
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Old Oct 25, 2003, 3:09 pm
  #19  
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<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by GoingAway:
Does anyone know of tailors for women's shirts & suits?</font>
There is an excellent one in the Sheraton hotel's shopping arcade (sorry, don't remember the name). And there is an Esprit outlet store in the basement which has genuine stock at 10% of the US Esprit price.
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Old Oct 27, 2003, 12:48 am
  #20  
 
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Nearly all the tailors mentioned here (Sam WW Chan, Asha etc.) will do a decent job provided you know what you want.

1. I normally take along a shirt and suit that fits me well.
2. I pick the fabric;

3. Carry a photograph of the style I want or choose from a catalogue that the tailors normally have.

This way I minimize surprises - Do keep in mind, that a minimum to two fittings for suits are an indication of the integrity of the tailoring shop. Be suspicious of no fitting for a suit.
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Old Oct 28, 2003, 8:46 pm
  #21  
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Generally speaking in HK Indian tailors are cheaper than Chinese tailors. You tend to find Indian tailors touting all the ridiculous offers (50 pieces of clothing for a dollar type things) never go for one of those (not Indians in general, but the ones offering stupid deals).

My personal favorite that I have been using for about 18 years is Fletcher Jones, which is in a crappy arcade (Mirador) on Nathan Road. It's a small shop, but Tommy the owner is great. He has access to all the best material (as was pointed out last time I mentioned him on FT, he has more swatch books than bolts, this has more to do with the size of his establishment than anything else. He DOES NOT bait and switch).

His prices are okay, but not the cheapest, nor the most expensive, but his quality is second to none. I still have suits from 1988 or so, which I wore like hell that are still in good shape. With the exception of one batch of shirts I had made in 1992, almost every shirt I have ever had made there is in good condition (some I ruined on my own, and there was something wrong with some collar stiffning material in my batch in 1992, 2 years later I showed them to Tommy and got a credit on my new shirts). He is fast, courteous and has a huge list of return customers over the years. Most importantly his customers include some very important HK people, both local and foreign. For those of you who know HK, this is a big deal as many HK Chinese avoid buying anything near Nathan Road due to its touristy reputation.

Check him out. Also he does women's stuff as well.
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Old Oct 29, 2003, 1:57 pm
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Just spent a week in Hong Kong and didn't get a suit done. But it was amazing to see the number of shops and the price range. I'm not a snappy dresser although I wear a coat and tie to work but price is more of a factor to me than quality. This may sound strange but we all make choices on what we spend our money on.

In any event, my question is those shops that tout a tailored suit for US$120 or so. . . is it even worth it? Or should you just buy a off the rack suit in the states on sale for the same price?
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Old Oct 29, 2003, 5:33 pm
  #23  
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Don't go near those guys, you need a good tailor a bit of knowledge and an idea what you want.

There are Asian countries where you can get a decent suit for that price. Hong Kong is not one of them.
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Old Nov 1, 2003, 5:28 am
  #24  
 
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re women's clothing:

The absolutely wonderful Travelers' Tales Guides: Hong Kong: has a must-read essay for any woman (and maybe man) who is serious about having something special made in Hong Kong. The essay is by Amanda Mayer Stinchecum and titled "Suitable Advice" -- it's a recounting of Ms Stinchecum's experience of having a suit made from material that she'd purchased and brought to HK. She seems to know a thing or two about clothesmaking and quality.

For those unfamiliar with the Travelers' Tales series, this is a collection of short stories and essays about all sorts of different subjects -- food, fun, mystery, joys and disapppointments. No matter if you're looking forward to your first trip to Hong Kong or if you've been there dozens of times, this book will bring smiles to your soul. (Published by O'Reilly & Associates, ISBN 1-885211-03-1)
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Old Nov 19, 2003, 8:26 pm
  #25  
 
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<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by hfly:
Don't go near those guys, you need a good tailor a bit of knowledge and an idea what you want.

There are Asian countries where you can get a decent suit for that price. Hong Kong is not one of them.
</font>
yes, if you are looking for low cost option, go to bangkok, not hkg
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Old Dec 8, 2003, 5:26 pm
  #26  
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any updates? going to hong kong in december and would love to have some high quality great shirts made. thanks so much!
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Old Dec 10, 2003, 11:20 am
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I was there last week. I went to Sam's Tailor and WW Chan (per recommendations on this board), they are both in the same building.

I went to WW Chan first, and he told me I was SOL because they need 3 days to do measurements, etc. for custom shirts. I was leaving at 8pm that night on UAL to SIN (this was at about 10:30am). I went downstairs to Sam's Tailor and they did the measurements right there and promised to have them delivered to my hotel no later than 5pm (no extra charge). I ordered 3 shirts for H$350/each. So far so good. I got a blue heringbone that is different from what I have now and I like it lot.

When I have more time, I plan to try WW Chan - but my experience with Sam's is pretty good so far.

(Also, I bought my wife a silk kimono down the street, at a little stall on one of those side alleys closer to the Sheraton. She likes it a lot, and it only cost H$45).
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Old Jan 14, 2004, 10:04 am
  #28  
 
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Info/update on WW Chan and Davids Shirts:

WW Chan

I went to WW Chan looking to have top-quality, custom-made slacks and a sport coat. I wanted both wool slacks and washable, cotton slacks. Id called just before my trip and made an appointment, speaking to Patrick Chu. This would be the first time that Id asked WW Chan to make clothes for me.

The selection of materials is impressive, considerably more extensive than (the decent) selection Id been familiar with at Ash Samtani. The on-site availability of the cloth bolts is especially important for suits and sport coats, because they can drape it over your shoulder so you can see how it will look.

The clothes fit brilliantly. Patrick insisted on 2 fittings, and when he realized that I was a difficult person to fit he asked for a 3rd fitting. The first fitting was for a very rough version of 1 pair of slacks and the sport coat especially the waist, shoulders, chest, and butt. The second fitting got down to the details: the seat would fit better if its taken in by an inch, the length of the coat better if its shortened half an inch. When Patrick and the chief tailor noticed that the shoulders looked too broad, they actually removed the sleeve, took a bit off the shoulder, then replaced the sleeve to see how it would look on me. The final fitting was for the details which is the best sleeve length on the coat, does the waist feel ok, etc. A day after the final fitting, the finished clothes were delivered to my hotel.

The quality of the sports coat and wool slacks are impeccable. The material feels great, and the clothes look terrific. I cant say the same about the cotton slacks, though. They wrinkle easily (far more easily than cotton slacks that Ash Samtani had made for me, though the latter had other quality problems), and the material tends to gather at the hem stitching. Not disastrous of course, but not what Id expect from top-quality tailors, either.

Overall, I believe that WW Chan is a perfect choice if you want very high quality workmanship on traditional materials (esp wool). They listen to your needs, and they take the time to do it right. Chan is not inexpensive (about 50-75% more than Ash Samtani, whom Id classify as a mid-priced tailor), but quality has a price.

WW Chan is in the Burlington Arcade, on Nathan Road across from Kowloon Park, on the second floor. Theyre in the same building as both Ash Samtani and Sams Tailor.

Davids Shirts

Id had Davids make shirts for me before, when I visited their shop in the Mandarin Oriental. This time I went to their TST shop in Kimberley Road, where David himself runs the place.

Davids knowledge of shirts and materials is amazing. When I mentioned that some shirts needed extra attention after coming out of the dryer, David offered an ingenious solution, then showed me the good and bad features of the proposed solution.

One of the best features of Davids is his selection of materials. His selection is both enormous and high quality: I could easily have chosen 40 different materials form that Id have enjoyed wearing. For 1st-time customers, David also asks for a second fitting, and his shirts do fit brilliantly.

Davids is not cheap, about 40-60% more than Ash Samtani. So what do I get for the extra money? Noticeably better materials. A better fit in some of the details (for example, the length of the shirt). Nicer and stronger buttons.

Is it worth it? For me, Id rather own 6 of Davids shirts than 10 shirts from a mid-range tailor. Your mileage may vary.

[This message has been edited by wideman (edited Jan 14, 2004).]
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Old Jan 15, 2004, 3:05 pm
  #29  
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<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by wideman:
re women's clothing:

The absolutely wonderful Travelers' Tales Guides: Hong Kong: has a must-read essay for any woman (and maybe man) who is serious about having something special made in Hong Kong. The essay is by Amanda Mayer Stinchecum and titled "Suitable Advice" -- it's a recounting of Ms Stinchecum's experience of having a suit made from material that she'd purchased and brought to HK. She seems to know a thing or two about clothesmaking and quality.
</font>
Thanks for the update. I looked for the book in the library and a couple of bookstores but wasn't able to find it. My trip isn't until February but I think I have the possible tailors all identified.

Is an appointment recommended, even if its just for some blouses?
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Old Jan 16, 2004, 4:56 am
  #30  
 
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I would call (or, for Chan's, e-mail) for an appointment a day or two in advance.
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