Originally Posted by
trueblu
This is very helpful, and a glowing endorsement, congratulations on your purchase. Please do post back in about a year about how the materials are holding up (out of interest). I am very tempted to check her out on this recommendation, at least for some shirts in the first instance.
Can I just double check the prices: you said you spent $3.1k, but the sums you list (with some minor omissions) come to ~15400 RMB, i.e. 4000 RMB short of that total. Given the other prices listed, that seems excessive for three trousers.
What is the standard price for a single men's shirt -- I'm assuming you got a massive bulk discount? And for a three piece suit?
thanks!
tb
Hi there!
For reference here is everything we purchased and the prices I can remember, itemized:
Prices in RMB
Mens and ladies shirts – 400 RMB/each (This is more than double the going price for standard custom shirts in Shanghai - fyi).
Suits – 2,500 each (3 two pieces suits, one of which was a ladies suit and one two piece black tuxedo - although I think we paid a bit more for the tux than 2,500 RMB but I didn't write that one down).
Pants – 1,500 each (2 pairs of men's trousers and one pair of ladies fashion trousers, which I designed with wide legs, low rise, large belt loops, fitted but, etc....)
Over coats -2,600 (2 men's overcoats in wool and 50% cashmere)
We also purchased one white ladies suit shirt and another one that is a white ladies tuxedo tunic type shirt (hard to describe but she tailored what I designed), and one sparkly evening jacket similar to a suit jacket but made for evening wear for a lady.
Again, you can get cheaper likely if you have time to go from tailor to tailor and play them off against one another with pricing but we just didn't have the time nor were interested in getting the cheapest price. We wanted the best quality for a volume order meaning we had to do our research ahead of time, pick our horse and go with it. Jenny did not disappoint us.
In case anyone else is curious here is a list of the total cost of our trip:
Hong Kong activities
Hong Kong – HKD
Book Hyatt Kowlooon on points. Lovely hotel. Paid for breakfast 374
Uber to get to Peak Tram 63
Tram tkts for three 270
Taxi from airport to Kowloon 330
Star Ferry for 3ppl 6
Drinks for three during the day 65
Taxi 330 back to airport to fly to Beijing
Taxi 330 from airport when coming back in to catch CX flights back to ORD
Taxi 330 back to airport from Holiday Inn Soho (hotel we stayed in one night when overnight connecting from Beijing back to ORD)
Holiday Inn Soho one night = 1015
Total of $387 USD
China –RMB
Great Wall car and driver (included tip) 360
Dadong restaurant for Peking Duck for Thanksgiving 540
Lina - Tour guide tip 200
Lunch with Lina in local spot 280
Massages X 3 at Liangi Z on Wangfujing street 794
Taxi around town -22.00
Sunflower tour guide – 200 +100+50+45 (tips, taxi, bus, subway)
Taxi around town 100
TRB restaurant for special birthday dinner for husband 1465
Extra bed in King Lifestyle suite for my 7 year son -1,200
Total of $876 USD
Stuff we bought at Silk market and elsewhere (I let my 7 year old do some of the negotiation

Drone at 250 rmb (we over paid for this but that's what happens when a 7 year old wants something
Blvgari knock off watch 600 rmb
2 pair of reading glasses for me and 1 pair of everyday for my husband (3 pairs) 1200 rmb for 3
Alex shirts (3 sweaters and 3 long sleeve fashion shirts) (6) 1700 rmb
Leather Prada handbag large and small black rhinstone Chanel evening clutch 1684
Extra coat with Jenny we had made last minute 2500 rmb
one men's Belt 180 or $28
2 suitcases 675 or $105 (started at 3600)
2 pairs of Converse knock off shoes 425 or $66
5 pairs of men's and ladies jeans 1500 $234 or $46 each (should have paid only 125 rmb each as that is the going rate but I would rather pay a premium than have to run around to other jean shop, try everything on again and then negotiate all over again. You must factor in what you time is worth. Time is precious with a 7 year old in tow who is not interested in shopping with mom and dad.
Total of $1677 USD
As a general rule of thumb in negotiation take whatever price you are quoted and quote back to the vendor 10% of that as the price you want to pay. Then go up incrementally from there. Depending on how much time you have will dictate what increments you will want to increase slowly. When you're at 15 -20% that's when you should say final price and be prepared to walk away. The next shop will likely have the same stuff and you can start the process all over again. If you're like me and put a $ value on time just pay what you think is fair for the quality of the item. IE: the handbag I purchased is not one of the cheaper Louis Vuitton knock offs. It is full supple leather, without large, screaming Prada markings and is well constructed with nicely sewn lining etc... I also purchased an Chanel evening bag with the handbag.
Jenny - tailor at $3,100 USD
Hilton Wangfujing - got a BRG and had 1 night free with my citi thankyou points. $760.00 for 4 nights + $626.00 for extra bed I mention above and one dinner and one lunch and one room service order we had on property and charged to the room.
Taxi to airport and from airport in Chicago was $70.00 (I argued with my husband to take an uber because it is less but he won on the taxi).
Total cost of trip was = $6,636.62
We flew CX business direct to HKG and then Dragonair to PEK. Taxes and fees on tickets was $70.80 roughly each way per ticket.
I'm sure we spent a little more money here or there that I din't write down but this is pretty exhaustive.