Sam's is not bad
 

Agree that Sam's is decent. However, don't fall for that Royal Family marketing ploy. Do you think he spends as much time with every customer as he does with Bill Clinton? My shirts there were fairly good. Khakis shrank more than an inch. Wouldn't hedge my bets on a suit unless I had a longstanding relationship with Manu. Tsim Tsa Tsui is a tourist mecca, which leads merchants to become careless without consequence.

Remy's Tailor
 

I personally recommend Remy's Tailor in Tsim Sha Tsui. They're located on Carnavon Road about a 5 minute walk from that MTR exit. I get all my shirts done there and is usually around HK$250-280/shirt for the best Italian fabrics.

I like Pacific Custom Tailor, in Pacific Place. Just made a bunch of suits from them,and they're still good. And they always remember their customers. While getting fitting there, I saw several ex-customers coming into the store, and they were all from overseas. Friendly and not pushy service.
http://www.pacifictailor.com.hk/
http://www.sptimes.com/2003/01/12/Tr...he_perfe.shtml

I would also recomend Jantzen. I've had several suits made there and have been happy with quality and price. They are located right in the middle of Central and are easy to find.

David's
 

For shirts, I would strongly recommend DAVID's. I think one of the shops is in the old Mandarin Oriental Arcade - but I think there are 2 locations in HKG.

They made about a dozen shirts for me back in 1998/1999 (I know this for sure because each shirt is sewn with a little label indicating the year it's made by the back label)-- and I am still wearing them today! The quality is impeccable, fabric selections are great!

They visit the US twice a year (?) as well and usually have about a week or so to show new fabrics and get new clients. I haven't yet visited them while they're in NYC. Problem is, their shirts still look good after all these years, who needs new one? :)

Next time I'm in HKG, I will surely get new shirts made though... Also, I think they started making suits few years ago.

any update ?
 

Hi

I will be in HKG next week. I need to buy some good quality shirts...

I stay at the Ritz Carlton with not a lot of time between meetings.

Tx for tyour advice

What would you all say is the best HK tailor in terms of value for the money?

I have just returned from Honkers with a new suit from the unfortunately named Stitch-Up Tailors, Star House, Kowloon, as recommended in the Lonely Planet Guide. It's opposite the main Star Ferry terminal.

I had a suit made from Super 120's wool, cashmere and mink mix fabric (one of the most expensive). Three fittings within 48 hours with the Shanghainese tailor. Very pleased with the result.

George, the affable Indian owner did not ask for a deposit and even got my favourite beer in (Tsing Tao), as the house offering was not to my taste.

I heartily recommend them, and will return.

The price? HKD 2600 - GBP 175 - USD 334.

I have been ripped off by other Hong Kong tailors, notably the famous Rajah, who tours the UK and USA taking measurements and orders. Your suit is then mailed from Hong Kong. Although in fairness, they did try to make changes (to an expensive and shoddily made blazer) when I pitched up with it on their doorstep, yet the result is still less than satisfactory. I will wear it when gardening.

My guy is James Chen - Mezzanine Level of the re-opened Mandarin - have been using him since 91 - the only time the suits go bad is when i grow to big for them :) Also for great shoes, Mayers is next door - same level.

I arrive in HKG on a Thursday and have time in the afternoon to go to a tailor for fittings. I also have time Saturday to go for more fittings. I fly out on Sunday afternoon. I need a basic black suit which will be lightweight as I travel to several very humid locations. I guess that has an effect on the material of the suit and the silky internal material as well.

What price should I expect to pay?

What materials should I be asking for?

Anything in particular to look out for when checking the quality?

Any suggestions for tailors in the area of Hunghom in Kowloon?

And fantastic ladies handbags. Mr. Mayer has now done a half dozen handbags for me (at least) and an equal number of pairs of shoes. I've referred many folks here - his stuff is top notch!

I use Jack Balani with Rivera Fashions. YOu want a high count wool from italy. It is light way, wears well. I pay about $600 for a suit from him. I have been getting Zenga material for this price. Shirst are $55 and just pants or extra pants $150.

What about recommendations for a women's tailor?
My wife want to have some Japanese kimonos remodeled to a western style.

Based on experience and reccomendation; try Pacific Custom tailors at Pacific Place, HK island. Ask any taxi driver or take the MTR to Admiralty. China's Lonely Planet guide said something along the lines of one of the best tailors in HK. They were very good with service (the San Miguels) and quality when i went there. Price was (i should still think is) medium range for shirts; say US$35-40 a peice (depends how many you get) and suits were somewhere around the HK$3500 mark. But try to bargain a little, and you might get a better deal.

Anyone else have any experiences with them>

I've heard Pacific Custom Tailors is very good.

My experiences with Sam's Tailor in Kowloon have been the same. Their shirts are superb, ditto the suits and trousers. They charge about $40 USD per shirt, about $375-400 USD for a decent suit and $100-125 USD for dress slacks.

If you want to comparison shop, there are two other tailors in the same building as Sam's (Burlington Arcade in TST) -- Ash Samtani (a mid-range tailor like Sam's) and W.W. Chan, which is more high-end.

BTW, I believe Sam's and Pacific are owned by the same people. If you're staying at Pacific Place, Pacific tailors is right downstairs in the mall.

I found a tiny shop in Kowloon called Sammy Tailor. Sammy is a decent guy who puts together a great shirt for a decent price. Much lower than the other shops here as I recall. It's been over a year since I visited him, but I will probably swing by for some shirts next month.

Harry Mohini of Mohini Fashions.

Just for calibration, W W Chan in TST is offering made to measure suits with Zegna Trofeo fabric for about US$1500 in November, 2006. In the US, Nordstorm is selling Zegna off the rack suits for US$1895, before tax. Assume a minimum of 3 fittings over a couple of days. 3-4 days preferred.

It's an interesting detail that the off the rack suits don't show a Zegna watermark, or whatever it's called, in the lining, though you get that with made to measure.

Also, somewhat in a departure from the past, WW Chan can get Zegna fabrics that aren't in what might be termed the "Asian" color palette. That is, my understanding is that it used to be difficult to get browns, but they can get them with some additional time. (It's not necessarily as simple as picking a fabric from a Zegna fabric book in your own country. There was some thought that the order numbers may be different.) You can still bring 3 metres of fabric, if you wish.

I came to this about 3 days too late (I arrived here Tuesday evening and fly out on Friday night - its now Thursday evening local time). I will be book marking this page for my two-3 trips to HKG next year :)

I have used Maclarry Fashions for years. They are on Mody Road in Tsim Sha Tsui. Small shop, reasonable prices (not cheap, but not very expensive). They have been in business for 30 years. Gary and Mack are honest and reliable.

How about a Ladie's Tailor?
 

Mostly thanks to this forum, I have a good tailor in mind for myself. I am going to try Jantzen.

But I have not been so lucky finding a good women's tailor. Can anyone recommend a good women's tailor? My wife is counting on a bit of shopping of her own.

Thanks for any help you can provide, and for all the excellent information in general.

Ditto on William Cheng
 

Like Vulcan, I found Wm Cheng & Son on Hankow Rd, Kowloon, to make very good quality shirts & suits. I originally found Cheng in the early 90s by way of references from Australian barristers who used him. The shop is on the 8th floor.

I have also used one of the high end tailors in Kowloon, Y. William Yu, 46 Mody Road. My grand frather & father have used Yu over many decades. I found their suits to me very superior & they have a branch in New York City, 521 Madison Ave. This is a tailor who will pay serious attention to all details & insist upon proper number of fittings. They do make the circuit every year in the USA.

Welcome to FlyerTalk xplorer37!

I'll be in Hong Kong for one day later this month. Can anyone recommend a tailor that will take a single set of measurements and be comfortable working from that? I am based in NYC, so I would like to find a tailor that also visits NYC regularly.

Thanks!

I think there may be confusion between measurements and fittings. The tailors take a single set of measurements, though they often will remeasure you on subsequent annual visits, say, but the better tailors really need multiple fittings as the garment reaches degrees of completion.

Even with a tailor that's done multiple suits for you, you should count on several fittings to get a decent fit. I think I had 4 last time and this was after several suits from my tailor, W W Chan in TST.

W W Chan visits NYC twice a year, I believe. You may want to go by a couple of the places recommended in this thread to discuss your time constraint.

You can try OM Custom Tailors in Kowloon. I hv used them for my suits and shirts. I also had limited time in Hongkong and they took my measurements and mailed me my order and they turned out perfect. I know they visit overseas for orders but don't know how often to the U.S. Their website www.omtailors.com / Tel 23662603. Cheers!

Thanks! This place looks good...^

Women's Tailor?
 

I was wondering if anybody could recommend a tailor for my wife? For some reason, I am finding this much harder than locating a tailor for myself. Any tips on what she should do to get the most out of the experience is also much appreciated. Thanks.

Oh! M...
 

Very sorry for posting the above without not checking out OM first. It looks very good, and it seems they make a wide range of nice things for women.

Thanks tremendously.

I have pants and shirts made from Pacific Custom tailors that are 5 years old and they all still look like I purchased them yesterday. Now the pants I purchased in BKK at rajah I will use to clean the garage. I would return to Hong Kong just to have clothes made at Pacific Cusom tailors.

I have used WW Chan on numerous occaisions and they are very high quality. MOST of the custom tailors in HKG are store fronts for a common tailoring factory in Shenzhen. The people who make the clothes don't work for them. WW Chan has their on tailors, and they invest more man hours per piece than most of the others, and the quality difference is noticeable. But the cost is much higher. I was just quoted 14,700 HKD for a Loro Piana cashmere blazer. Patrick is the head salesman.

I have also heard very good things about TAKLY's on the Hong Kong side (I think in the Mandarin). I am not sure about the price. TAKLY's is primarily known for their shirts, but people say they also make very fine suits, and they also use their own tailors.

I wanted to purchase my own fabric since my time is limited, can somene recommend where I might purchase Ermenegildo Zegna fabric? Thanks for the tips.

We're thinking of staying in HKG for no more than 4 nights -- would that be too short to do the 2nd visit to the tailor for a suit? Typically, when do they ask you to return for a fitting after first visit?

A good tailor (or rather for a good job) would have you back for a second fitting within 2-3 days.

IF you push, you could have two fittings within the four days for a really really good fit.

You can tell them. The very best ones will refuse if they feel the time is not sufficient (this may depend to some extent on how unusual a shape you are). Most will simply do it to your timescale, but you're left with no choice but to accept what they have done when you go to pick up the finished article. Personally, having been left with a useless suit by this route I really don't think the savings made are worth the risk. But YMMV.

That's plenty of time, just let the tailor know your time constraints at the beginning. The first fitting is often the next day, but could be the same day, if you order first thing in the morning.

It helps to contact the tailor first, perhaps setting up an appointment, as well as have an idea of the style and fabric you'll want. The tailor will show you a style book as well as work for others in various states of completion, so you can get an idea of the process.

You can often go to department stores and look at fabric samples to get an idea of what's available. HK tailors can get just about any fabric you've seen, but it may take a day or so, which would possibly cause a schedule problem in your case. I generally get something that's on hand.

Just as a point of departure, you can go to someplace like Nordstrom or Barney's and look at their high end, off the rack suits, as well as fabric books. Nordstrom, for instance, has (or used to have) the Zegna Sartorial line. It's good to get an idea of retail prices, too. High end HK tailors are cheap compared to London, say, but not hugely different than off the rack Zegna. (Well, some US$100s and tax and you get a suit that fits you well, if you take the time to get the appropriate fittings.)

If you get Zegna fabric, some frequent travelers get Traveller fabric, which is a bit stiffer and tends to come out of a suitcase looking ok. On the other hand, since most places above the level of Mom's Guesthouse have pressing services, you may as well get something like Trofeo, which feels a lot better.

I second Pacific Custom Tailors. Great location in the Pacific Place mall and the service was top notch. 2 fittings in 2 1/2 days made for nice suits. Great selection of fabrics and some nice deals. Got 2 suits, 3 shirts and 2 ties for 8250 HKD. If staying at the Conrad or Marriot, can't be beat on location and price for the suit.

hi everyone, this is my first post so please be receptive =(
i was excited to discover that HK/asia was such a shopping paradise because I am a skinny chinese boy who has extreme difficulty finding fitted clothes in America (even small at most retail stores are too large).
I too am interested in a quality tailor to visit.
I will be there for a few month so time is not an issue.
I have read all the posts and have come across names that i recognize from travel books that i have read.
I do have a few issues that I would like anyone out there to help me answer (one or all)
1) I am a young student going into the workplace soon, so I dont have much experience with dress clothes. I'd like to consider myself pretty fashion forward so I know how i want my clothes to fit and in which style. But the material is really what i dont know much about. So what are some popular types of materials and some characteristics of them?
2) I dont visit many tailors in america, especially ones who make bespoke clothing (i usually get alterations) so what is the ettiquette? are walk-ins the norm or appointments?
3) I know this is actually a dumb question but how fashion-aware are these tailors? I ask because i like to wear my clothes very slim and i'd feel awkward to explain that to them and they give me a funny look.
4) Lastly i know its a terrible habit but i am verrrrrrrrrry picky with my clothes and usually regret clothes purchase after the fact (i hope bespoke tailoring can solve this) so when you list some tailors can you not only keep in mind that quality (i am picky) is utmost but cost is also pretty close behind. This is because i dont want to drop like 800USD on a suit and not wear it again.
My price ranges are about (sorry i dont know the conversion rate, i think its about 8HKD to 1USD)
Dress shirts : ~70 - 90 USD
Suits: ~250-400 USD
Ties: ~40-60 USD
Of course anything lower than these ranges are welcome (as i'd like to stockpile while in HK) but i wont sacrifice quality for price


Sorry this is so long and i'm so demanding but keeping all this in mind can you guys recommend some reputable quality tailors (oo yeah who also speak english) Thanks in advanced!!

linesforeyes --

Welcome to FlyerTalk!

The questions you ask are excellent ones. The biggest problem that I'd foresee is finding a balance between your budget and the bespoke clothing that you're looking for. You could certainly get excellent fabrics -- ones that both look great and that stand up to regular use -- and wonderfully-fitting clothing from the upper-end tailors in HK, but not for the price range that you list. If possible, you might consider buying fewer clothes but higher quality -- but ultimately it's your decision how to make the trade-offs.

All that said, an especially knowledgeable source of information about bespoke clothes is the Ask Andy Forum. If you haven't visited there yet, I'd strongly recommend it.

i dont necessarily need the highest quality material or craftmanship, i'm still a college student. but if you could point to places somewhere in between mid ranged and high end.