The Hong Kong Tailors Thread

[Penfold]

You're absolutely right about the coat length - you can see the chalk mark on the skeleton baste near the hem to lengthen by about 7/8ths of an inch. I think they did lengthen it but perhaps it could have used more. I have a longer (yet fatter0 body in relation to my legs than many people.

That's interesting about Practical Tailors - I'll see how YWY's effort turns out and will pay more attention to their cloth books. I think I might end up with Chan because my real needs are a new dinner jacket, a couple of double-breasted waistcoats and new high-rise 'spongebag' trousers for morning dress and some more relaxed odd jackets and whatnot. Even though they'll probably cost a lot I get the feeling that Chan are the people best equipped to deal with these slightly unusual pieces.

 

[darkhorseandco]

Personally for odd jackets and pieces that get less wear, I tend to prefer more cost-effective tailors simply because I know I'll wear those pieces relatively less often than a workhorse navy or charcoal business suit. All of my odd jackets are by Lee Baron, cut and fitted by the inimitable Lai Sifu. I'm very pleased with the fit and cut and the only area that really disappointed me was the finishing particularly on the buttonholes.

 

[toomanytailors]

Dafuq, they had a young woman take your measurements? I would have demanded an old Chinese man. It's part of the experience.

Also -- after having read your post (it's well-written), I'm wondering why you didn't comment on/post pics re: the quality of the shirt you had made. Did it fit well?

We are still working on the shirt review and will be putting it on our blog soon!

Your review is great. Given that there are only 2 of you, how many tailors do you or have you covered? I'd be glad to chip in.

Thank you for your offer. We are still in good shape now, but would be happy to let you know if we need any help! So far we have gotten shirts made at three tailors. If you have any tailors you want us to take a look at, feel free to let us know!

TMT

 

[Mmmanmkii]

Hey guys, first time posting here. My friend and I have been visiting some tailors in Hong Kong to get some shirts made. We will be posting some photos and comments on our blog. Hopefully, we will be rolling out more posts and you guys will find it useful.

We've updated with our first post on Jantzen come check it out and leave some comments!

http://toomanytailors.wordpress.com

TMT

Thanks for the information, now I know not to go there since I absolutely hate people with their attitude.

 

[Penfold]

I've used a number of tailors in HK including Lee Baron, William Cheng & Son, Il Sarto and New Century and I'm very much pleased with the results at PT thus far.

The proprietors, Andy and Jason are ex-Taipan Row ("TR") from a number of years back (when I believe the TR name still stood for something) and as they tell me they combine the cut and fit of a Cantonese tailor with the workmanship and finishing of a Shanghainese tailor. PT also differ from alot of other tailors in HK in that they have their own "kitchen" and so have better control over quality and timeliness in terms of delivering product.

My Minnis is currently in their kitchen getting some final alterations (letting the jacket out slightly at the waist) so I'll post pics when I get around to collecting it.

Great tip, @darkhorseandco . I killed some time this afternoon flicking through a few books at Merino Brothers in TST (I think I've found the cashmere stripe trousers I'm going to get married in) then wandered into Practical Tailors on the other side for a look-see... which quite quickly became a H & S dark tan linen shirt-jacket commission (162005 from the Key West book). Not cheap but hopefully good value. They talk a big game but it's clear they're doing a lot of business whilst appearing, at least, to maintain high standards.

 

[Merino Bros]

Check out Practical Tailors in AIE building on Connaught Road in Central. They have the Smith's along with the Minnis Fresco book. I've recently had a navy fresco suit made up and something from the Smith's book is next on my radar.

Practical Tailor is carrying Smith Travel Suitings Bunch(which includes Finmeresco, Gilt edge, Abacus and High Twist Lightweight) only at this moment. We are still waiting for new Smith Bunches and will surely distribute them once we have received them.

 

[Dib]



Practical Tailor is carrying Smith Travel Suitings Bunch(which includes Finmeresco, Gilt edge, Abacus and High Twist Lightweight) only at this moment. We are still waiting for new Smith Bunches and will surely distribute them once we have received them.  

Do you have an eta of when you may receive the Steadfast book?

 

[bamboo]

Quote:
Great tip, @darkhorseandco . I killed some time this afternoon flicking through a few books at Merino Brothers in TST (I think I've found the cashmere stripe trousers I'm going to get married in) then wandered into Practical Tailors on the other side for a look-see... which quite quickly became a H & S dark tan linen shirt-jacket commission (162005 from the Key West book). Not cheap but hopefully good value. They talk a big game but it's clear they're doing a lot of business whilst appearing, at least, to maintain high standards.

Do you mean no-padding construction? I am interested in if they can do it well. You saw an actual example they did?

 

[Merino Bros]

We have just received on

Do you have an eta of when you may receive the Steadfast book?

We have just received a Steadfast bunch, which is said to be the last one

.

We will keep this book at our shop and you can come to take a look.

 

[Alex-ModaR]

Sorry been pre-occupied with a few personal matters and work since returning from Hong Kong.

I'll post a review and my thoughts once I get a chance in the next week or so - I received my two trial shirts a few days ago from Moda Republic. The shirts weren't perfect, but it is fairly safe to say I'll be looking to move my shirting from Lee Baron to Moda - though in small orders until the fit is perfected.

At a high level without writing out a full review/posting photos:

Fit/Cut: Peter currently has a better cut/pattern for my shirts than Moda - but we are comparing apples with oranges given the number of times and corrections I've had with Peter
Price: Pretty even, Eddy and Chris at Moda have quoted me different prices (which I need to clarify) though it is on par or a bit more expensive than Peter
Buttons: Moda have nicer looking MOP to me and more choices, but their smallest buttons are as small as I like for my button downs
Service: Moda hands down trumps Peter for me (though a cynic would argue Moda is still building their brand rep). Basically, I'm likely to receive useful advice from Moda and the staff are readily able to understand my specific requirements. In contrast, Peter is likely to always tell me the the item is fine even if there are apparently issues - although he always fixes them, he needs to be firmly managed from a QC perspective.
Fabric: Moda has a larger array of choices at a basic/house level - Peter has plenty of swatches, but prices can be quite variable.

Anyway, I'll try and write a more thorough and structured review when the time permits.

Thanks for the review billbro, hope to see you in the store in future!

 

[JezeC]

I will be traveling to HK from 9/21 to 9/24 and returning from 10/1 - 10/4

Is this timeframe enough to get a bespoke jacket done in the right manner. I've went with Simpson Sin about two years ago and had a pretty good experience with them but would like to try a different tailor. I'm only looking for a jacket at this point, probably a navy jacket (with some texture) which I'm looking to spend from $1000 to $1500 USD. If you think there are some tailors that offer great value under the $1000 range, I would much prefer that.

My other thought is, navy jackets are so ubiquitous, so I'm not sure if that's a smart thing to do. Thoughts?

For reference, Simpson Sin suits were about $4500 - $5000 HKD for half canvassed

 

[Isolation]

Navy blazers are a very versatile and nice item, I don't think you can go wrong, but you said jacket, so I'm not sure what you mean? If you want it to stand out more you can always use a lighter blue for a more summery look.

 

[billbro]

Thanks for the review billbro, hope to see you in the store in future!

I actually dropped by today, as I'm back in HK for a week - though the usual suspects were out today. Dan compared a number of the measurements from a shirt I brought with me from Peter. Hopefully, we can nail down these next set of shirts and get the fit spot on.

I was still a bit confused with the pricing, particularly in terms of any costs for requests like MOPs, non-fused collars, split yolks, etc. However, I'll clarify when I am in store next to collect the shirts.

I wish you guys would get smaller MOP buttons though, as the ones at the moment just seem a bit out of place on my collar given their larger size.

We are still working on the shirt review and will be putting it on our blog soon!


Thank you for your offer. We are still in good shape now, but would be happy to let you know if we need any help! So far we have gotten shirts made at three tailors. If you have any tailors you want us to take a look at, feel free to let us know!

TMT

I'm happy to help out as well if you need a hand as well, though it sounds like guys have it sorted.

Who else is on your hit list at the moment? I'd be keen to see if there are any other places I should check out, though I'm pretty happy switching from Lee Baron to Moda at the moment.

 

[Isolation]

I actually dropped by today, as I'm back in HK for a week - though the usual suspects were out today. Dan compared a number of the measurements from a shirt I brought with me from Peter. Hopefully, we can nail down these next set of shirts and get the fit spot on.

I was still a bit confused with the pricing, particularly in terms of any costs for requests like MOPs, non-fused collars, split yolks, etc. However, I'll clarify when I am in store next to collect the shirts.

I wish you guys would get smaller MOP buttons though, as the ones at the moment just seem a bit out of place on my collar given their larger size.


I'm happy to help out as well if you need a hand as well, though it sounds like guys have it sorted.

Who else is on your hit list at the moment? I'd be keen to see if there are any other places I should check out, though I'm pretty happy switching from Lee Baron to Moda at the moment.

I've said the same thing and wish they supplied thinner MoPs too, as Jantzen uses those without extra cost.

 

[toomanytailors]

I'm happy to help out as well if you need a hand as well, though it sounds like guys have it sorted.

Who else is on your hit list at the moment? I'd be keen to see if there are any other places I should check out, though I'm pretty happy switching from Lee Baron to Moda at the moment.

We've actually just updated the blog with our Simpson Sin store visit. The next tailor we review will probably be Browns Tailor in TST.

We intend to cover both the popular tailors here such as Lee Baron as well as less well-known tailors that are more local oriented. Other than that, we do not really have a concrete hit list. So, we would be very happy to hear any recommendations or suggestions here for our future posts!

TMT