Hong Kong Suit & Shirt Tailors Recommendation - Page 2

Gordon Yao at the Royal Garden Hotel in Kowloon for the suits, Ascot Chang for shirts - nearest to Gordon is at the Peninsula Hotel M16 shop.

not really for ascott chang the nearest would be at the intercontinental hotel

There are quite a few reputable tailors in Hong Kong in addition to the ones mentioned quite frequently on these boards.

I have used Master & Co., for 10+ years and have been happy with their work, especially at the price I pay. I cannot say for sure whether their suits and shirts measure up to the quality of the shirts and suits of other tailors, as I have never ordered from anybody else, but I have been happy with the quality of their product.

I have ordered about 14 suits over the years and all but two of them are still in fine shape. (Not knowing the effect, I took the first two I ordered to the dry cleaners after every wearing...lesson learned.) I have probably ordered 20 or so shirts from him as well and still own all but three (I spilled wine on one, bled on another, and a third mysteriously vanished after my younger brother visited me a year or two ago).

Mater & Co., are located in Far East Mansion Shopping Arcade (I have not been there since I last visited HK in mid-1996, so I do not know where that is exactly), but their owner, Tsao Fat, visits the US annually and is accessible by e-mail. I do not believe, however, that Master & Co., has an online presence.

As for prices, I took a friend up to NYC to visit Fat in April and he quoted $450 for a suit and $40 or so for a shirt. He doesn't use Lesser or Scabal wool for suits, but he does use some nice stuff a notch or two below, viz., Barberis Canonico, Loro Piana, Zegna. I think the shirt fabrics are Acorn, but I'm not 100% sure of that. It should go without stating that the suits do not compare in quality to the two SR suits I own nor would they likely be as nice as those of the finest NYC or U.S. tailors, but they are very nice for the money and they also fit quite well.

I don't know how Masters price-point and quality compares to others, but I am sure they are all in the same ballpark unless they are a significant step up in quality.

One of the partners in my group uses Sam's and he is always very pleased with the results. I also think the suits are quite nice (he's standing over my shoulder as I type this, so I feel like I have to throw him a bone).

Sam's default jacket construction is fused. In fact, I don't even know if they will do a canvassed jacket upon request. Having seen jackets from a number of HK tailors, I can assure you that Sam's lower price point is reflective of generally lower quality cloth and construction.

I didn't know there are so many HK members here, perhaps Kolecho could arrange another gathering.

If this is your first order, it doesn't really matter who you go to. Rather, the important thing is the instructions you give to the tailor. You need to give VERY detailed instructions for these people, and never assume anything. Every one of us is going to tell you our own favourites, but that's probably because we all have been working with our favourite tailors for quite a while. Your first result from my favourite tailor is probably not going to be as great as what I am getting from the same guy. I (together with one or two other members here) use a tailor in TST almost exclusively, partly because he listens to us and is willing to go a long way in accomplishing what we have in mind (such as a particular construction, styling, etc.).

That said, (trying not to be subjectively bias) Chan, Sam's, Gordon Yao, are all great value for the money. Ascot Chang does a fine shirt, and charges for it; I think they have a minimum order of three to start with, so that may not be what you're looking for. Start with Jantzen on shirts.

Is Ying Tai Ltd. at the Peninsula Hotel still in business?

Speaking of Jantzen shirts, I've been to the store once, and it was packed as expected. There were literally piles of fabric books and they had no description like the website's, it's just impossible to go thru all of them cuz there were just so many. Which books do you recommend? I'm looking for some stripe / plain fabrics that feel thick and smooth. (There are other threads about Jantzen fabrics, but they are about the ones on the website, and most of them are out of stock already.) Thanks!

Hi Naturlaut II,

I'm going to Hong Kong in about 2 weeks time, and intend to spend a couple of days looking for a good tailor. Aside from the main guys (Chan, Sam, Gordon Yao, Etc), who is that tailor in TST that you mentioned?

Thank you!

I just returned and I would highly recommend SAM's on Kowloon side - Burlington Arcade K-1, 94 Nathan Road.

I got a TUX for about 500 US and a suit for about 450 US - Both of them are outstanding and were completed in 4 Days.

Absolutely fantastic. I have also found that a lot of the tailors will do a set of three shirts for around 900 HK or about 130 US.

I got my shirts done at ZEN in Hong kong near Central for that price and they are as nice or nicer than the $200+ dress shirts

I buy in the states. Sam offered to ship the TUX to me for free if it wasn't able to be completed in time. They have also been there for a very long time and are reputable. THE COST - Well, that all comes down to the material. My suit is not the highest end material they have but it is in the upper folds of high quality - If you want a cheaper suit you can get one for $300. My brother works for the US Gov. in HK and the guys in his office recommended SAM's... I have to say, now that they have my measurements, I will buy my suits from them and have them shipped to the states.