Ascot Chang vs WW chan shirts/pants

[elliottchow]

I will be visiting hong kong shortly and I was in the market for a couple of mtm shirts and mtm pants. I have been previously a member of ww chan and have been generally very satisfied with their service.

The shirts and dress pants i have from them all fit pretty decently but i think there could be still room for improvement. I was wondering if i went to Ascot Chang would i get a better shirt in terms of fit? I will be only in hk for 1 week so i am curious is that is enough for ascot chang to make changes to the shirt after the first fitting. I am also seeking some mtm dress pants, I have 3 pairs from chan and I was wondering if anybody could reccomend any other tailors other than chan that are cheaper or have a superior fit to chan (in that case I would be willing to pay more)

Also any suggestions for dress shoes in hk? no custom made

 

[elliottchow]

I have had jantzen copy a ww chan before and the results for mediocre though not complaining for 45 usd, so right now a good fit is the key issue. If i went to jantzen and they did a measurement of me would you think they would do better?

 

[Viktri]

Took me more than a week for 8 shirts w/ fittings at Ascot Chang.

 

[elliottchow]

how was the fit and quality of the shirts can i ask?

 

[Douglas]

Originally Posted by elliottchow

I have had jantzen copy a ww chan before and the results for mediocre though not complaining for 45 usd, so right now a good fit is the key issue. If i went to jantzen and they did a measurement of me would you think they would do better?

I have had shirts made at both Jantzen and Chan.

My Chan shirts are clearly nicer - the fits are far better, the fabrics are better, the buttons are much more substantial and beautiful, and the collar shapes are superior.

That said, I am reasonably pleased with my Jantzen shirts, and I still think they offer bang for the buck. The problem is that you have to really steer them in the right direction. Chan offers a better "consulting" service - They intuitively know what to do with a shirt to make it fit better. Jantzen may have that same ability, but they're so busy rushing you through the assembly line that they don't take time to really make sure everything is perfect. You have to be firmer in dictating what you want. I also think Jantzen naturally tends towards a more relaxed fit because of how well known they are amongst the uninitiated who have never worn a really properly-fitting shirt.

You can also ask for better buttons, and they'll give them to you. And I've heard that you can help dictate a collar shape (forum member PhatGuido has apparently done this).

In sum, you can get a very nice shirt from Jantzen, but you have to take more of the lead in making it happen. If you don't know much yourself about what makes a good shirt, you will benefit more from going to one of the higher-end shops.

I can't comment on Ascot Chang, but there are many threads on here (and conflicting opinions) on AC vs. WWC. Use the search function. Also plenty of scoop and advice on Jantzen... worthwhile reading.

 

[Fishball]

I think Ascot can do it in 1 week if you told them in advance. In off season, they made me a shirt just 3 days. (of course no fiiting needed, since I am old customer) For what I saw, I will said Ascot is better than Chan. Price is on the same level.

Dress shoe in HK? HK don't have much collection, better buy it in UK or States.

 

[elliottchow]

any one have a picture of a dress shirt they had in ascot chang and chan that they have made and are wearing? I have heard ascot chang is better but the problem is that I have a set of measurements with ww chan and with only 3 to 5 days time in hk, i am not sure if ascot can make a shirt that fits better than ww chan in that short amount of time

 

[elliottchow]

anywhere for dress pants next to ww chan can i ask?

 

[Fishball]

Bring your chan's shirt and talk to them.
Some of my friend said Y William Yu is ok for pants, may be you can check it out.
A-Man is at the same price level, so if you are in rush, better stick with chan.

 

[elliottchow]

Thank you for the replies so far all members. I take for pants the best choice in hk would be chan?

 

[Douglas]

Originally Posted by elliottchow

anywhere for dress pants next to ww chan can i ask?

Some people have recommended Sam's Tailor for trousers. Sam's is directly downstairs from Chan, and will be significantly less expensive. I've never tried them personally, however... I had intended to on my last trip, but I took one look at their window display and ran upstairs to Chan.

I did have trousers made at Jantzen... they are passable.

I would imagine just about anyone with decent enough fabrics, though, would be able to copy a pair of trousers you already like, perhaps tweaking them a bit for a better fit.

 

[elliottchow]

does anybody also know of a difference in quality between the WW chan shop in hong kong versus the one in Shanghai?

 

[Douglas]

I have only experienced the HK shop, but I have heard less than glowing reports about the Shanghai operation.

 

[Viktri]

Originally Posted by elliottchow

how was the fit and quality of the shirts can i ask?

I think I had 2 or 3 fittings. IIRC it took about 12-14 days because I ordered an additional 4 shirts midway through. I'm not an expert on quality so I can't comment on that if you're looking for anything technical. I can say I like the shirts, buttons (mop), collars and fabrics. I also had a good measurer who helped me choose colours.

Fit is pretty good but not perfect - probably due to the nature of my bodily proportions. This was my first time getting a MTM shirt done and I was in a rush so there could be some fine tuning. Overall, the fit is good. I just wish they did darts.

Price, on sale, was 4 shirts for the price of 3 shirts (lowest price of the batch is free). Due to lack of taxes, the shirts cost the equivalent of buying a $50 CND shirt in Canada, about $56 CND, about 3600 HKD total.

 

[bcate3]

I'd like to hear about specifics because I have received suits/jackets and shirts from both shops and had a different experience.

Originally Posted by Douglas

I have heard less than glowing reports about the Shanghai operation.

This is what I wrote in a previous thread about Peter Chan and the Shanghai shop after my visit last year:

Originally Posted by bcate3

Peter Chan who previously did the US tours and now heads Chan's operations in Shanghai describes himself as just a salesman but I had great faith in him when he measured me, pointing out things to me that Patrick Chu had not. I also think my Shanghai jackets came out better than the ones made by HK. Alot of variables likely when into that result, namely, I had 3 fittings with the Shanghai suits whereas I commissioned the HK suits from the tour. I also think, however, Peter's experienced eye played a factor too.