Best Value Tailor in Hong Kong

[Eddielch]



Look for David Fashions, he will help you out, you can all at +852-93141604 or email them at [email protected]

Nice direct ad

 

[GBR]



Nice direct ad

Probably a charlatan - expecting people to fall for that.

 

[Hifilover]



Probably a charlatan - expecting people to fall for that.

True .

 

[catdog]

Hi guys,

I recently graduated from college and am being sent to Shanghai on a due diligence project on behalf of a firm in Toronto. I'm currently unemployed but am optimistic. Considering my flight there is free, I was considering going to Beijing, Hong Kong and perhaps Taiwan afterwards. I have no rush for returning back in Toronto.

My wardrobe is all clothes from Indochino, primarily because I get an additional 30% off. I've gained a bit of weight though and my pants don't fit comfortably. I was considering buying a suit, an extra pair of pants and a few shirts from a tailor in Hong Kong but from reading, prices can be 15K HK for a suit alone from the well known shops here. That's wildly out of my budget.

Can anyone recommend a few shops that would be more in my budget? I'm happy to pay for quality craftsmanship and materials but I need to strike a balance considering I'm a mostly poor college kid.

Appreciate the guidance,

cd

 

[PekingRoadHK]

Hi guys,

I recently graduated from college and am being sent to Shanghai on a due diligence project on behalf of a firm in Toronto. I'm currently unemployed but am optimistic. Considering my flight there is free, I was considering going to Beijing, Hong Kong and perhaps Taiwan afterwards. I have no rush for returning back in Toronto.

My wardrobe is all clothes from Indochino, primarily because I get an additional 30% off. I've gained a bit of weight though and my pants don't fit comfortably. I was considering buying a suit, an extra pair of pants and a few shirts from a tailor in Hong Kong but from reading, prices can be 15K HK for a suit alone from the well known shops here. That's wildly out of my budget.

Can anyone recommend a few shops that would be more in my budget? I'm happy to pay for quality craftsmanship and materials but I need to strike a balance considering I'm a mostly poor college kid.

Appreciate the guidance,

cd

for Maple Leaf,

The best value tailors in Hong Kong are the tailors behind bespoke tailor shops who actually produce suits for tailor shops' customers. But this is for local customers only, one must prepare to purchase fabrics in different places, and this is called CMT : Cut, Make, Trim.

If you are a foreigner staying in HK for over 1 month, you must bring your Cantonese translator who understand local culture to communicate with the tailors behind tailor shops. Otherwise, they ignore you! There are at least 30 tailors who are willing to make suits for everyone (if you speak Cantonese) during low season. They are too busy during high season (Sept to Chinese new year), they are really open during low season (March to August) . For me, I am a local consumer, I go for CMT instead of going to tailor shops. I paid HK$2.xk for workmanship for a full canvas suit + cost of fabric which I need to purchase somewhere else in HK. For example, I am 5 foot 10, regular size, I need 3.3yard for a single breasted suit basic style. I paid HK$200 something/yard for VBC fabric, HK$400 something/yard for summer Dormeuil and Scabal fabric, HK$600 something/yard for all seasons Holland & Sherry fabric, and HK$600 something/yard for winter wool or cashere wool. That means the total cost of a suit is HK$3.xk for VBC fabrics, HK$4.xk for Dormeuil and Scabal summer fabrics, HK$5.xk for Holland & Sherry all seasons fabrics, HK$5xk for winter suit, etc. If you just want basic suit, you might be interested to make a fused suit, and the cost of workmanship is HK$1.3k. For low cost fused suit, HK$1.3k workmanship + HK$800 for VBC = HK$2.1k.

Mirador Mansion in TST is the center of tailors’ workshops in Hong Kong since 1960's. In this building, there are tailors for men suit and shirt, women dress suit and shirt, and uniform for public and private sectors. Men suit tailors in Mirador Mansion are the tailors behind 95% tailor shops in HK, including top tier tailor shops, except WW and AC (they have their own workshops). What does it mean? It means 95% tailor shops in HK are outsourcing their suit making work to tailors in Mirador Mansion. These tailors are actually the cutter, this is the most important part of suit making, and the rest of suit making is located in their Shenzhen workshops. We call them "BaoTou" in Cantonese. They are not employees of any tailor shop, they are self-employed running their own workshops.

How does this outsourcing system work? Each tailor shop is outsourcing their work to a few independent tailors (BaoTou) in Mirador, and each tailor (BaoTou) is working with a few tailor shops at the same time. Tailor shops provide services to retail customers, display and sell fabrics, provide a place for measurement and fitting. Once tailor shops take the order and make measurement, they order the fabric and pass the work to their BaoTou. BaoTou will do the cutting in their Mirador workshops, and the unfinished products will be passed to the shops for customers' fitting. After fitting, BaoTou take care of all suit making work in their Shenzhen workshops with their Shenzhen teammates. The finished products have to be checked by the BaoTou before delivery to the shops. If there are any alterations, BaoTou will take care of it. There are over 100,000 workshops of all kinds of garment in Shenzhen, Dongguan, Guangzhou, and all over Guangdong province serving the world.

There are about 100 tailors in this building from 3/F to 16/F, with an average of 8 tailors in each floor. If you want an elegant suit, you are expecting Shanghai workmanship from bespoke for 2 weeks completion. If you insist 3/4 days completion, Guangdong workmanship can do a fine job for a basic daily suit. They are independent tailors (BaoTou) working with 95% tailors shops, including bespoke tailor shops in HK. Don’t expect service from tailor workshops, they are NOT retailers. They are old folks, and well experienced tailors in HK. Please keep in mind, 3/F to 16/F is NOT a shopping mall for you to shop around. This building is full of tailor workshops and guesthouses. BaoTou always ignore strangers asking stupid questions. They are like technical people, they are not commercial people, this is their character. In a short form, BaoTou are tailors behind retail tailor shops. They make suits for tailor shops, and they make suits for local customers who can communicate with them. The end product is the same when we deal with BaoTou directly, and the price is much lower than we go retail tailor shops.

Cantonese language only, HK$ cash only, no credit card, no paypal, no online shopping, no wifi, no computer, no tablet, no whatsapp or wechat or fax, no facebook, no mail order, no decoration, no changing room. It means this is for local people only. If you are a local customer without Cantonese skill, you need to bring your own Cantonese translator. Mon - Sat, 3pm - 7pm.

If you are traveling to HK, you want to spend your time efficiently. Mirador Mansion is not a place for you. You go to a bespoke tailor shop (they usually markup over 100%), you spend more to save your time and effort. Bespoke tailor shops do have wide selection of fabrics for your choice, and they have sales people to serve you. BaoTou don't carry any fabric collection, and you have to spend time to shop for your fabric somewhere else. As a foreigner, you will be confused in this situation.

Google search : " Tailors (BaoTou) in Mirador for CMT suit HK. " or " suitcmt hk ", and you are there!

 

[Isolation]

I don't think tailoring shops usually mark up 100% at all for CMT, at least the ones I know of, excluding the hustly ones. They also handle a bunch of logistics, replacements, refunds, and trimmings. It seems a bit unfair to throw that number out there without substantiating it.

They do charge markup for using their own cloth, of course.

 

[Hifilover]



I don't think tailoring shops usually mark up 100% at all for CMT, at least the ones I know of, excluding the hustly ones. They also handle a bunch of logistics, replacements, refunds, and trimmings. It seems a bit unfair to throw that number out there without substantiating it.

They do charge markup for using their own cloth, of course.

It really depends on how much running cost to cover such as high rent. For expensive rent location , triple is common .

 

[PekingRoadHK]

We can purchase suit fabric in many fabric shops in HK, and have a tailor or BaoTou to make our suits. This is for CMT. I took photos from a source during low season when the source was very casual. The source allowed me to do that. Don't do that during high season! For low cost and decent fabrics, we can pick Giorgio Vallino and VBC 110s. This is an example of Giorgro Vallino.



This is Giorgio Vallino, 235g is good for summer. 280 represents 280 / 2 = HK$140/yard



This Scabal is for summer.



1100 represents 1100 / 2 = HK$550/yard


This is Holland & Sherry .


This Holland & Sherry 370g is for winter.


This VBC is glen check, you need 0.2yard more for cutting to match the square. 600 represents 600 / 2 = HK$300/yard

 

[PekingRoadHK]

This is an example of a shirt BaoTou with his workshop in Mirador Mansion, who used to work for a very famous bespoke tailor shop in HK. There are too many ex workers, ex tailors, ex BaoTou, tailors, BaoTou from most HK bespoke tailor shops in this building. Whatever we call them ex tailors, BaoTou, or whatever, I go Mirador instead of tailor shops for the same product. Among all HK bespoke tailor shops discussed in this forum, a lot of their ex tailors or BaoTou for suit and shirt can be found in Mirador Mansion.

I did tried the same shirt tailor, but for me, I don't like the cutting and comfort. I prefer another shirt BaoTou in Mirador Mansion at 50% workmanship cost. I think we all have different requirements for cutting and comfort, therefore, there is no single BaoTou/tailor shop for everyone! I prefer CMT because I got a lot more fabric choice. For long term, that also saves a lot of money.

4241#
http://www.styleforum.net/threads/the-hong-kong-tailors-thread.33568/page-213

I was a long time customer at AC since 1990's when I was a high school student back then.
But I stopped commission shirts from them around 2012-3, when their price going up and up and I can't justified to buy a shirt that expensive.
I don't have any complaint about their product or service, which are first class most of the time.
Which is just too expensive for me.

Now I used an ex-AC shirtmaker at Mirador Mansion, I agreed that you need to have time to adjust your pattern to get good result (after 2-3 commission), and it take a really long time. (AC can make me a shirt in 3 days but this Sifu in Mirador take 3 months!), but after your pattern is set and done, the shirt is 95% as good as AC IMHO. and I pay around 1/3 of price (if not cheaper) of what AC charged.
All in all, I think it is not really practical for a visitor from oversea to use my Mirador shirtmaker. But if you have time and paitence, I think it is a very good value.

BTW, don't PM me to ask who is my shirtmaker. You know who you should ask for But I can't guarantee he can give you the right answer!

 

[PekingRoadHK]

This review is an example of a suit BaoTou with his workshop in Mirador Mansion, who used to work for a very famous bespoke tailor shop in HK. This Ng sifu, like all other BaoTou, works for a few HK bespoke tailor shops at the same time. He is one of my suit BaoTou. I go Mirador for lower cost instead of tailor shops/middle men for the same product for much higher cost. For all BaoTou of Shanghai workmanship in Mirador, they charge HK$2.xk workmanship for a 2pcs full canvas suit. This review is very detail, but I want to make a correction to this review: Ng sifu workshop is located in Mirador Mansion TST, not Sham Shui Po. He works for a few tailor shops/middle men in Central, TST, and Sham Shui Po at the same time.

Many BaoTou told me, they see sales people from tailor shops with no knowledge on suit. I don't see any value going to tailor shops but sales people claim their services are valid. I think this is 2 different markets, and nothing is needed to argue on this issue. We are consumers, we decide where to go and what to buy. There are too many different BaoTou, they all got different standards for suit making. The issue is which BaoTou to pick. This review is an example of Ng sifu work, some people call that classic cut. I say this is more British cut. If this is what you prefer, classic cut BaoTou/tailors is for you. If you don't like the cut, classic cut BaoTou/tailors is not for you. If you prefer Italian cut, go for BaoTou/tailors of modern cut. They do neapolitan shoulders. we all have different requirements for cutting and comfort, therefore, there is no single BaoTou/tailor shops for everyone! A few BaoTou have their facebook pages, we can see what their workshops look like. I see Ng sifu workshop has good sunlight, while most other BaoTou workshops in Mirador don't have good sunlight.

3191# From Fabric to Suit -- a review of Ng Sifu’s CMT. (This post is too big to quote).
http://www.styleforum.net/threads/the-hong-kong-tailors-thread.33568/page-160