Buying fabric in Singapore?

[josepidal]

Are there places to get suiting and shirting fabric cheap in Singapore, things you can take to a cheaper local tailor?

 

[whoopee]

Hwa Seng have some nice, basic cloths (eg 80's Scabal, Halstead) for reasonable prices. As in you could probably get a suiting length for USD 250 or less. $50 or so for an Acorn 100's (not very attractive with Jantzen as an option). There are probably some lesser known, lower priced places.

 

[Matt]

Originally Posted by whoopee

Hwa Seng have some nice, basic cloths (eg 80's Scabal, Halstead) for reasonable prices. As in you could probably get a suiting length for USD 250 or less. $50 or so for an Acorn 100's (not very attractive with Jantzen as an option). There are probably some lesser known, lower priced places.
yeah, ask Mr Koh to see his discount stuff and end runs etc, he has those discounted.

 

[Roger]

Whoopee and m@t, this is interesting. Hwa Seng is where I got those MOP buttons I posted about a while ago, and I've looked over their shirting cottons and suiting wools, with the intention of possibly purchasing some. It sounds as though you guys have some perspective on these fabrics that I lack. So I have a couple of questions, if I may slightly take this off track.

First, are the prices for the cottons in the Gianfranco Fila line (which are sourced from a bunch of different mills) and the Enrico Ferrante line (higher quality and sourced from top mills) reasonable? Also, Whoopee, you mention the Acorn line--which includes some cottons of higher yarn count that 100. How would you rate the quality and the prices? As for wools, I'm such a novice that I have little idea of the quality of the various lines. I know they have Hield, Dormeuil, and a couple of others available in winter-weight wools. What's your take on the quality and prices?

Josepidal, hope I haven't taken this too far off track, and the answers will help answer your questions too.

 

[whoopee]

Haven't really looked at the Fila and Ferrante shirtings as I'm not interested in buying them from a fabric store. Acorn are a well-known maker. Some of their fabrics are quite nice and others aren't. I believe it is because they are sourced from a couple different mills. English shirtmakers use a lot of Acorn, especially at the 100/2 level. Good staple shirting. For higher numbers, there are a couple better options. Prices are reasonable in that they carry the typical fabric store markup. Unless your local shirtmaker is really devoid of anything decent (which I believe is the case for josepidal), I'm not sure why you would order Acorn cloth from halfway around the world.

The Dormeuil gabardine is very nice. The Scabal and Wain Shiell suitings are solid stuff, too, and pretty well priced. The winter weight options are at best, middling. Order from Holland & Sherry (my fav) or some other top merchant that does mail order, like Smith reportedlyt does.

 

[Roger]

Whoopee, thanks for invaluable advice. Can you give me the necessary contact information to order directly from both Holland & Sherry and Smith? BTW, you found the Dormeuil flannels only mediocre? (This may well be the case; just wondering.) Cheers.

 

[whoopee]

www.hollandandsherry.com - I believe the link is "retail"

I've never ordered directly from Smith. Some London Loungers have and have posted there about them.

The Dormeuil flannel they have is pretty nice, certainly not mediocre. Worsted, not woolen though, and not as beefy as I like.

 

[My View2]

Besides Hwa Seng, there is a fabric seller called Eurocloth in The Concourse, beach road. Google and you will find the contacts details. I had bought some shirting fabrics before. Prices were the same as Hwa Seng (in that fabrics of the same grade are sold for about the same unit price). I personally feel that the offerings at Eurocloth were a little more exciting....

 

[whoopee]

The hotel I'm staying at is pretty close to there. I'll check it out sometime.

Hey My View2, check your PM inbox.

 

[msp]

You guys might want to go to KEVIN SEAH at red dot traffic building. He is the agent for many brands of cloths like Dugale & Bros, John G hardy, Grandi and Rubenilli and Harrisons. Very nice and helpful bloke... I've ordered some W Bill irish linens too. I think his range of cloths is possibly the best though everything got to be ordered.