whoopee
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This past week I've received suits from two Hong Kong tailors: WW Chan and A-Man Hing Cheong. Chan have made many things for me, while this was my first suit from A-Man. Having some unexpected free time lately, I've decided to do a write-up regarding the two, since we get many questions on HK tailors in general and A-Man have relatively little coverage on the web. (Actually it would not be a bad idea to start an HK tailor thread. Other members could share their experiences with these or other tailors.) My intent isn't to compare the two and declare a winner and loser; it'd be unfair to A-Man because of my extended experience with Chan. The two are quite different in what they offer, both in tailoring and atmosphere. Still, I know people will want comparisons. Chan's and Patrick's, the cutter in HK, product are fairly well-known in these parts. My post will center around A-Man. A-Man are temporarily on the first floor of Prince's Building in Central while awaiting the new Mandarin Oriental to be completed. They expect to move back in August 2006. Their old and current premises are what one would probably imagine a tailors' showroom to be: slightly dark, woody, in a fine location, suited staff, clubby (the owner was lounging around at times and open for a chat). Chan's are by contrast, smaller and less fancy. Prices for A-Man's bolts are about the same as basic VBC for Chan, or maybe a tick higher. A-Man carry mostly English fabrics (some Edwin Woodhouse and Charles Claytons mixed in with no-names) whereas Chan's stock is more Italian, though of course they have swatch books from English merchants. This gives a general idea of how the two houses operate. Walk-ins seem common at A-Man, logical given their location. It's better to make an appointment at Chan, though they certainly will receive a drop-in customer with the same courtesy and service. The former have a larger staff. So I dropped in to the Prince's Building shop, discussed what I wanted with the salesperson, and was promptly measured by the cutter, a bespectacled chap in his fifties. I had three full fittings over the next five days, and then picked up my suit on the fifth visit to the shop. Each time I was attended to by the same cutter/fitter and at least a couple of the staff hovered. Reassuring in the light of their temp shop lacking multiple mirrors for the client to view the clothes at different angles. This was a bit frustrating but it turns out there are no issues with the back of my coat. I believe their new and proper shop will not have this problem. I chose a ~9 oz plain weave no-name English cloth from their house collection. The threads are a mix of charcoal and light grey for an overall dark grey effect. I asked for a conservative but reasonably shaped suit. 1 button, high notch lapel, side vented, straight pockets, 3/4 lined, slim flat fronts. The only thing daring about it was the button choice. The salesman replied to my specifications, "ah, Huntsman". I believe they buck the stereotype of HK tailors lacking a house style. It's akin to a middle of the road Savile Row cut - slightly soft, slightly structured, straight shoulders, medium lapels, clean, some shape. It's close to what I have from Kilgour, without the pronounced pagoda shoulders and slightly swelled chest, and a couple other tailors working in that vein. In fact, the reason I decided to try them was the visual evidence of someone I know who has a couple Huntsmans and Pooles from his time in London and now uses A-Man. The HK suits look as nice on him as his SR ones, though of course lacking the workmanship. His are more stylish than mine turned out to be, but I don't think it's shabby at all. The staff have seen a lot of the London product on their expat customers over the years (established in 1898) and know it well. Overall silhouette:
Front:
Back:
Seated:
Side Buckles:
Inside:
I've post-processed these quickly and so they're not very consistent. But the details and silhouette should be pretty clear from them. I have a distaste for solid satin ties thus must note that despite appearances the tie is an ottoman twill. I'm satisfied with the jacket for a first effort. The only real issue with fit is the armholes, which could stand to be a little higher. I don't think I mentioned it for some reason. The sleeves are a bit off and will be rotated. Style-wise, I normally would want the breast pocket a touch higher, the front quarters more curved and open, the fit a touch closer, and the notch lapels 1/4" narrower. But I did ask for a conservative cut this time - for serious, black shoe occasions - and didn't specify. As it stands, the coat certainly doesn't look bad as it is. In fact, I'm very happy with how it's turned out because at the first fitting it was quite worrisome. The cutter/fitter has a lot of time in the business under his belt and he is meticulous, with better taste than one might expect. He got the sleeve length right without my input, for example. The trousers are a bit more problematic, as can be seen in that admittedly piss-poor, backlit photo. Part of it is due to the shape of my legs, but the balance is still off. They also do not define my rear and legs as nicely as the ones Patrick makes for me. Disappointing compared to the jacket. They look better in person though and are comfortable. Like with another tailor I've used, the trousers did not receive the same attention as the coat. I'm pretty sure on how to avoid the problems in the future. The workmanship is fine. Overall on par with Chan. They use better side buckles, less apt to loosen and less conspicuous than Chan's, which frankly are the details that bother me most (picture below). Both trousers are completely machine made. Chest, shoulder, lapels about the same. The differences I find are due to the cloth. The importance of using good fabric cannot be stressed enough. Chan use horn buttons even on the inside buttons of my waistband, whereas A-Man use plastic ones throughout. I had no idea before picking up the suit (I had forgotten to choose buttons) and did not feel like asking them for replacements on the spot. They undoubtedly would. Chan's handmade buttonholes are nicer. A minor annoyance are that the A-Man hangers are no better than regular shirt hangers. But as said, a draw. Here's some pictures of my latest Chan suit. 1 button, notch lapel, open patch pockets, welt breast pocket, 3/4 lining, unlined flat fronts. Two quick fittings, since my pattern and preferences are down. Front:
Back:
Seated:
Side buckles:
Inside:
The cloth is a 9.5 oz. navy fresco from the H&S Crispaire book. I still agonise over whether I should have chosen the bright navy mohair/wool instead. It’s very nice cloth though. A fine upgrade from my old warm weather blazer, with trousers to make it a suit when necessary, and this summer it often will be. The buttons will likely be changed to MOP buttons later this year. It looks better in person. The two suits are also more different than they seem in these pictures. The better fabric is obvious. Patrick and I have worked to create a more distinct silhouette, which can be better seen in the DB photo I posted. I couldn’t get a shot of this one. Chris Despos called it high continental, the first I've heard of it. Everything is higher and more fitted than what I think an English-style tailor would do. It has just a bit of shoulder wadding and roping but is quite soft. Very comfortable to wear (just logged a full day, a flight, and at least a couple kilometers on foot in this suit). Hangs off my shoulders nicely. I like it a lot. Patrick has accommodated me in a way A-Man would be less used to, I believe. The staff of both houses are exceedingly polite, but the suited men in the wood-decked room seem a little more defined in what they want to do. I overheard a (new, I think) client enquiring about a 1 button, peak lapel blazer. He probably wanted hacking pockets, too. His salesperson chuckled. Maybe he was saved from himself. I know from personal experience that trying to be one's own stylist and tailor can be a costly disaster. Patrick didn't peep when I ordered a three-piece suit using a list of specific measurements and adjustments to be followed to the 1/4". It fits like a whole-body corset. I actually have no idea where it is. Too unwearable and unsalvageable for me to care. In the long run, I like that. I would have been a bit peeved if not allowed to fail. But that's me. Like I said, A-Man's people have had extensive experience with a certain clientele desiring a classic English styled suit. Their more conservative ambience and cloth attests to that, and they do it very well. If that's what I wanted, I would see them. They probably do a very good job with traditional tweeds and odd jackets. I’ll likely ask them to make me one. Chan can do a lot but if not directed towards a certain stance, the product may not be as nice. I found this in my first suit from a while back (and the aforementioned misadventure a result of too much direction), which isn't as nice as my first A-Man. But then I came to understand what I wanted and Patrick, not least because of his age, has a good feel for my tastes. With the ladies' fashion staff in the same room, I feel the firm is more receptive to slightly unusual requests. They won’t skip a beat (at least not visibly) when asked to make up something with an aubergine or jade green fabric or such. I'm very happy with what we do now. And I personally like the humbler showroom, its mirrored fitting room, that old Shanghainese tailors work right upstairs, that Patrick wears jeans, and the lack of passersby. In the end, as quality and pricing are virtually the same between the two tailors, it comes down to individual taste and how comfortable one feels with the respective staffs and stores. WW Chan's info can be found on their website www.wwchan.com A-Man Hing Cheong's contact info is not easy to find on the web so here are their phone numbers and email (I doubt they check this often): (T) 852 2522 3336 (F) 852 2523 4707 [email protected]
