The Hong Kong BaoTou Tailors and Fabric Shops for CMT Thread

[PekingRoadHK]

For those of you who purchase English fabrics like Holland & Sherry, Dormeuil and Scabal from fabric stores, do the stores usually have the fabrics or will the stores need to order them from elsewhere? Am trying to work out whether I need to factor in wait times for fabrics to arrive.

If you need to wait, how long is the wait?

Each brand offers too many lines (catalogs) for different seasons every year. There is no way a fabric shop that can keep all fabrics in their shops.

Some sell their stocks only.

Some carry the sample books in their shops, we can pick the fabric from the sample books, pay a down payment (or full pay) and pick up the fabric in a few days.

 

[dukenukem4ever]

Will be hitting up Mirador next week to put in more suit and shirt orders.

Regarding Leung Sifu on 3f, he's a shirt maker. Charges 200 HKD for a "Made in HK" shirt and extras like MOP buttons depend on how thick you want them. I asked him if he could help me add side gussets, didn't get them done. Also, he's not using single needle stitch, seems to be double. Guess I'll have to show him a photo next time.

Does anyone here have experience with getting DOUBLE BREASTED suits? Which BAOTOU have y'all tried and how did your DB suit turn out in the end? BTW - what kind of fabric should I get with a DB suit? Lighter fabric or heavier for better drape of a DB construction? HAve never owned a DB suit before but feel like now's the time...

 

[PekingRoadHK]

Will be hitting up Mirador next week to put in more suit and shirt orders.

Regarding Leung Sifu on 3f, he's a shirt maker. Charges 200 HKD for a "Made in HK" shirt and extras like MOP buttons depend on how thick you want them. I asked him if he could help me add side gussets, didn't get them done. Also, he's not using single needle stitch, seems to be double. Guess I'll have to show him a photo next time.

Does anyone here have experience with getting DOUBLE BREASTED suits? Which BAOTOU have y'all tried and how did your DB suit turn out in the end? BTW - what kind of fabric should I get with a DB suit? Lighter fabric or heavier for better drape of a DB construction? HAve never owned a DB suit before but feel like now's the time...

All Baotou can make single breasted and double breasted. What's important is the position of lapel at higher position or lower position. Especially on doubled breasted, the look the lapel makes big difference.

For the lapel, young people prefer higher position. Show your Baotou a photo of your preferred lapel. Once it is cut, the Baotou might not be able to change the position.

Double breasted, peak lapel lower position is usually for uncles, peak lapel higher position is usually more fashionable.

 

[Suit_newbie]

Each brand offers too many lines (catalogs) for different seasons every year. There is no way a fabric shop that can keep all fabrics in their shops.

Some sell their stocks only.

Some carry the sample books in their shops, we can pick the fabric from the sample books, pay a down payment (or full pay) and pick up the fabric in a few days.

I am aware that no shop will have all fabrics. It was more a general question for English fabrics. That is, do shops only keep sample books and then when I come in and pick the fabric, they order for me? Or do shops keep both the sample books and the fabric stock such that it is likely I can pick up the fabric on the day? I'm not in Hong Kong so need to factor in wait times if the general trend is for all English fabrics to be ordered from overseas.

 

[dukenukem4ever]

I am aware that no shop will have all fabrics. It was more a general question for English fabrics. That is, do shops only keep sample books and then when I come in and pick the fabric, they order for me? Or do shops keep both the sample books and the fabric stock such that it is likely I can pick up the fabric on the day? I'm not in Hong Kong so need to factor in wait times if the general trend is for all English fabrics to be ordered from overseas.

I think this question is inherently impossible to answer unless you know exactly what kind / type / brand / color / season of fabric you want and you call the fabric shop asking for this particular information. You might as well factor in an extra 2 - 3 days to play it safe if you don't want to call and ask fabric shops yourself.

Or you could go to LOK sifu who has easy access to the stuff you're looking for? haha... if you like taking risks.

 

[dukenukem4ever]

All Baotou can make single breasted and double breasted. What's important is the position of lapel at higher position or lower position. Especially on doubled breasted, the look the lapel makes big difference.

For the lapel, young people prefer higher position. Show your Baotou a photo of your preferred lapel. Once it is cut, the Baotou might not be able to change the position.

Double breasted, peak lapel lower position is usually for uncles, peak lapel higher position is usually more fashionable.

I'm an uncle in Cantonese terms, so I would go for the lower gorge. Do you have any suggestions / stock photos of what would be an "acceptable" DB suit for an uncle? Or should I just nip photos off THE ARMOURY website haha...

 

[dygital]

I am aware that no shop will have all fabrics. It was more a general question for English fabrics. That is, do shops only keep sample books and then when I come in and pick the fabric, they order for me? Or do shops keep both the sample books and the fabric stock such that it is likely I can pick up the fabric on the day? I'm not in Hong Kong so need to factor in wait times if the general trend is for all English fabrics to be ordered from overseas.

I don't have any experience buying english fabrics since Lok Sifu got the fabric for me, but when I bought italian fabrics such as Reda, VBC, Kerry Knoll etc from Longwear, Samuel Chen or Artextile, they always had whatever I wanted in stock. Or rather, maybe they only showed me swatches that they had in stock but there was still a very very very large amount to choose from.

 

[dygital]

@PekingRoadHK , Where would I be able to find finmeresco or springram? Is Saviero the place to go (I saw Harrisons listed on your blog for Saviero). Is there any other place such as in TST/Central? I heard that Merino Brothers sells it but at a cost of 1500 a yard?

Also, any idea which place has the cheapest H&S? I see quite a few places on your blog that sell sit.

 

[PekingRoadHK]

I'm an uncle in Cantonese terms, so I would go for the lower gorge. Do you have any suggestions / stock photos of what would be an "acceptable" DB suit for an uncle? Or should I just nip photos off THE ARMOURY website haha...

I would show the tailor a photo to make sure the tailor understands what I prefer. Once the fabric is cut, the tailor can't change the position.
DOUBLE BREASTED STYLE

Double Breasted Style.

We've had way too many threads of late that are a bunch of nonsense . I thought it might make sense to start a thread with some substance, namely in the form of pics. Below is a collection of double breasted suit pics that I've collected over the past couple of years. Please free to include...

www.styleforum.net

 

[PekingRoadHK]

@PekingRoadHK , Where would I be able to find finmeresco or springram? Is Saviero the place to go (I saw Harrisons listed on your blog for Saviero). Is there any other place such as in TST/Central? I heard that Merino Brothers sells it but at a cost of 1500 a yard?

Also, any idea which place has the cheapest H&S? I see quite a few places on your blog that sell sit.

For Harrisons,
Merino Brothers is the HK agent for Harrisons, others don't have that big collection.

For H&S,
Fielding Brown & Finch offers the lowest price, but one has to order through a tailor shop that has an account with this one.
Hang Kong Woollen offers at least 10% more than Fielding Brown, but this one is open for general public.

For British fabric,
Loa Hai Shing offers many good British fabric, but high price for good British fabric.
Kwong Hing offers not too many British fabric, good price, limited selection, nothing too fancy.
Samuel Chen offers not too many British fabric, good price, limited selection, nothing too fancy.
Long wear group offers not too many British fabric, good price, limited selection, nothing too fancy. This one has big collection of Italian fabrics. Many tailor shops got their Italian fabrics here.
K.C. Lee offers mohair from Standeven for reasonable price.
I heard someone in HK is the agent for Huddersfield Cloth.

Alternatives for Harrisons and H&S, especially Harrisons is costing too much (the HK agent is taking too much profit, I prefer Huddersfield and Dugdale bros. (similar grade for less). Don't just look at Fresco and New Fine Worsted.
For Huddersfield: Alazar (made in Italy), OX2 and OZ2 (British fabric with Italian feel).
For Dugdale: Royal Pageant, mohair. <= I suggest this 2 as alternatives for less.

When a brand is costing too much, go for other brands for less, they are competitors and similar grade.

My blog tells too many fabric shops already.

Talk to Linking and K.C. Lee, I am sure this 2 fabric shops can offer you alternatives of similar grade for at least 50% off. If you can find the HK agent for Huddersfield Cloth, I am sure they can do the same.

If you are located outside HK, you might find an agent in your country that offers the same for less.

 

[PekingRoadHK]

I am aware that no shop will have all fabrics. It was more a general question for English fabrics. That is, do shops only keep sample books and then when I come in and pick the fabric, they order for me? Or do shops keep both the sample books and the fabric stock such that it is likely I can pick up the fabric on the day? I'm not in Hong Kong so need to factor in wait times if the general trend is for all English fabrics to be ordered from overseas.

No shop can give you an answer when you don't know the model number and the brand name. They might keep the stock of your fabric or they might not.

If you are located outside HK, you might find an agent in your home country that offers your fabric for less.

 

[patliean1]

Silly question: Do any of these HK fabric shops have an online presence?

 

[PekingRoadHK]

Silly question: Do any of these HK fabric shops have an online presence?

a few suit fabric shops and shirt fabric shops have their web sites or facebook pages.

 

[dukenukem4ever]

Honestly I've looked at their websites and facebook pages... freaking ancient and just impossible for them to put up all their catalogs on the sites, best to just call in.

H&S website is easy and lists all their fabrics with codes so i feel like tha'ts easy to figure out what you want and then call into the agent in hk to ask to order.

 

[dygital]

@PekingRoadHK So between Ng, Mao and Lok which would you recommend? I've tried Ng and Lok and am happier with Lok but would definitely give Ng a second try given how you say he is actually the cutter and doesn't outsource.

Is Mao worth trying if I explicitly ask for his best cutter in SZ? or same thing with Lok, if I asked Lok for his best cutter?