• Hi, I am the owner and main administrator of Styleforum. If you find the forum useful and fun, please help support it by buying through the posted links on the forum. Our main, very popular sales thread, where the latest and best sales are listed, are posted HERE

    Purchases made through some of our links earns a commission for the forum and allows us to do the work of maintaining and improving it. Finally, thanks for being a part of this community. We realize that there are many choices today on the internet, and we have all of you to thank for making Styleforum the foremost destination for discussions of menswear.
  • This site contains affiliate links for which Styleforum may be compensated.
  • We would like to welcome House of Huntington as an official Affiliate Vendor. Shop past season Drake's, Nigel Cabourn, Private White V.C. and other menswear luxury brands at exceptional prices below retail. Please visit the Houise of Huntington thread and welcome them to the forum.

  • STYLE. COMMUNITY. GREAT CLOTHING.

    Bored of counting likes on social networks? At Styleforum, you’ll find rousing discussions that go beyond strings of emojis.

    Click Here to join Styleforum's thousands of style enthusiasts today!

    Styleforum is supported in part by commission earning affiliate links sitewide. Please support us by using them. You may learn more here.

Malaysian bespoke

hymo

Senior Member
Joined
Sep 10, 2009
Messages
447
Reaction score
21
Just took delivery of my bespoke here in Kuala Lumpur. Cloth is a dark grey herringbone from Huddersfiled, buttons from Hwa Seng, lining is pure silk sateen. Half canvassed.





 

edmorel

Quality Seller!!
Dubiously Honored
Joined
Mar 10, 2006
Messages
25,963
Reaction score
5,157
suit looks good and I am assuming procured at a good price. I know nothing of tailoring but the jacket looks clean front and back and the sleeve pitch and lapels look good.

Not sure why, but I find your username really disturbing
smile.gif
 

Alter

Distinguished Member
Joined
Dec 29, 2004
Messages
4,321
Reaction score
144
Originally Posted by edmorel
suit looks good and I am assuming procured at a good price. I know nothing of tailoring but the jacket looks clean front and back and the sleeve pitch and lapels look good. Not sure why, but I find your username really disturbing
smile.gif

Make you feel like breaking something, Ed? And I agree about the suit. Nice fit..the waist suppression is well done.
 

hymo

Senior Member
Joined
Sep 10, 2009
Messages
447
Reaction score
21
Hymo is a brand of horsehair canvas from Germany. It's used in a generic sense nowadays. No, it doesn't refer to anything thin and puncturable.
facepalm.gif
 

Confucius

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 6, 2006
Messages
490
Reaction score
0
Hi sorry to bump an oldish thread but just wondering where you did your suit and how you found the whole experience with the tailor.

Thinking of making my first foray into the bespoke world...
 

hymo

Senior Member
Joined
Sep 10, 2009
Messages
447
Reaction score
21
http://forum.lowyat.net/index.php?ac...ost&id=1244926

We had long and heated arguments in coming up with this suit. You need to look at his house cut, then decide what needs to change, then communicate it to him. At the fitting stage, you'll need to point out ON THE BASTED SUIT what you want changed.

This suit makes for a great visual impact on others. I get all sorts of comments when I wear it.
 

hymo

Senior Member
Joined
Sep 10, 2009
Messages
447
Reaction score
21
I went to Ah Loke tailor in Kuala Lumpur today to commission my second suit. The cloth is a WWChan vintage cloth that yfyf brought to our attention. 100% superfine kid mohair, 8 oz., navy woven with white resulting in a rarely seen metallic bluish gray.
8oz-13-Silverscroll-FM50414Small.jpg
I included habotai silk lining of a similar tone. I'm amazed with this material: It is so porous, yet so shiny and strong. I can't think of a better lining for a summer mohair suit. I was originally thinking of getting ermazine, but who can bother with something synthetic like that when silk of this sort is available? Got some light brown horn buttons from Hwa Seng as well. (Color C)
H3427-201-big.jpg
I used his previous suit for me (pictured above) as a reference for this commission. Differences include 1. Open quarters 2. A cleaner back 3. More exquisite buttonholes Baste fitting is on Tuesday.
 

Svenn

Distinguished Member
Joined
Oct 15, 2008
Messages
1,614
Reaction score
52
How much was your previous suit hymo?

Did he offer full canvassing if you ask?
 

hymo

Senior Member
Joined
Sep 10, 2009
Messages
447
Reaction score
21
He charged me RM600 (USD 180) for labour in both cases. No, he doesn't do full canvassing, not at any price.
 

Svenn

Distinguished Member
Joined
Oct 15, 2008
Messages
1,614
Reaction score
52
Originally Posted by hymo
He charged me RM600 (USD 180) for labour in both cases. No, he doesn't do full canvassing, not at any price.
Woah... that's amazing. I'm not familiar with cheap tailoring in Asia, but is it really the full 'bespoke' we hear about on say Savile Row that has dozens of measurement points, or is it a sort of 'quick and dirty' bespoke where he just alters a preexisting pattern? Is there any chance it's just MTM? How many fittings were there? Guidebooks always say that suits in that price range tend to fall apart quickly.... is your tailor tourist or local oriented? If the former, I would worry it might fall apart quickly; though in reality, it's not that big of a deal to have to stich up a $180 suit on occasion. Why do you think he's not willing to do full canvassing? Related question to anyone, can one make up for the lack of full canvassing by just having a heavier wool? Edit: oh, i see you said $180 "for labor" ...how much was the fabric?
 

hymo

Senior Member
Joined
Sep 10, 2009
Messages
447
Reaction score
21
Both suits cost around $340 each with cloth, lining, buttons and labor.

It's pretty bespokey. I had a measurement session followed by two fitting sessions before picking up a finished suit. It's not "MTM". He draws the pattern with chalk in hand directly on the cloth based on your measurements and his recollection of your body. He's like 64-years old, and a second-generation tailor. If you're highly talented at giving technical directions (which I doubt) you can get him to give you any silhouette you want.

There is no demand for full-canvassing in Malaysia. I'm the only nuthead who goes around the country looking for it. To no avail. Though I just got a fresh lead today -- from Ah Loke himself.
 

Svenn

Distinguished Member
Joined
Oct 15, 2008
Messages
1,614
Reaction score
52
Originally Posted by hymo
Both suits cost around $340 each with cloth, lining, buttons and labor.

It's pretty bespokey. I had a measurement session followed by two fitting sessions before picking up a finished suit. It's not "MTM". He draws the pattern with chalk in hand directly on the cloth based on your measurements and his recollection of your body. He's like 64-years old, and a second-generation tailor. If you're highly talented at giving technical directions (which I doubt) you can get him to give you any silhouette you want.

There is no demand for full-canvassing in Malaysia. I'm the only nuthead who goes around the country looking for it. To no avail. Though I just got a fresh lead today -- from Ah Loke himself.

Wow, that level of tailoring is good enough for me. I'll definitely have to keep that tailor in mind if I'm in the area again. If I could get 2 suits done by him simultaneously, that would definitely offset the cost of the airplane ticket, and provide a nice vacation. Where did you choose the cloth from? Have you had any experience with other tailors in the region? Bangkok, etc?
 

Confucius

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 6, 2006
Messages
490
Reaction score
0
Wow RM1,200 for the suit? That's a sweet deal. I have no idea where 'Off Campbell Road' is though.

I live across the road from KLCC so I might speak to Fox tailor and see what they charge. They have some nice Loro Piana fabrics in their window.

(p.s. that Lowyat forum is full of tossers)
 

hymo

Senior Member
Joined
Sep 10, 2009
Messages
447
Reaction score
21
Originally Posted by Svenn
Wow, that level of tailoring is good enough for me. I'll definitely have to keep that tailor in mind if I'm in the area again. If I could get 2 suits done by him simultaneously, that would definitely offset the cost of the airplane ticket, and provide a nice vacation. Where did you choose the cloth from? Have you had any experience with other tailors in the region? Bangkok, etc?

The charcoal herringbone is from a cloth merchant 10 minutes from the tailor. They're selling it for RM140/m.

Originally Posted by Confucius
Wow RM1,200 for the suit? That's a sweet deal. I have no idea where 'Off Campbell Road' is though.

I live across the road from KLCC so I might speak to Fox tailor and see what they charge. They have some nice Loro Piana fabrics in their window.

(p.s. that Lowyat forum is full of tossers)


You drive along Jln Tuanku Abdul Rahman. It's a one way street. You'll eventually see Sogo, then down a bit you'll see Pertama Complex. Turn left, and you're on Campbell Road, with Campbell Complex on your right. To the left are several car parks; pick one. Then you walk down the road, turn left into "Asian Heritage Row". Lots of small pubs and bars. At the first junction turn right. His shop is the second.
 

Featured Sponsor

How important is full vs half canvas to you for heavier sport jackets?

  • Definitely full canvas only

    Votes: 55 36.2%
  • Half canvas is fine

    Votes: 59 38.8%
  • Really don't care

    Votes: 17 11.2%
  • Depends on fabric

    Votes: 26 17.1%
  • Depends on price

    Votes: 26 17.1%

Staff online

Forum statistics

Threads
505,154
Messages
10,578,819
Members
223,882
Latest member
RoberParme
Top