Henry Poole vs WW Chan

cchen · May 3, 2011

Originally Posted by m063264

Thank you for all of your advice. This is a big decision for me as it will take multiple months for me to save up enough for either suit.

The suits I've gotten from WW Chan in the past have been under $1500 and I've loved each. I am getting ready for business school interviews this fall (MBA) and want to be at my best. Getting a suit a step above everything else I have will add a spring to my step.

To me, the decision is between the best tailor in Hong Kong and one of the best tailors in the world. 15milmil15 is equivalent to 150's. My suit made of Zegna Trofeo (130s equivalent) is far and away nicer than my suits made of similar fabric from Scabal and Loro. I imagine that 15milmil15 will feel like a cloud. On the other hand, the finer the thread, the quicker it will wear out. While Poole's fabric may not be as soft to the touch as Chan's Zegna, I imagine their workmanship will be a step above.

It is a tough choice between a suit made of premium fabric that may have limited longevity and a suit made by the premier craftsman at an extra $2000.

Having gone through business school, I can tell you for a fact, your Chan suits are better than 99.99% of your peers

cdmoore1855 · May 3, 2011

Originally Posted by cchen

Having gone through business school, I can tell you for a fact, your Chan suits are better than 99.99% of your peers

What has business school have to do with it. It takes an MBA now pick out a good suit, or is tailoring now part of the Harvard corriculum, ha ha.

GBR · May 3, 2011

There are many good reasons to stay with Chan but the'magic' of a Savile Row suit is something special and worth trying at least once.

I would not however hold Poole up as that special, good if you like the house-style but not the best as you infer. Maurice Sedwell is closer to that accolade.

Poole is also very fixed in the military look to its coats.

VelvetGreen · May 3, 2011

I would remind you that much of that extra 2g on Savile Row will go to paying their astronomic rent. If you have loved Chan, go for something special with them rather than starting afresh with SR. Stick with what you know and love, and save SR for when you've got the job, because when you do SR, you need to fanny about with at least two suits, otherwise you're not doing it properly

cdmoore1855 · May 3, 2011

Originally Posted by GBR

There are many good reasons to stay with Chan but the'magic' of a Savile Row suit is something special and worth trying at least once.

I would not however hold Poole up as that special, good if you like the house-style but not the best as you infer. Maurice Sedwell is closer to that accolade.

Poole is also very fixed in the military look to its coats.

Yes Maurice Sedwell seems to be the best , although I think Chittleborough and morgan do good work. So many of the others likely cut corners and farm out the work. When I spoke to Joe Morgan at C&M, he told me he could make me a jacket in a week and I could come by the shop at anytime and see its progress as he made it. Not all will let you do that because its being worked on by sewing machines in some granny's house in Hackney. Sedwell claim they take 90hrs to make a suit, not sure if thats true though.

m063264 · May 12, 2011

Thank you for all of your advice. I had the opportunity to visit with Henry Poole today to ask what he could do better than WW Chan. They stuck to telling me how they would shape the jacket differently, such as more drape in the underarm area. They went on to compliment the finishing of the WW Chan jacket I showed them. This to me signaled that they couldn't do much better construction wise.

I think I will stick to WW Chan. The question I now face is do I go with Zegna Trofeo for my next suit, or upgrade to the 15milmil15.

whnay. · May 12, 2011

Strange fellows.

greger · May 12, 2011

Originally Posted by m063264

Thank you for all of your advice. I had the opportunity to visit with Henry Poole today to ask what he could do better than WW Chan. They stuck to telling me how they would shape the jacket differently, such as more drape in the underarm area. They went on to compliment the finishing of the WW Chan jacket I showed them. This to me signaled that they couldn't do much better construction wise.

I think I will stick to WW Chan. The question I now face is do I go with Zegna Trofeo for my next suit, or upgrade to the 15milmil15.

That sounds like a great way to sum it up, but is it the right answer? Did you walk back in their shop a minute later and see them rolling on the floor laughing at the coat you showed them?

Do SR tailors criticise their competition? Do they ever say anything negative? Or, do they point out how they do somethings different, which does not indicate if they are ten time better or maybe ten times worse. The price of their coats probably indicates more time in the making and not just higher rent. There are a lot of people paying more and I don't think they are paying extra for nothing. Words don't say it all.

m063264 · May 12, 2011

I agree that SR tailors may be gentle in their criticism of a customer's other suits, but if in doing so Henry Poole forwent an opportunity to explain why their product is better construction wise, they missed an opportunity to pick up a new customer. Before showing him my WW Chan suit, the Poole representative said, "I don't like to say anything bad about other suits." I replied, "Please be honest. Your company charges more than WW Chan, and if I am going to switch tailors, I need to know why your suits are better."

He proceeded to check the canvassing, the button work, and finishing, said it was good canvassing, and complimented the finishing.

cdmoore1855 · May 12, 2011

I think for the price point, WW Chan offer a good product and their finishing on some parts of the suit is could possibly be better than many on the row, if you read Jeffrey's blog where he disects suits, there is certainly some poor work on the suits made years past, whether they have improved or not I don't know. Manton said his A&S coat was very well finished, albeit the fiit was a little off and reluctant to rectify it

If Patrick cuts a good suit for you and you are happy with it, I am not sure you will get the added value from paying 3 times the price for a S.R one. I know it would be nice to have one from the row for special occasions, Chittleborough and Morgan or Maurice Sedwell would be my choices.

jefferyd · May 12, 2011

Originally Posted by greger

The price of their coats probably indicates more time in the making and not just higher rent.

Being a labor-intensive product, the higher price point probably indicates a higher cost of labor rather than time in the making. We know that cutters on the Row can make six figures, what do the tailors, finishers and management make? How does this compare to what they earn in China?

iyorito · May 12, 2011

Originally Posted by m063264

Thank you for all of your advice. I had the opportunity to visit with Henry Poole today to ask what he could do better than WW Chan. They stuck to telling me how they would shape the jacket differently, such as more drape in the underarm area. They went on to compliment the finishing of the WW Chan jacket I showed them. This to me signaled that they couldn't do much better construction wise.

I think I will stick to WW Chan. The question I now face is do I go with Zegna Trofeo for my next suit, or upgrade to the 15milmil15.

Underarm drape. Very important for comfort and ease to move arms. Go for Henry Poole. You will never get the same kind of cut out of Chan if you have no experience with Poole and have Chan take a look at the Poole suit. Sure they must have copied thousands of SR suits but unless you offer them something to duplicate from, they would cut it their way and no possible improvements at Chan.

TheFoo · May 12, 2011

This talk of 'upgrading' is wrongheaded. The 15milmil15 is not necessarily better than the Trofeo--it is merely more expensive. A $6,000 suit is not necessarily more expensive than a $2,000 suit merely due to construction or material quality.

sellahi22 · May 12, 2011

Originally Posted by m063264

I think I will stick to WW Chan. The question I now face is do I go with Zegna Trofeo for my next suit, or upgrade to the 15milmil15.

Consider going with an English fabric. Lesser is especially favored on SF. That will makes your suit look/feel more traditional Savile Row, as opposed to slick Italian luxury

Eustace Tilley · May 12, 2011

Originally Posted by sellahi22

Consider going with an English fabric. Lesser is especially favored on SF. That will makes your suit look/feel more traditional Savile Row, as opposed to slick Italian luxury

The Zegna Trofeo flannels are top-notch imo.

Henry Poole vs WW Chan

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