The Hong Kong BaoTou Tailors and Fabric Shops for CMT Thread

[Petey]

Re: chicken foot stitch buttons, Wong said I'm his first customer opting for that (didn't charge extra but hard to say in future)

IIRC he usually soaks and dries the fabrics before cutting them

Anyways, I've gotten some sexy vintage check jacketing on 3/f of Mirador. A tag showed 7-digit phone numbers, meaning the fabric must have been shipped to Hong Kong before 1995.

The other day I also bought some suit-length Wain Shiell fabric manufactured between 70s and 80s I believe for ~USD 4 in Sham Shui Po.

Fabric hunting is a good pastime I tell ya.

That's great ! Any other wonderful fabrics that caught your eye?

 

[Warrant_Buffet]

That's great ! Any other wonderful fabrics that caught your eye?

Some looked quite fine but most that I saw were unbranded.

Anyway, here's what happened at my first fitting today: see how Fung is cutting / adjusting a paper pattern to make sure it's the shape I want for the collar / lapel (fishmouth). I was pleasantly surprised by this because he's the first cutter I've known that does it.

I was looking to make a De Luca-Kenjiro Suzuki hybrid SB this time but Fung said he can't do con rollino or the tear drop pocket (spalla camicia, yes, but I may just do pagoda instead).

 

[Petey]

wow this will be agreat 4 season jacket! Fung looks very focused. What floor is he on ? Thanks

 

[Petey]

wow this will be agreat 4 season jacket! Fung looks very focused. What floor is he on ? Thanks

 

[Warrant_Buffet]

He's on 11th. Go let him know what you like -- he's quite quick to give first fitting sessions.

Mind you though, while I like how skillful he is with cutting and fitting (esp. given I don't have the best body shape), I wouldn't expect the best craftsmanship. Still, good bang for the buck and it's what I'm looking for.

 

[dukenukem4ever]

Craftsmanship would come down to the backend workshop (presumably in SZ?) he uses right? Or does he do it all in house at Mirador?

 

[Warrant_Buffet]

from what I know he does everything in house.

 

[PekingRoadHK]

@Warrant_Buffet

#1,097, this is a part of drawing and cutting of your fabric. Most BaoTou are doing the same thing in their Mirador workshop. It takes about 2 hours in this process. Then, they will put all pieces of fabric together in the next process, also in Mirador Mansion.

They make paper pattern for the lapel. Your BaoTou will adjust the shape and size of the lapel paper pattern during the fitting process. You can look at the proportion and the shape of lapel if it is right for you.

After the fitting process, BaoTou send the work to Shenzhen workshops (Shenzhen sifu) or HK labour (HK retired sifu working at home) to finish the work.

 

[PekingRoadHK]

from what I know he does everything in house.

BaoTou do all cutting and fitting in HK. You see Fung cutting and fitting skill in Mirador Mansion.

If it is made in Shenzhen, the work is depending on the craftmanship of the Shenzhen workshop.
If it is made in HK, the work is depending on the craftmanship of the HK labour.

You can ask Fung if he passes the work to Shenzhen or HK sifu, this is the workmanshop behind Fung.

 

[dukenukem4ever]

I'd be interested to know if the workshop for putting the suit together is in HK or SZ. Not that Made in SZ is not good, I'm just genuinely curious because I don't know many who still put suits together in HK.

 

[Warrant_Buffet]

@Warrant_Buffet

#1,097, this is a part of drawing and cutting of your fabric. Most BaoTou are doing the same thing in their Mirador workshop. It takes about 2 hours in this process. Then, they will put all pieces of fabric together in the next process, also in Mirador Mansion.

They make paper pattern for the lapel. Your BaoTou will adjust the shape and size of the lapel paper pattern during the fitting process. You can look at the proportion and the shape of lapel if it is right for you.

After the fitting process, BaoTou send the work to Shenzhen workshops (Shenzhen sifu) or HK labour (HK retired sifu working at home) to finish the work.

From my limited experience, he's the only sifu I've met so far that actually cuts (and re-cuts) the paper pattern in front of me to make sure the eventual work was what I wanted. It's not to say I don't have a part to play: I've learned to go over more details of the suit instead of leaving everything for the tailor to figure out.

Again, the suits were made in the workshop from what I heard - start to finish.

And to sidetrack a little: his cutting style features a clean chest (vs drapey).

 

[PekingRoadHK]

@Warrant_Buffet

You see the cutting process only, you can ask to see his HK work on Milanese buttonhole, this is a work after fitting. I talked to Fung sifu 2 years ago before the pandemic, he said his suits were made in Shenzhen, and he had workshop problems. In 2021, he might have a HK team, or he has no change at all.

This is a video I took in a Shenzhen workshop, making a Milanese buttonhole:



This is the normal process, BaoTou do all cutting and fitting in HK. After the fitting, we have a choice: made in HK (HK sifu do all work in HK), made in Shenzhen (Shenzhen sifu do all work). However, BaoTou seldom shows their full workshop behind them.

If your suits are made in HK, they are properly made by any one of these sifu:
a) 16/F To sifu and 7/F Hung sifu: both sifu are making suits in Mirador Mansion all by themself, taking outsource orders from tailor shops and Mirador Baotou. Both are charing over HK$3.xk for Shanghai workmanship.
b) a few retired sifu working at home: they are making suits all by themself, taking outsource orders from tailor shops and Mirador Baotou. They are charging between HK$1k+ and HK$6k+ for Guangdong workmanship or Shanghai workmanship.

 

[shirtingfantasy]

Hi @PekingRoadHK and fellow SFers in HK!

I mentioned patina service some times ago, and I got into patina painting myself.

As I am still learning, I welcome anyone to submit to me crust leather shoes (such as those from Septieme Largeur) for *free* patina painting on a “no-guarantee” basis. I will try my best, but you agree not to sue me or request any compensation if I got the linings dirty, cannot get a beautiful enough colour etc

If you have old shoes that you want to change into a different colour, if the colour is tan or light brown, I may be able to do something about it. In that case I would have to discuss the request with you on a case-by-case basis.

This is not a paid service, and does not entail any commercial exchange of value.

Below please find my recent practice pairs:

 

[Ambroise]

Just went to Loa Hai Shing in Central, I heard they had Alumo and they do. I ended up buying two fabrics and might come back for more later.
Overall very nice offer of fabric for both shirt and suits (a lot of Scabal).
I met the wife of the owner who was very nice and with whom I talked a lot about her different fabrics, she was very available.

It was a very good advice to come after Chinese New Year ; she mentioned how busy she was before, and how it is much calmer now.

Next step: find a tailor to make the shirts

Edit: Just noticed that it was from your blog @shirtingfantasy that I read about Alumo, thank you!

 

[dygital]

Just went to Loa Hai Shing in Central, I heard they had Alumo and they do. I ended up buying two fabrics and might come back for more later.
Overall very nice offer of fabric for both shirt and suits (a lot of Scabal).
I met the wife of the owner who was very nice and with whom I talked a lot about her different fabrics, she was very available.

It was a very good advice to come after Chinese New Year ; she mentioned how busy she was before, and how it is much calmer now.

Next step: find a tailor to make the shirts

Edit: Just noticed that it was from your blog @shirtingfantasy that I read about Alumo, thank you!

How much was their alumo per metre?