The Hong Kong Tailors Thread

[hyho]

Thats the HK price

@dieworkwear Thanks for the info - AC just emailed me back and said I can send them my dress shirt so they can look at the collar. ]

@dhkt Thanks for the pic! Yes, I plan to do at least two fittings while I am at Hong Kong.

@hyho WHAT?! Which city was your trunk show hosted in? They said a Moonbeam sportscoat would be $2,400 this October at the San Francisco trunk show. You said that you paid 15,000 HKD, which is around $1,915...Mind blowing.

That

 

[Eucris]

Here is my OCBD shirt from the Ascot Chang Prince Building Branch two or three years ago. I don't recall the exact collar model and it's probably made with the 101 interlining of Ascot Chang. The collar is stiffer than all of my Italian-made shirts, but I still rather like it as its shape holds quite well.

I suppose that you can schedule 1-2 fittings with them during your stay in Hong Kong. Sending your email again for the appointments may help.
View attachment 1098263

May I ask who made your jacket? It looks great!

 

[BernieL]

@hyho so you bought the moonbeam jacket at WWC’s HK store last month?

So I guess it’s confirmed that WWC does have two pricing lines: 1. Local HK pricing and 2. International Trunk Show pricing.

I’ll see if I can lock in the lower HK pricing when I arrive in Hong Hong Kong by putting down deposits for multiple sport coats. I can also ignore the ridiculous 8.5% California state tax!

They must have separate pricing books for local customers and trunk show customers - seems like they just add $500 on top for non-locals, which is quite extensive.

 

[hyho]

@hyho so you bought the moonbeam jacket at WWC’s HK store last month?

So I guess it’s confirmed that WWC does have two pricing lines: 1. Local HK pricing and 2. International Trunk Show pricing.

I’ll see if I can lock in the lower HK pricing when I arrive in Hong Hong Kong by putting down deposits for multiple sport coats. I can also ignore the ridiculous 8.5% California state tax!

They must have separate pricing books for local customers and trunk show customers - seems like they just add $500 on top for non-locals, which is quite extensive.

I think it works like this all the time. I got a pair of trousers made at Igarashi and was charged almost 9k by the Armory. Flew to japan and got the same thing at 6.5k. I guess everyone needs to cover their travel expense

 

[hyho]

@hyho so you bought the moonbeam jacket at WWC’s HK store last month?

So I guess it’s confirmed that WWC does have two pricing lines: 1. Local HK pricing and 2. International Trunk Show pricing.

I’ll see if I can lock in the lower HK pricing when I arrive in Hong Hong Kong by putting down deposits for multiple sport coats. I can also ignore the ridiculous 8.5% California state tax!

They must have separate pricing books for local customers and trunk show customers - seems like they just add $500 on top for non-locals, which is quite extensive.

You should definitely do that. My friend paid the cost upfront in HK and they did the fitting in NYC. Better paying extra at the state of Commifornia

 

[dhkt]

May I ask who made your jacket? It looks great!

Thank you! It's made by Yuki Inoue Milano and I like his work a lot, especially the construction of the jacket. Just some minor tweaks are needed.

 

[chobochobo]

:foo:

 

[chobochobo]

Liverano at Armoury is 100% up front, and more expensive than Italy. I shall go to Firenze and demand local price.

 

[shirtingfantasy]

@shirtingfantasy @dieworkwear Gentlemen, do you know if Ascot Chang is able to produce the Permanent Style Button-Down Collar? (pic below) View attachment 1098232 View attachment 1098233 View attachment 1098234

I walked in to get measured wearing the RTW model of the Permanent Style Oxford Button Down Shirt (exact same shirt Simon is wearing, except his is bespoke) and they told me they could do the same collar. However, this is the end result i got:
View attachment 1098235

If you want the exact same collar, it is prudent to leave them with the shirt and let them copy it. Ask for the collar to be copied exactly - measurements won’t suffice since shirt-makers are known to improvise between measured points. This is the only way to avoid further significant disappointment.

For the Simon look, you may consider unbuttoning one more button, if you have not already tried. This may give you more Permenant style. Do wash the shirt and iron it properly. Did you ask for gathered sleevehead?

I would like to concur with what @bamboo and @chobochobo have mentioned: trunk show prices are naturally higher; if one has all the time to travel, he doesn’t need trunk shows.

 

[shirtingfantasy]

Do you have pics of any button-down shirts by Ascot Chang we all can see? That would be greatly appreciated, thank you.

I have a few button-down shirts (two or three, not too many) from Ascot Chang, but they are either still in my wardrobe or with the dry cleaner.

Here is an old photo of a Carlo Riva "Super Oxford" (180/2 x 180/2) shirt I made with a local maker (Mr MH Wong @wongmanhoi1025), who worked under Ascot Chang during his youth. He used a super soft interlining for this shirt on my request. I think this is what I consider a decent roll. What do you think?



On the other hand, this is a recent shirt made by Golden Eagle, another local tailor. It is still with the dry cleaner so again I cannot get back to you with a photo until perhaps a week later.



This is a photo of the owners (Mr Allan Lo @allan.lo) wearing his own shirt. Note the roll.



The rather stiff (or dignified) look of Simon's shirt comes also from the fact that his Oxford fabric is a rather robust kind woven to his request by Canclini. Maybe you can consider buying a length from his website to try to replicate that look.

 

[BernieL]

@hyho Thanks for the helpful information, I'll definitely take advantage of my trip to Hong Kong to get the local price. Hopefully, I can persuade them to allow me to pay 20% down, albeit for 5+ sports coats all at once.

@shirtingfantasy Yup, going to send them my PS Oxford so they can look at the collar. Your Carla River Super Oxford is exactly what I want...that is one of the sexiest rolls I've ever seen. Is that still a fused collar? Also, do you know how to achieve the nice V-shape framing the face open-collared look Simon has going on?

When I unbutton both my buttons, this is how my collar looks like (it doesn't open outwards like his collar does. Simon told me he moved the third button up to achieve the V-shape):

Lastly, you think only sturdier fabrics can achieve Simon's open-collared look? I'd like to be able to have that V-shape frame + collar roll on my business poplin shirts as well.

 

[shirtingfantasy]

@hyho Thanks for the helpful information, I'll definitely take advantage of my trip to Hong Kong to get the local price. Hopefully, I can persuade them to allow me to pay 20% down, albeit for 5+ sports coats all at once.

@shirtingfantasy Yup, going to send them my PS Oxford so they can look at the collar. Your Carla River Super Oxford is exactly what I want...that is one of the sexiest rolls I've ever seen. Is that still a fused collar? Also, do you know how to achieve the nice V-shape framing the face open-collared look Simon has going on?

View attachment 1098672

When I unbutton both my buttons, this is how my collar looks like (it doesn't open outwards as his collar does. Simon told me he moved the third button up to achieve the V-shape):
View attachment 1098675

Lastly, you think only sturdier fabrics can achieve Simon's open-collared look? I'd like to be able to have that V-shape frame + collar roll on my business poplin shirts as well.

Yes @BernieL, I think the framing effect you want requires button positioning in addition to collar shaping and construction.

If you think about it, to support the collar and the front placket fabric like this very dignified V you need some stiffness to the fabric. In fact my Carlo Riva Super Oxford does NOT do that (CR being a super soft fabric naturally). I guess it was a fused. Don't be misled into believing that only non-fused collars can have a natural roll: Brooks Brothers, the inventor of this style, is currently selling it fused, so it must be technically feasible, at least in well-equipped factories.

I would suggest you go with Thomas Mason "American Oxford" (or if you stick with Alumo, their 80/2 Oxford) to optimize the fit and shape first. Initial bespoke projects should always start with less expensive cloth, to avoid wasting precious fabric (even if I had all the money, I still feel bad for the cloth). You should be expected to wash the shirt a few times and iron it properly to let yourself evaluate the real-life performance of the cloth. Softer fabric like a 140/2 twill (Thomas Mason "Hampton" in 140/2 Giza 45 comes to mind) would allow you to evaluate the fit better; but since it cannot make your ideal shirt, let's forget about it at the moment.

Communication is the key to building a long-term relationship with a tailor. As consumers we all want to pay less if possible - and that's why you have Trivago and Hotels.com. But we should also remember that what a reputable shop is selling is never just "a jacket in luxury fabric XYZ". If you scroll through this thread you can find sources to all luxurious fabric that become "marked-up" or "upcharged" 10x at WW Chan or 5x at Ascot Chang to become the suit price or shirt price. The premium you paid did not go right directly down the drain: it allows them to maintain as a sizeable business and continually invest in better production (in places you may not be able to see directly).

There is a famous middleman in the district of Sham Shui Po, then Wan Chai and now Tsim Sha Tsui. He claims he is able to get you the maker "equivalent to that of WW Chan" and a shirt maker "better than the best in Hong Kong" - all at a fraction of the price you are paying, and therefore "good price-performance ratio". Sometimes I suspect that he might have DMed you already. If you are going to try him whilst visiting Hong Kong, do remember to send us photos here .

One last quote to end this excessively long post, I hope you do not become offended (it is a cautionary remark to myself as well); many of us have had this moment of "price-performance" seeking, but then some of us have moved on, hopefully becoming less of a cynic (per Oscar Wilde):

“Nowadays people know the price of everything and the value of nothing.”
― The Picture of Dorian Gray​

 

[BernieL]

@shirtingfantasy Simon's collars are all fused with light interlining.

Thanks for the advice - completely new to bespoke so I'm definitely trying to navigate through quality and value as I am spending 10x+ more than what I am used to. Just a year ago, I thought SuitSupply RTW was expensive lol.

 

[Mr Pauper]

Hi Bernie,

Try asking them to use a one piece collar construction. You can still achieve the roll with lighter business poplins but just ask them to put some extra lining to make the collar stiffer to give it more structure and shape.

@hyho Thanks for the helpful information, I'll definitely take advantage of my trip to Hong Kong to get the local price. Hopefully, I can persuade them to allow me to pay 20% down, albeit for 5+ sports coats all at once.

@shirtingfantasy Yup, going to send them my PS Oxford so they can look at the collar. Your Carla River Super Oxford is exactly what I want...that is one of the sexiest rolls I've ever seen. Is that still a fused collar? Also, do you know how to achieve the nice V-shape framing the face open-collared look Simon has going on?

View attachment 1098672

When I unbutton both my buttons, this is how my collar looks like (it doesn't open outwards like his collar does. Simon told me he moved the third button up to achieve the V-shape):
View attachment 1098675

Lastly, you think only sturdier fabrics can achieve Simon's open-collared look? I'd like to be able to have that V-shape frame + collar roll on my business poplin shirts as well.

 

[BernieL]

@Mr Pauper From my understanding, aren't one piece collars more on the dandy/flashy side? Or can they look low-key?