Photo: von Span
Tailored clothing from one of the better Hong Kong makers is great value. Exact pricing varies with the price of the cloth, but it is fair to say that a suit from W. W. Chan, for example, costs less than half as much as a suit from an English tailor.
Part of this savings is the lower wage earned by a Hong Kong tailor, but that is not the entire difference. Chan's business model is to measure a man and ship him a completed suit without the benefit of a fitting, a practice that may be perfectly adequate for a third or subsequent garment, but risks producing a sub-standard product before the pattern is perfected.
Chan does offer fittings as an extra cost option that adds two to three months to the delivery and a bit more than $200 to the cost of a suit, most of that being return shipping of the garment to Hong Kong for post-fitting alterations. In my opinion, customers should always request this service.
The company delivers the suit to the fitting in a state that is somewhat more complete than what I have been taught to think of as a skeleton baste. The pockets, buttons or lining that are usually present for a forward fitting are missing, but the suit itself is sewn rather than basted.
At my fitting, the jacket's left shoulder extended perhaps an inch beyond the end of my physical shoulder. It was nothing that would not have been fixable later, but easier to change at this stage. Perhaps more importantly, we were able to balance and reduce the amount of drape in the jacket, an improvement that we might not have attempted with a finished suit.
The final product will be considerably better because of the fitting, and the suit will still be a relative bargain. I was happy enough to order a summer odd jacket. With a fitting of course.
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10 comments:
That's quite interesting. So how do you go about doing a local fitting? Do you use a local tailor?
I think my tailor wouldn't be to happy if I brought a suit under this arrangement.
One waits for Chan's next visit of course.
I've recently been considering Astor and Black from a simple Hong Kong price point. However, I'm reading mixed reviews. Anyone have thoughts?
I would like to comment on Astor & Black's suits; however, I never received mine and finally threw up my hands and demanded a refund. While their suits my be fine, the one concern I had was there business model of not actually having any store fronts. As such, I was at the whims of the consultant, who quit while I was awaiting my suit, which turned matters rather pear shaped.
I have heard mixed reviews, as well. The positive one's, though, seem to come from Astor & Black themselves. I am now going to go to Hemrajani, instead.
does Hemrajani makes any fittings, does anyone know?
actually Hemrajani made me beautiful. he dressed me when i was young. i like the prices but it can be frustrating, it feels like gambling.
Hemrajani does not offer fittings at this time.
I've experienced a long list of good to poor results in HK. I'm grateful to read of your results. I have taken a real beating with my inexperience. I got what I paid for, but that's what I get for haggling too far.
Thank you for the post on Hong Kong. I've lived in Asia for a decade and a half. Like some of your readers, I've taken a beating with the wrong tailors. I've been using Zegna's made to measure service happily. But with your post on WW Chan, I shall give them a try. How did you like your final product?
I recently tried ANS Fashions as they are one of the few who do trips out to my part of the world. Whilst I didn't have time for a fitting even though it was available I was very impressed by the result. I couldn't fault the suit which seems immaculately crafted and the price point works very well.
This however was my third try at hong kong suits with the first two being less then steller. Again you get what you seek, originally I was seeking a cheaper way to buy clothes instead of a better way.
Astor & Black is by far the worst company. The suit is subpar especially considering my own tailor felt saddened that I paid $800 for the suit. I waited 5 months for the suit in which time I learned their business model. The CEO is 26 years old and people within the company have no faith in him or the product. After 6 months, I was promised my product along with a $400 of shoes. The shoes were never given because the CEO "changed his mind".
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