Sun May (Store Visit)

Continuing our old-school Wan Chai adventure, we decided to try Sun May Shirts – our first dedicated shirtmaker review. A small corner recess in a relatively popular area of Wan Chai housed one (very) old tailor and not much else.

We’re not kidding when we say this place was a hole in the wall. This made Chiu Ah‘s space look like Buckingham Palace. This wasn’t a trendy place either, most likely nothing had changed at this location for the past half century.

The tailor didn’t speak fluent any English at all which made things slightly difficult in the ordering process. Our tip is to brush up on your Cantonese/miming skills or simply bring a translator. Good thing we only had the simple order of one shirt.

After choosing our desired fabric from a small selection available, he performed an obviously well rehearsed yet informal measurement process. We noticed that he missed some measuring points that previous tailors had recorded i.e. upper arm.

When asked about the shirt details we had the choice of deciding with some old photocopies and some very old collar samples. He inquired specifically about collar preference, plackets, cuffs and breast pockets but nothing else. If you’re looking for a shirt with multiple details such as darts and removable collar stays etc you better know the correct term in Cantonese. We left with a piece of torn out notebook paper as a hand written receipt and the promise of a one week delivery.

+ Fast ordering process

– Communication was difficult

More Info:

1. Turnover time 1 week
2. No button options
3. $290 for 2 ply cotton fabrics (fluctuates between $270-$290 based on ‘mood’)

Address: G/F, 1 Landale Street, Wan Chai

Chiu Ah (Shirt Review)

The tailor working the store was vague about the turnover time but indicated an approximation of just under one week. The result actually exceeded our expectations, especially considering the haphazard atmosphere of the store and the lack of communication between the tailor and ourselves.

Overall good fit. Slimming but not constraining. Billowing sleeves which don’t fit the slim nature of the shirt.

Clean from the sides. Sleeve length a touch too long, but satisfactory.

May be considered loose fitting at the posterior shoulders but this slight excess allows for good range of movement without pulling.

Tapered out from the waist and good shirt length accounting for large gluteus maximus ass.

Collar is spacious but nothing compared to the first collar Brown’s tried to make JL accept.

Visible lines that affect the aesthetic of the shirt but not the comfort.

Decent pattern matching on one side. Can be said for one side only.

Undeniably baggy sleeves.

A man of few words, but he let his work do the talking. He was able to deliver a shirt of good fit but the old-school tailoring shows, namely in the sleeves. If we went back to correct the sleeves, the shirt would score very highly in our books. All things considered, out of all the shirts we’ve tried so far this was the closest to a ‘perfect’ score without further alterations.

+ Comfortable and reasonably well fitted

– Sleeves are too ‘classic’ (read: blousey)

Chiu Ah (Store Visit)

We decided to venture off the beaten path and try a small tailor shop in Wan Chai, one that has yet to rear it’s head on Style Forum. Sitting opposite Star Street, this small and decidedly classic-looking shop was unimpressive at first glance. Surely though it must have a secret to surviving Hong Kong Island’s ground level rent since 1980 whilst running as a one-man band.

A small 70 square foot space contained stacks of fabrics, samples, and a small work bench for Mr. Fung (the proprietor). We talked to him briefly about shirting fabrics to which he gave us some swatch books originating from Cistes, Kuşak Tekstil, and another unknown European (?) fabric.

A quick measure up from the tailor and we were nearly finished. Obviously not a man of many words, but he conveyed a sense of purpose to his measurement and knew exactly what he was doing and what we were asking for.

One point to note would be that he failed to ask us which details we actually wanted on the shirt. If we did not specify he would have likely just given us a default prescription. Interestingly enough, Chiu Ah serves up quite a variety of button options but he didn’t offer the choices until asked.

When discussing the shirt details, i.e. collar, cuffs etc we were also left a little bewildered when instead of a checklist or even photos of options, he simply pulled out a Japanese men’s fashion magazine to point out certain features.

A short visit with a truly old-school tailor left us feeling quite…neutral. A no-frills experience but not necessarily in a bad way. After all, bells and whistles may not necessarily promise a better product at the end of the day. The only thing left to do was pick up the shirt one week later and take it from there.

+ Convenient location

– Need to be specific in shirt requirements or details will be overlooked

More Info:

1. Turnover time 1 week
2. MOP buttons offered for additional $30 HKD
3. $500 for 100% cotton fabrics, $400 for non-iron fabric

Address: G/F, 50 Queen’s Road East, Wan Chai

Edit: Many thanks to 50cent for reminding us that we were also shown fabric from European shirting brand, Cistes.

Brown’s (Shirt Review II)

When we returned to Brown’s for the shirts, we found that JL’s shirt was strangely ill-fitting. Not only were the sleeves over an inch short, he could fit an entire hand in the collar. Surprised that this was the fit they produced, we simply had to insist on changes. Here are the results after adjustments were (begrudgingly) made.

Same issue with lines pulling from collar to armpit.

Clear lateral lines visible from posterior neck area towards the shoulder.

Familiar creases at the armpit. Difficult to keep shirt neatly tucked with short length.

Comically short shirt length.

A longer collar length was requested but as the height was not adjusted accordingly, the result was collar flaring reminiscent of the 70’s.

Collar fits snugly now after revisions.

Significantly tidier buttonholes compared to EC’s shirt.

We had to stand strong on our revisions at the fit appointment in order to get the changes we wanted. Felix had advised both of us that the short sleeve lengths were trendy (?) and seemed adverse to revising to the length proportional to our arms. Furthermore, when we wanted changes to the spacious collars, he educated us on giving a more “precise” collar size when we came in for measurements – a lesson he felt necessary because the collars had to be remade in their entirety.

+ MOP buttons at no additional cost

– Tried to persuade us to accept a shirt that was ill-fitting even by RTW standards

 

Brown’s (Shirt Review I)

This shirt took a long time. A call came in 11 days after our store visit, just as we were wondering if they had completely forgotten all about us. If the effort they put into the shirts could match their store’s interior design efforts all would be forgiven though.

Our initial results were far from satisfying on our fit visit, so after our comments and another 21 days (which brings us to 32 days total), these were our results.

Frontal fitting view showing diagonal pulls leading from collar to armpit. Initial sleeve length was short by one full inch, revisions improved length but still short of showing cuff with a jacket.

Side view showing a close fit when stationary.

Right armpit shows obvious crease.

Loose fitting collar.

Tension of the stitching causing some bunching after just one wash and iron.

Nice thickness of the MOP buttons at 3mm.

Sloppy button holes.

High armhole placement causing a lot of restriction during movement (again).

The time it took for Brown’s to make our shirts was bordering on the ridiculous. Whilst the fit for the finished product looks reasonable enough, the overly high armhole placement ruined it. The revisions and the sheer amount of time it took to produce left us underwhelmed. For one of the more handsomely renovated tailoring stores in Hong Kong, the final product was disappointing.

+ MOP buttons at no additional cost

– Time time time

P.S. Review of JL’s shirt from Brown’s coming soon

Brown’s (Store Visit)

Brown’s is a new tailoring shop that’s only been open since 2013 but has quickly gained favor in Hong Kong’s online forums. Although it’s located in a rather rundown commercial building in Tsim Sha Tsui, the store was surprisingly well renovated and had a rather tasteful atmosphere to it.

We spoke to a staff member (not Felix the owner) about their two shirting brands and to test the waters we decided on the local house fabric instead of the higher quality Thomas Mason fabric. An ample selection of fabric swatches were given to us and we were left to our own devices.

Once a fabric was selected the staff together with the tailor proceeded to measure us. Chaotically. The two of them together couldn’t reach a consensus on certain measurements and seemed to question each other’s measuring points at each turn. After a number of eyebrow raises it was clear that they were not experienced in taking measurements and whether this suspected lack of experience extended only into shirting, we could not be sure. At this point even if the measurements were 100% accurate, our confidence in the fit of the final shirt was waning. The only extra step they took which stood out was to take reference photos of us.

A refreshingly varied selection of both collars and cuffs were available, but of course the staff tending to us had no suggestions or knowledge to impart onto us. Aside from the samples of collars and cuffs which we chose from there was also a checklist of options which he completed, mostly without our input. What items he checked off will remain a mystery. At this point communication seemed to be a clear issue, whether it be between staff or with customers.

Ending on a positive note, we were given mother of pearl buttons at no extra cost just by asking, although the default button is a plastic one. You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take, so make sure you ask.

+ Good selection of house fabrics

– Staff training falling short of expectations

More Info:

1. Turnover time close to 2 weeks
2. $500 HKD for a shirt in house fabric
3. $800 HKD for a shirt in Thomas Mason fabric

Address: Unit E, 2/F, Comfort Building,
88 Nathan Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon,
Hong Kong

Simpson Sin (Shirt Review)

Eager to see if the finished product from Simpson Sin would be as good as their service, one week later we picked up the shirt. To cut a long story short, either someone was not honest about the number of jelly donuts they ate over one week…or the shirt was cut far too tight.

Severe tugging at the shoulder initially. Noticeable improvement seen after refinement (brighter photo is the before shot).

Tugging more clear from the back. Again, significant improvement can be seen after refinement.

Small imperfection in the front piece of the fabric. Looks like random stitching.

Shirt is fairly tight, most evident in the armpits. Twisting of the fabric in the upper sleeve restricts movement.

Bunching around the armhole.

Distinct diagonal lines leading from the middle of the back to the right armpit due to the high armhole placement.

Shirt did not account for the size of my gluteus maximus butt which leads to obvious pulling at the lowermost button and also diagonally from chest to waist.

Some specific requests we gave seemed to give them trouble. The buttons on the shirt were wrong as despite specifying both sleeve buttons and MOP buttons we came away with neither. Another point to note was that during the store visit we discussed an unfused construction for the collars and cuffs, again the final shirt had neither. In conclusion, a shirt that was finished too slim which needed fixing and some misses in terms of construction. Not to say that we wouldn’t go back, their friendliness and openness to errors we pointed out made it an easy working relationship – a necessity for finding a good tailor.

+ Improvement following refinement

– Completely missed out certain features we asked for

Simpson Sin (Store Visit)

Tucked away in Tsim Sha Tsui, Simpson Sin has been on the scene for decades. In the vicinity of the store it was hard to miss the numerous signage directing potential clients to the doors of Simpson Sin. Stepping through, it was also hard to miss the barrage of photographs hung on the wall of celebrities that previously attended the shop to get the ‘classic’ Hong Kong tailoring experience. Apparently the signage works then.

The ambiance inside was warm and comfortable, and upon entering we were quickly greeted by a staff (Tony, co-founder) and tended to. Once we briefed him on our needs – the rather extensive list of two shirts made with house fabrics, we were given the shirt fabric swatches, some water and allowed our time to decide. Their house fabric selection seemed to be oddly familiar, and checking back it appears that it was provided by the same company that provides house fabric for Jantzen.

Moving forward, an English speaking tailor measured us up efficiently and confidently, then walked us through the different shirt details that we could pick from. Not only was he able to explain all the different options but he also had different shirt examples on hand from different clients which he pulled out to show us when we were unclear. A selection of collar samples were also set up on the wall for clients to see the different selections – a nice touch in comparison to Jantzen where old poorly printed pictures of collars were all that was available.

Once satisfied with our selection and design, we were told the shirt would be ready in one week for a fitting. We walked out of the store happy and grateful that we had such a good first visit, especially contrasting to the cold service we received at Jantzen. Both Tony and the tailor were truly a pleasure to work with and being fluent in English was a huge positive in our eyes.

+ Excellent service with friendly staff

– Price for shirt in house fabric on the expensive end

More Info:

1. Turnover time 1 week
2. No confirmation call to receive shirt
3. $550 for a shirt in house fabrics

Address: Block B, 1/F, Lip Seng Mansion, 15-19 Carnarvon Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong.

Jantzen (Shirt Review)

After a week’s wait and one fruitless visit to the store, finally the shirt was received and tried following a washing and ironing. At the first visit we had specified a ‘moderately’ slim fit shirt and the result was close to our expectations.

Slim but pulling especially at the armpit. Good sleeve length. Clean shoulder lines.

High armhole placement with tugging seen from the front. Excess (?) fabric seen from the back.

Excess fabric in stark contrast to the frontal view. Enough fabric to cause blousing near the waist.

Distinct lines leading to the armpit.

Posterior shot of the fabric pulling near the high armholes.

Snug but comfortable collar.

Thin and unappealing buttons.

Loose and spaced stitches (low stitches per inch) .

Tight cut and pulling from the posterior leading to highly restricted (and uncomfortable) arm movements.

Very narrow cuffs means you can’t raise your arms without testing tensile strength of buttons.

Overall, a shirt showing a dichotomous fit which left us scratching our heads. The combination of the tightness at the armpit and the narrow cuffs meant you can’t raise your arms past the shoulder. The poor construction and fit is consistent with pricing which means not amazing value for money but acceptable. If you don’t need to raise your arms.

+ Collar and shoulders fit

– Inconsistent – excessively slim in areas but ‘blousey’ in the back and waist

Jantzen (Store Visit)

Hello, World. This marks our introductory post into what will hopefully turn into a resource for people interested in Hong Kong tailoring. As you can tell by our title, this site stems from a desire to find some order in the chaos that is the Hong Kong tailor scene – there are literally too many tailors. We aim to provide some insight to the quality, service, pricing and also to find the style that each tailor brings to the table. As our site grows we hope you can use it to have more predictable/successful visits with the tailor you have in mind.

Our first post is our visit to Jantzen, a Hong Kong tailor who are known mainly through their online reputation. We found our way to an older commercial building in Central where a very unassuming entrance stood. First impressions of the premises were confused – had we incorrectly stumbled into the Jantzen back-office? Hesitantly we entered and realized that this was indeed the right location, but instead of a typically decorated retail shop, a sea of samples and mannequins were haphazardly kept around the space all under the cold sterile lighting of low-cost energy efficient bulbs. We had joined the conveyor belt of the Jantzen tailoring machine.

The owner and a handful of staff were present but made no acknowledgement of us as we entered. Upon approaching we were quickly directed to a large number of swatch books to pick a fabric while they continued their own work. Customer service was apparently not their strong suit (no pun intended). Once a fabric had been decided on, the measurements quickly and efficiently followed. This was obviously where they excelled – they knew exactly how to measure you to gather the data necessary to get you into one of their products.

Using the measurements, the staff found an approximate ‘trial’ shirt and pinned until they were satisfied. Simply by including this unique service, the customer would definitely feel an extra step was taken to ensure a correct fitting of the final product. Once finished, a folder containing all the design details possible for a shirt were given (no samples) and again, you were free to decide all the customizable options for your shirt.

Overall, a lack of customer service was definitely felt during our time there. The owner was present but obviously disengaged from the entire process. Surprisingly enough, he even mentioned within earshot when we were leaving that we had only ordered one measly shirt. Jantzen’s online reputation was correct – “bang for buck” was where they stood, the more you ordered the better service you would receive. Also, the amount of options for fabric and shirt details might be overwhelming for your typical customer, but surely all the iGents out there would have no problem in this area.

+ Fast shirt ordering process

– Poor customer service

More Info:

1. Turnover time 1 week but no designation of time or AM/PM
2. No confirmation call to receive shirt
3. $350-400 HKD per shirt using house fabrics

Address: Room D-E, 5th floor, On Lok Yuen Building, 25-27 Des Voeux Road, Central, Hong Kong.

Edit: Idiots that we are, we forgot to mention we’ll review the finished product in a separate post

Edit 2: A style forum member informed us that Jantzen actually has samples of collars and cuffs you can request to see. Apparently, Jantzen staff just didn’t volunteer that information to us