British Textiles Tailoring Co. (Shirt Review)

Learning from our mistake last review, we remembered to pick a shirt we could assess pattern matching as well as the general fit and craftsmanship.

Overall, the general fit from the frontal view is good. Noticeably the shoulders fit well and the cut was as we requested – not excessively slim. Unfortunately, a recurring problem with our shirts are the diagonal lines that run from neck to arm pit.  Possibly a shoulder angle issue?

Side view is very clean with almost no blousing and a correct sleeve pitch.

Another clean view from the posterior. No unsightly pulls or creases but just a minimal amount of excess fabric near the shoulders.

When investigating the stitching in different locations, the result is not pretty. In full transparency, other shirts we review commonly have this issue but this case seemed especially noticeable.

Pattern matching at shoulder is correct.

In contrast to the shoulders, the pattern matching at the sleeves and side seam are lackluster.

A satisfying collar shape with a soft roll at the buttoning point.

Our impression of this shirt changed the deeper we dove. We were impressed by the fit initially but certain details left this shirt ‘incomplete’ for us. An average consumer might have left quite happy with this shirt as all appearances point towards a decent value. However, poor needlework, flawed pattern matching and the same plastic buttons you would see on a $200-300 shirt dragged this one down. In this price range though, we have yet to find a better shirt with suitable attention to detail.

+ Good fit and details in esthetic zone satisfactory

– Disappointing craftsmanship in less obvious areas

British Textiles Tailoring Co. (Store Visit)

Going off a friend’s recommendation we decided to try British Textiles Tailoring Co. next. Confusingly enough there was another ‘British tailoring’ shop in the same building (Peter So British Tailors) and also another British Textile Company Limited located in Central. Hutchinson House itself seems to be a hotspot for tailors as well – on the same floor there are five shops.

The shop is cozy but tidy. Typical to most of the tailoring shops we’ve been to there were random sewing machines and fabrics strewn over the space.

The shop is lightly staffed and luckily there were no other customers when we went. They hold a large number of swatches from The Regent Silk Co. Ltd but also have the option of costlier shirting fabrics such as Thomas Mason. We decided to stick to the basics.

The staff gave JL a very very careful measure-up. Possibly the most detailed and careful measuring process we have experienced and ever will experience. We appreciated the time he took to confirm his measurements and hoped that this would mean a good fit for the finished product.

Aside from the measuring, he also went through the shirt detailing step by step to make sure we knew what options we had. We liked this much more than shops that assume you want their ‘default’ shirt.

We felt confident that they would be able to deliver a decent product at the end of the one week turnover. Given how detail orientated the staff was, we inferred this would translate to a high quality bespoke shirt. The entire experience was pleasant and enjoyable but we knew not to raise our expectations as good service does not always mean a good result.

+ Meticulous

– Limited shirting suppliers

More Info:

1. Turnover time 1 week
2. MOP buttons at an additional $50 (3mm thick)
3. $550 for Regent material, Thomas Mason available at additional cost

Address: Shop 113-A, Hutchison House, 10 Harcourt Road, Central, Hong Kong.