One of the primary draws of showing up in Hong Kong is to have a suit made to measure. Another, related draw, is coming to Hong Kong and getting garments you own copied in whichever fabric you choose. Topping this is having only to pay Chine$e prices.

Bespoke culture is pervasive in Hong Kong, having arrived via Shanghai following the communist takeover over of China in the late forties. Not seeing much of a market in China with the rise of the ubiquitous Mao suit, Shanghainese tailors skipped south to Hong Kong, then still a free colony under British administration. There they found a good fit (har!), plying their wares for the bustling commercial and banking culture in HK. A half-century later and the practice is still going strong.

So, the basics: you walk into a tailor shop and you’ll get your measurements taken. Then you’ll pick out materials, and will be told when to come back for your fitting (usually the next day or the day after). For the fitting, the tailor will have constructed a rough body for you to try on. Here they’ll fine tune, marking places to take in, areas to loosen up, etc. Depending on the place, there may or may not be a third fitting, but generally your suit should be ready by the next day. If you’re not around to pick it up, they’ll ship it out to you. Overall, the turnover is around 3-4 days, and the average cost for getting a full suit with slacks made is $300-400USD. A bespoke shirt is usually around $50USD.

And now, a few tips. HK tailors have been doing this for years and years, and thereby have a very established mental model for what a suit is. If you have a different idea, or want to tweak some details, it may blow some minds. The best practice is to bring a photo of something you want to have reproduced, or better yet, bring in a shirt/pants/suit that you own and love, and have them copy the cut exactly. The key thing to remember is to be insistent if you have a strong idea of what you want!

Which tailor to go to? There are hundreds to choose from, most of them located in Kowloon. The fancier ones will be located in, around or below the hotels in Tsim Sha Tsui, while the cheaper guys will be scattered along Nathan Road further north. The cheapest of all ($150-200USD for a full suit) will be located a train ride away in Shenzhen in China, although like anything in life (and in regards to products made in China!), caveat emptor …

There are a couple that Meredith and I have used that we’ve been fairly happy with. Amigo Tailor and Ricky’s Tailor are both located in the New World Centre in Tsim Sha Tsui. See below:

Of the two, Amigo is more amenable to direction, but Ricky’s makes really good men’s slacks. Both are priced equivalently, and turn things around fairly quickly (Amigo may be a tad quicker) …