Was in KLCC yesterday .

Didn't see any 3 piece suits at Brioni

Perhaps you would like to go Bespoke

DSN is not a very adventurous dresser is he? Matching PS & tie?

BTW , have you managed to get Ah Loke to improve the quality of his button holes where suits are concerned?

I would be interested in trying him out if you have.

I had a quick peek at Bespoked and they seem to have very well finished button holes on their jackets.

I have just purchased some fabric (1.5 m) in kid mohair & wool from Ebay and was thinking of having ALT make trousers in a similar design to yours with the inclusion of a fish tail back.
How much material did you purchase for the trouser lining?
I am thinking of having the trousers lined to below the knee.

Thanks-I like the "V" cut at the rear of the trousers as it allows some flexing of the waistline especially after one too many bowls of laksa

Thank. It makes sense to have a split waist band as opposed to a fish tail back ( unless one plans to wear the trousers as part of a suit with braces )

Did you make yours with a split waist band?

Will Ah Loke tear out his hair if I make that request?

Nice-
1. Where did you make/purchase that suit?
2. Where did you get that knitted tie?
3. Is that a JLC Reverso watch on your wrist?

[img=http://img45.imagevenue.com/loc396/th_51401_L1000823_122_396lo.JPG]
[img=http://img11.imagevenue.com/loc156/th_51677_L1000824_122_156lo.JPG]

These are sleeve button holes when they are done well.

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Added on July 16, 2010, 12:11 pmNice

Would you happen to know where he tailored/purchased his suit ( as the case may be )?

This post has been edited by beau: Jul 16 2010, 12:11 PM

Thanks

Finish of suit from the picture appears fine with the following exceptions:-

1. Stripes do not seem to be aligned on lapel & arm
2. Pipping on pocket (jettings) do not seem to have aligned stripes

I have not tried WW Chan but have read & heard wonderful reviews about them.

The samples I have seen were reasonably impressive.

May try them if my HK trips stretch for a week instead of the current 1 / 2 day jaunts.

My HK tailor experience have not been pleasant:-
I have deliberately omitted the prices as it was sometime back (pre 1997 ) when I visited the establishments below:-
1. H Baroman
This was allegedly the best tailor ( & the most expensive ) in HK once upon a time. Frequented by Tai-Pans, it had a reputation that rivaled the Row.
I visited the shop ( the mall between Standard Chartered & HSBC Building ) & was attended to by some officious individual. When I requested to view samples of their work ( I do this with every tailor I visit irregardless of country), the officious individual gave me a look & quoted a price in a tone that implied that I couldn't afford their services. In almost the same breath , he told me that I should have a dark 2 piece suit-So much for bespoke services. Needless to say I did not make anything there. I am of the view that they are living on their past glory similar to some houses on the Row.

2. Sams tailor , Burlington House, TST
Sams allegedly makes cheap suits for the famous & uniforms for HM's Arm Forces You will see pictures of Prince Charles, George Bush (Sr) & Bill Clinton adorning his wall. The prices he quoted me was cheap even by HK standards . When asked when the next fitting will be, the Indian gentleman who attended to me said that there is no need for one as they are very experienced in assessing a customer's figuration!! ( I was a bespoke virgin then & didn't know better )The measurement process etc was very quick & the man nodded in agreement to all my requests ( higher arm holes , waisted jacket etc)
The suit arrived in the mail a week later . The only 2 things positive I can say was the suit was cheap ( & looked correspondingly with the price paid ) & the trousers was well tailored.
I will post pictures at a later date as evidence of my folly.

3. Ah Man Hin Cheong, Mandarin Oriental Mall.
I was recommended by a friend who swears by this establishment.
I took the opportunity to sample their services when I was in HK for 1 week.
The service was reasonably polite ( this is HK BTW) & they spent some time talking to me to assess my needs etc before reverting with their recommendations. The thing that struck me was the comment " I think we can do better " when the cutter who measured me looked at the suit I was wearing.
He recommended an English Fabric ( 130s wool ) which was reasonably crease resistant and a scarlet lining of Shantung Silk. He also made notes of the usual details & requirements ( single or double breasted, how many buttons on cuffs, pleated or flat front trousers etc.
He then proceeded to measure me & spoke in a dialect I did not comprehend ( I think it was Shanghainese ) to a younger individual who duly noted the details. This went on for quite a while & I reckon that at least 30 to 40 measurements were taken before he called it a day & informed me that I could have my first fitting in 2 days.
Time came for the fitting and I was reasonably pleased with the works in progress. The crunch came when I started asking some questions on whether the length of the jacket could be left as is. The sifu was not very pleased as he felt that the jacket was too long & should be shorten ( I like my Jacket slightly on the long side ) , higher & smaller arm holes , less padding on shoulder etc.
The exchange I had was similar to your initial encounter with Ah Loke. Si Fu shook his head retorting in English & Cantonese (not nice sir etc.. or words to that effect.
Nevertheless , he took down what I thought were my instructions & feedback.
Second fitting came 2 days later with the semi finished suit & I was surprised that my feedback was largely ignored in favor of the Si Fu's !!
I made my requests again and another polite exchange in Cantonese & English, along with the occasional Shanghainese phrases ensued.
" How you move your arms like that if I make jacket the way you want?" etc..
Nevertheless, he took down what I thought was my feedback & request & ask me to return 2 days later for the final fitting. I asked for the suit not to be finished to enable adjustments to be made, if necessary.
The final fitting was that- a finished suit with the exception of the cuff buttonholes . I was shocked to discover than none of my feedback was taken into account at which point I was so exasperated ( I was supposed to leave HK that day )
The prices , I remember were not cheap even for those days . The best way to describe the suit is it's made for a much older individual. Not one of my favorite suits which is a pity given the reasonably fine finish ( with the exception of the cuff button holes which could have been better )
Not a repeat customer here!!

Nevertheless I've had some good experiences as well with regards to bespoke shirts in HK.

1. David's shirts ( Mandarin Oriental Mall near Ah Man Hin Cheong )
I have some shirts from there which are 10 years old ( which I still wear occasionally ) The finish of the shirts are excellent ( matching panels & stripes etc ) but the fit could have been better.

2. Ascot Chang ( various locations -I go to the one at Princes Building )
Ascot Chang claims to be the best shirt maker in HK and ranks itself with the world's best with corresponding prices to match. The fit & finish of the final product is excellent as it the service. The only bugbear is the constant
push to have shirts made in the most expensive fabric with the highest thread count ( D & J Andersen etc ) . A sure way to see disdain on the face of the sales person is to request for "lesser" fabrics eg Acorn 100s 2 ply.
I might as well asked to have shirts made in polyester!!

Thanks for providing feedback & sharing your experiences with us. I am still new on the local scene & hope to benefit from your knowledge

Thanks for the compliment but I'm learning new things all the time .

The buttonholes was made by an Italian lady who lives in a village outside Linate. It was extremely time consuming & can take up to 8 hours depending on the client's specifications.

She first machines the holes with fine thread & remove the machine thread & repeats the process by hand. She's been doing button holes for the last 15 years ( or so I'm told ) & underwent training for 3 years before she was allowed to make for customers.

The effect is excellent as it has a slightly raised 3 D effect.

If you can persuade or train Ah Loke to replicate this to the same quality., we should nominate you for some honor at the next Agung's birthday.

Sam's is a real disaster but an expensive one given the fact that the prices he charged then were similar to that of Thai tailors.

Your friend seem to have better luck & perhaps more time ( & patience ) in dealing with Ah Man. If I were living in HK, I would have constantly beat on the Si Fu until I got my way, much like what you did to Ah Loke. Friends who went for 4 to 5 fittings eventually got what they wanted !!Tailoring in a sense is building a relationship between the craftman or artisan & the customer. I'll post pictures of a jacket that took 9 months in the making by an Italian artisan that was 9 months in the making.

In the meantime please find enclosed pictures of my AMHC suit.

If the jacket was sufficiently long to cover the base of my seat & the cuff button holes better finished, it would be almost perfect!!
[img=http://img109.imagevenue.com/loc410/th_27376_L1000794_122_410lo.JPG][img=http://img168.imagevenue.com/loc661/th_27530_L1000796_122_661lo.JPG][img=http://img220.imagevenue.com/loc752/th_27689_L1000797_122_752lo.JPG]
[img=http://img179.imagevenue.com/loc415/th_27819_L1000798_122_415lo.JPG][img=http://img23.imagevenue.com/loc93/th_27980_L1000799_122_93lo.JPG][img=http://img254.imagevenue.com/loc116/th_28135_L1000800_122_116lo.JPG]
[img=http://img203.imagevenue.com/loc3/th_28293_L1000802_122_3lo.JPG][img=http://img22.imagevenue.com/loc178/th_28451_L1000804_122_178lo.JPG][img=http://img265.imagevenue.com/loc99/th_28618_L1000805_122_99lo.JPG]

It's been some time since I wore that suit ( for reasons stated in my postings )

I'll try it on & take pictures if time permits

Thanks for sharing. Is it possible to furnish a picture of the ALT cuffs with the buttons undone in order to better assess the quality of the finish?

Thanks-I agree with kotmj that Granoff's efforts appear to be the best although ALT's isn't too bad either.

What weights are they in ? Any other details you can provide?

Sounds like a very versatile purchase which will allow you to mix & match outfits.

I personally prefer 10 to 12 oz fabrics -Depending on how they are constructed, they tend to be more crease resistant and is able to withstand greater abuse .

It's limited to persons of good taste who have to engage in teleconferences with the US in the middle of our night!!

It's encouraging to see a community of individuals here trying to elevate & encourage the bespoke arts instead of depending on the West for their tailoring needs. Or fall prey to the mass market appeal of designer suits.

Wise move. Hwa Seng (HST) has a good selection of heavier cloths but you can obtain a better price if you come to the shop ( in Singapore ) in person & negotiate . The website prices are a tad high. The other option is to wear long johns with your existing suits. Uniglo does these ultra thin versions which seem to keep the body warm but not uncomfortable in centrally heated rooms. I bought a pair which I used earlier this year in Northern China & found it effecttive.

Iris Tailor sounds like a place my friend recommended. It could be him you ran into. I believe he came across some of his old RTW suits when he was clearing his HK property for rent . I was not in Singapore last week.

We were colleagues in London , he subsequently relocated to Singapore while I was posted to HK before returning to Malaysia.

We were recommended to AMHC by another colleague ( who have since switch allegiance to WW Chan ) The same colleague came across a bale of vintage sea island which was sold as part of a liquidation exercise of a European firm. It was sold at a very ridiculously low price & some of us have fond memories of the wonderful shirts that were created as a result of that purchase.

Iris Tailor comes highly recommended by him as it's given some of his old suits a new life. I am waiting for him to commission something ( I think he was planning to make a hacking jacket in Harris Tweed & a Linen Jacket ) before I pay them a visit.

It helps that Nani, the fitter furnished him with some culinary recommendations from Indonesia in time for the World Cup which appealed to his inner gluttony. If you do happen to run into him, tell him to bring more of the Indonesian Cashews & Prawn Crackers when he comes up to Malaysia otherwise we won't let him cross the border!!

Nice stuff-Cloth #29 would be my preferred choice followed by #5

The flannel looks a bit light colored in the photograph. Looking forward to seeing the end results from ALT ( assuming your purchase goes through )

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Added on July 21, 2010, 11:21 pmp.s. Better give ALT the heads up and warn him that another pedantic SOB of a customer will be heading his way to make usual & challenging demands on him


This post has been edited by beau: Jul 21 2010, 11:21 PM

It's that or I shall speak in a high falsetto!! It sounds like I should bring a sample and let him adjust accordingly.

High waisted pants like the one you mention are comfortable but ideally need to be worn with braces to enable them to fall properly.

It's loose fitting clothes or a track suit for me where long haul flights are concerned.

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Added on July 22, 2010, 6:39 amSounds like you've met my friend.

He had your mutual tailor copy the fittings for an Ascot Chang shirt ( our favorite in terms of fit thus far ). The efforts I have seen are passable with the exception of the following:-

1. The front placket patterns on one of the shirts do not seem to be properly spaced out. The patterns should look as if they come from a single piece of cloth ( see Hilditch & Key & Charvet shirts as examples ) . The strange thing is , the versions he commission without the placket seems fine.

2. One of the earlier versions had a "V" split yoke as opposed to the traditional inverted "V" from Jermyn Street shirt makers.

3. The cuffs of the barrel cuff version which was supposedly based on the T & A ( Turnbull & Asser ) shirt he left as a sample does not have the gathered sleeve feature at the cuff typical of T & A shirts.

The efforts seem better that CYC shirts which lays claims to be the best shirt maker in Singapore.

He had some minor grouse of not having the shirt labels placed at the back of the neck as opposed to having it on shirt tails ( we are both victims of poor hotel laundry in Third World locations -shirts have been returned with frayed labels which results in irritation to the skin & cannot be easily removed without the aid of a thread picker )

I'll wait for his first bespoke commission before passing judgement. Your mutual tailor has done a good job in altering his RTW suits -he turned to the dark world of RTW after failing in his efforts in finding a satisfactory tailor in HK.

ps The Prawn Crackers were a god send during the recent world cup!!

This post has been edited by beau: Jul 22 2010, 06:39 AM

Who is your current shirt maker?

I've used Ascot Chang & Davids in HK. Of the two , AC has the best fit & finish. David's isn't too shabby either . Jantzen is another name I hear about , opinions are highly polarized about their ability ( or lack of, depending on your experience with them )

Have you looked at Charvet? Beautiful shirts but they induce a sharp intake of breath when it come to pay for them.

Great finish-How is the fit? I'll post some AC's when it is convenient to do so.

1. Apart from your secret source are there other shirt makers you would recommend in Singapore?
2. What are the places you go for fabrics/trims,linings etc in Singapore? I've tried Hwa Seng in Katong but their prices are a tad high. The ones on Arab Street don't seem interesting.

Thanks for your HK recommendation. Will pay them a visit on my next trip there. Most HK shirt makers are similar to Jantzen -inconsistent quality.

Hwa Seng has cotton interlining for collars-have a look at their website