Custom Men's Suits -- Beijing / Seoul / Asia

[tintin]

now that i work in japan, and rake in decent yen, i can finally afford to get custom-made suits made for me. --but of course prices in japan are stacked; so i wondered if anyone out there has had any experience with getting custom-made suits in Beijing or Seoul. i have an upcoming trip to these places, so any advice would be fantastic.

elsewhere i asia, i've personally had a great experience getting clothes made in hoi an, viet-nam. rediculously cheap, with people who could copy *anything* from a picture. 25$US for a perfectly fit jacket, for example. unfortunatly, no trip to viet-nam on the long term horizon, so i defer to all you supershoppers out there, and your infinate wisdom.

thanks!

Edited by tintin on Oct 31, 2005 at 05:01 PM

[Geowu]

Jesse and Victor Rajawongse, in Bangkok, Thailand is a pretty good option, probably the best quality for your money in the world. They've got a site, http://www.dress-for-success.com

[sassafras]

I've had suits made in Beijing a few times, some have been good some have been crap. Chinese tailors are good but not always very thorough and they will cheat you if they think they can get away with it (this applies to all situations involving money in china). selecting good fabric is key, also make sure you have time for at least one fitting.

in Beijing, it typically costs around 400 Yuan RMB (USD 50) to have a 2-piece suit made. of course, you will also have to pay for the fabric, which usually costs between 200-400 Yuan / metre. You'll need around 3 metres to make a 2-piece suit.

good luck, and dont forget to haggle!

[tintin]

thanks heaps you guys for you imput so far.

sassafras, do you have any hints/tips for where to go in beijing, or how to avoid getting scammed? i used to live in china myself, long, long ago, so i'm okay at haggling, but i don't really have any idea what to say in a suit-making situation. suggestions?

thanks again!

[sassafras]

there are several tailors in the Yashow Market (3rd floor) in the Sanlitun area, prices like described above. I've used a place called "Alice" a few times, thats also a good place to have shirts made (around 120 Yuan RMB / shirt).

they also have tailor shops in most other markets catering to foreign tourists (eg Silk Street market, Hongqiao market etc.) for more high-end tailoring, try Dave the Tailor in the Kerry Centre.

How to avoid getting cheated? thats a good question, I've been here for 5+ years now and I still get cheated on a daily basis LOL.

Edited by sassafras on Oct 30, 2005 at 08:36 PM

[tintin]

sassafras,

thanks so much for your info! i would have been floundering all over the place trying to find a place before. lifesaver!

i take it you live in beijing? what do you do there if you don't mind me asking?

thanks again heaps!

[tintin]

oh, by the way, do they speak any english at these places? i speak some chinese, but i've never had to push my vocabulary into the realms of french cuffs and notched lapels.

xiè xiè!

[sassafras]

yeah I'm a foreigner living here, have been here for more than 5 years now and yes I speak the language (with a thick Beijing accent).

most of the tailors speak/understand basic English, it also helps if you show them pics of what you want. or why not let them copy items you already own?

if you need any help while here, send me an email: [email protected]

[attrition]

Any tailors in HK or Singapore?

[tintin]

sassafras, thanks again so much for your help. like i said, i would have been lost without it. if i run into any "máfán" while i'm there, i'll give you a shout. will you be around over the christmas holidays?

attrition, i can tell you there are tonnes of tailors in hong kong. in fact, you wont be able to get away from all the "you-want-suit?" touts walking down nathan road in tsim sha tsui. the whole pushyness of it really turned me off. also i've heard that prices in hong kong aren't much different from what you'd pay anywhere else to get a suit made.

now, does anyone have info on getting a suit made in seoul, south korea? my guidebook mentions that itaewon as a place to check out, but says nothing beyond that; no store names, prices, good or bad experiences, etc. not terribly helpful --thanks again lonely planet!

[tintin]

attrition, i came across this post about hong kong. hope it helps!

Quote: dumadiscount

-bored-

Posts: 30

Joined: May 9, 2005

posted: Aug 31, 2005 05:13 PM msg. 2 of 2

heard this guy is better than sam's:

A-Man Hing Cheong Co., Ltd.

This tailor is known for European-cut suits and custom shirts and has a list of distinguished clients.

Address: Mandarin Oriental Hotel, 5 Connaught Rd., Hong Kong, China

Phone: 2522-3336

- not sure about cost though

[jialormee]

Geowu : do u know Jesse and Victor Rajawongse would charge?

might wanna tailor a few shirts and a skinny blazer the next time i drop by.

[sr20det]

Quote:

Any tailors in HK or Singapore?

--- Original message by attrition on Nov 1, 2005 10:25 AM

in HK for sure. everywhere on the streets you get hassled by indian dudes offering to custom make a suit. i never actually humored the notion but now i'm curious to how good they are.

[Harlem]

In response you your question, Rajawongse tailors is by far the best i've ever visited. Anyone who has been there comes back satisfied. The price range is reasonable, you can inquire more about them from their web site http://www.dress-for-success.com

Let me know if i could be of further help

cheers

[dismalfuture]

I've had suits made for me in Seoul, anything out of Itaewon mentioned above is junk, I've bought a few. Anything under about US$600-$800 buys you jackets with fused interlinings, really odd thick fused interface in the lapels that will never let the lapels sit properly, crappy plastic buttons, cheaply done non-working cuffs, etc. We're talking jackets about the quality fit for stage wear by performers, etc, which is who their clientele happens to be. Nothing fit for actual daily wear where people will inspect you up close, nor will these pieces last very long.

I think the problem lies in the fact that most of the tailors operating in Korea are self-taught from the '50's and '60's, and what they were copying off were cheap American off-the-rack joints and they found even further shortcuts. When you compare these jackets to places like Hong Kong, where the Brits were able to kind of guide the locals in their tailoring, the finished products nowadays are very different. All in all, would never buy another MTM in Seoul again. Would rather have 2 $400 off-the-pegs from the sale rack further tweaked by in house tailors than anything MTM that $800 buys in Seoul nowadays.

MTM shirts in Seoul follow a similar idea, the $35-70 jobs they advertise don't have pockets in the collars for stakes and instead rely on really heavy plastic interface in the cuffs and collars plus integrated fused stakes internally, which all in all add up to a crappy feeling shirt. But in the case of shirts, $30 for something that at least fits for a workhorse shirt can be more forgiveable than a crappy $800 suit that doesn't feel good to wear anywhere.

[Harlem]

I would beg to differ, the quality at Rajawongse is top notch. President Bush get's his atire made by them. It's value for your money.

However, everyone is entitled to their own opinions.

You should try them out, i'd be interested in knowing your response.

cheers!

[sarah_9]

Hello,

Why don`t you try any online store, there you can easily find some nice custom tailors suits , suiting your style and budget.

Regards,

sarah_9

[billionaireboy]

I have had suits made in Yashao as well and they have been quite good for me. Going back to bejing in 2 weeks and will be making more.

I would avoid the more touristy places i.e Silk Market as I have seen them glue the pieces together instead of sew them.

[dismalfuture]

3 years later, went back on my word, am pleased with Seoul MTM work, more so now that the dollar favors the won.

The key to getting what you want though, is actually knowing what you want. I feel like 80 to 90% of what you get back as a finished product is your responsibility from the time you step into a MTM store. If you don't like what they gave you, chances are it's probably your fault during the order sheet process.