Hong Kong’s Answer to Shenzhen Tailors

One of the great pleasures of shopping in Shenzhen is having clothes custom-tailored. As most Shenzhen day-trippers know, the tailoring prices at Lowu Commercial City are cheap (RMB175-200 per suit) and the fabrics abundant. And if you are exhausted from the battle with vendors, you can sit back and get a back massage or go to Laurel Restaurant for a comforting cuppa tea. No wonder so many of you are addicted!

Unfortunately, because of current tight China visa restrictions imposed on foreigners since last spring, many shoppers have held back and are now desperate for some new clothes. For all you Shenzhen enthusiasts, look out for the 5th edition of ‘Shop in Shenzhen, An Insider’s Guide’ to be released in November 08 (www.shopinshenzhen.com). By then, perhaps China visas will be easier to obtain and hopefully – less expensive.

Some of you may not be Shenzhen enthusiasts at all! Perhaps you hate that trip to Shenzhen and wouldn’t mind finding a local tailor/seamstress right in the middle of Hong Kong to whip up something that you just can’t find at the ready-made shops?

You’ve Come to the Right Place!

Check out my recommended Hong Kong tailors below. They do good quality work and their prices are very reasonable.

I have loads more Hong Kong shopping secrets for you. You can find them all in my just released, totally new version of “Shop in Hong Kong”. Take a look at my website, www.shop-in-hongkong.com and order a copy! Your shopping will suddenly become easier and definitely more fun!

Hong Kong Tailors!

Yes, there is an abundance of tailors everywhere you look in Hong Kong. And for every tailor you see, there are many more that you don’t see as they are working for themselves in small low-rental workshops throughout the city. Many of them make clothes for women and some of these tailors are on my list below.

Are they more expensive than Shenzhen tailors?

Of course they are! But perhaps not as expensive as you think. There are many many more expensive tailors/seamstresses in Hong Kong but I have chosen these for their more reasonable prices.

The Upside

There are great advantages to finding a good tailor in Hong Kong. Here’s what they’ve got going for them:

o They actually make the garment themselves. In Shenzhen, tailors do the measuring but the work is done in outside workshops.

o Hong Kong tailors give you at least one fitting with the garment before it is finished. In Shenzhen, you are expected to pick up the garment once finished, without a fitting in between.

o That means better quality for your money and fewer clothes donated to charity. (Shenzhen regulars, you know what I mean!)


The Downside

It’s a matter of time. Since they do the work themselves, Hong Kong tailors need 2-3 weeks (and sometimes longer) to make up your clothes, depending on how busy they are.

(A note for travelers. If you’re coming to Hong Kong and want to have clothes made while here, you need to let a tailor know ahead of time so that she can block off time for you. Perhaps you even need to use two tailors at the same time.)

Be Prepared!

When you go to a tailor, the onus is on you to be totally prepared before you go. Here’s a checklist:

o Buy your fabric ahead of time. See how much fabric to buy below. (Consult my shopping guide, SHOP IN HONG KONG, for fabulous fabric shops in the city.)

o Decide exactly what style you want to have made. Bring something to copy or a very clear picture of a garment you want to have made. Make sure the picture shows the main seams and cutting lines. Otherwise, you and the tailor will have to guess and the result might not look the same.

o Make sure the style of garment suits your personality and body style. Have you ever spent a ton of money on an outfit that didn’t make you look great? (Haven’t we all!) Here’s another secret. Call up Eve Roth Lindsay at Savvy Style (852 2522 2592). She will transform your appearance with just a few clear do-able ideas that are personally adapted to your look and body type. Translate this information into the clothes you choose and you’ll be set for a lifetime of elegance no matter what you wear.

o Book an appointment with the tailor. Let her know how many garments you want made up. Don’t show up unannounced. She splits her day between appointments and actual tailoring so doesn’t want to interrupt her work with unplanned appointments.

o Play it safe for your first garment. Get one of your favorite outfits copied. If that works out, move on to something else. Most seamstresses can work with photos or illustrations but save these for later garments. A tailor is a bit like a hairdresser. They need to get to know you first.

How Much Fabric Do You Need?

Here is a basic rule of thumb.

FABRIC 60 INCHES WIDE
Buy the equivalent length of the finished product. For example, if the finished length of your trousers is 39inches, buy 1 1/5 yards. For a jacket, buy the required length for the ‘finished’ bodice (depending on how long you want it) plus an additional length for the sleeves (approximately ¾ of a yard). Apply this basic rule to anything you plan to have made up.

FABRIC 44-45 INCHES WIDE
Apply the above rule of thumb (for 60” fabric) AND DOUBLE IT.


MY LIST OF HONG KONG TAILORS
(For women only)

Here are a few reasonably-priced tailors/dressmakers in Hong Kong who make clothes for women. The prices I list below are for straightforward garments. More detailed or elaborate garments cost more. Nearly all the tailors speak English or have access to an English speaker and are located in Central or Sheung Wan, a mere 5 minutes further by tram. They are usually open for appointments daily between 11am and 7pm excluding Sundays and Public Holidays.

Please call them up and use them. And do let me know how it worked out! I’d love to get feedback and will incorporate your input into future blogs.


Aida Fashion Workshop
Commercial House, 5/F, Rm 504
35 Queen’s Road Central
T 2537 4836

Rita the tailor can show you photos of lots of smart clothes that she or her staff have made. Her English is fluent and she obviously has plenty of experience. She can copy a garment from a photo or illustration.

Women’s Suit: HK$1050
Dress: HK$650

D C Fashion
Sun Fung Building, 3/F, Flat A
52-60 Lyndhurst Terrace (near Hollywood Road)
Tel: 2815 7330

Doris Cheung is another experienced women’s tailor. Her English is fluent.
Women’s Suit: HK$1100

Fung Ling Fashion
The Winner Building, 11/F, Flat B
27-37 D’Aguilar Street,
Tel: 2521 2133

Ah Bing the tailor is very experienced. Her English is fluent. She carries fabric swatches. You can either order fabric through her or bring your own.

Women’s Suit: $1210
Dress: $685

Teresa
Teda Building, 1/F
87 Wing Lok Street
Sheung Wan

Close to Western Market

Very experienced tailor. Carries fabric swatches but you can bring your own.
Women’s suit: HK$1500
Dress: HK$850


Shing Yue Shanghai Tailor Co
120 Wing Lok St, Yau Shing Bldg, 10/F, Room1B
(Close to Western Market)
Tel: 3114 7527 Mob: 6588 3488

This tailor speaks no English although she can call up an English speaker who will translate over the phone. Clothes are made in her workshop although I was told that she occasionally uses a workshop in China when overloaded.

Her prices are the least expensive (cheap by Hong Kong standards!) of the tailors in this list. Because this tailor cannot speak English, it is best to have her copy clothes rather than begin a new garment from scratch, then gradually have her do more complex work.

Women’s pantsuit HK$420
Dress HK$320.


Mens’ Tailors
This entry is for tailors catering to women only. For men’s tailors, pick up a copy of my book (www.shop-in-hongkong.com) for my complete list of excellent tailors.

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Back to University: Last Minute Shopping

My first post is dedicated to all those guys and gals soon heading for university in the northern hemisphere. These days, they’re shopping for everything they need for the coming season. And Hong Kong is the place to shop for people with small budgets and great fashion sense.

Teenagers will have a field day in Hong Kong. There is so much variety and great street fashion in this city that this is the place to spend what limited dollars they’ve got. You might think that Japan and Britain are the big league for street fashion but Hong Kong designers are way up there with their rebellious looks and much more affordable prices.

So read on guys - this is the place to stock up. You’ll be very happy when you see how the prices compares with those in the west.


Hong Kong Teen Fashion Stomping Grounds

First on your list are jeans, tees and various casual wear to hang out in. And you’re probably planning on loads of accessories and cheap fun shoes. And your mother will probably add,’ The most important thing is a good winter coat!’. She’s right. You’ll thank her when the cold, rain and snow settle in. Look for something really casual and sporty. It's hard to shop for winter coats in the sweltering heat, but keep looking. You'll find it!

Here’s where to head first, where you’ll find the best value shopping for the 18years and over crowd in the city.

Fa Yuen Street in Mongkok, site of the Fa Yuen Street Market. Mongkok MTR Station, exit B3. Loads of tees, skirts, shorts and cheap fun shoes. A few outlets here sell overruns meant for Europe, Australia or America. That means sizes are not too small and prices are a fraction of what they will sell at wherever you end up studying.

Granville Road in Tsim Sha Tsui. Loads of accessories – belts, hats, earrings, stockings, leg warmers. It’s the luck of the draw but make this a definite stop on that long pursuit of the ultimate university wardrobe.

Esprit Outlet Store at 4-6 Hankow Road in Tsim Sha Tsui. You know Esprit! They're great and their outlet is THE BEST!

Lee Garden Road in Causeway Bay. A little street with one side lined with outlet stores. Great value from PJs to skiing jackets.MTR Station, Exit F. Ask for directions. It's just a few minutes away.

Stanley Market The grande dame of Hong Kong markets. Beautifully laid out. No pressure. Look for the outlet store next to the giant T-shirt sign. Ask. Someone will point it out for you.


Clothes with A Real Attitude

Nobody does rebellious better than some of my favorite Hong Kong street fashion stores.

Here are two of them. They have the full range of clothing for guys and gals with tons of unique accessories. Their looks are mostly influenced by European and Japanese fashion.

Ice Fire
Tsim Sha Tsui, 79 Chatham Road
Causeway Bay, 42-44 Yee Wo Street
Tel 2808 1184

Izzue.com
Silvercord Building, LG64, Tsim Sha Tsui
Tel 2314 2556

While you're in the Silvercord Building, look out for the little street fashion shops with local and international brands in the back where the rent isn't so high. These shops are unisex but, let's face it, they're mainly for the guys.

If you’re looking for international street fashion brands, meaning jeans and tees with all the right markings, these next two shops in Causeway Bay won’t let you down either.

But don’t go early. These cats burn the midnight oil and start up late in the afternoon… Both are in Causeway Bay and a short walk from each other.

Juice
53 Paterson Street, 2/F
T 2881 0173

8Five2
Skateboard fashion
506-508 Jaffe Road, 4/F

Great Accessories for Teens

Two shops that offer great college fashion at deliciously affordable prices if you’re young, slim and on a budget are:

mi-tu
Park Lane Shoppers’ Boulevard, #62, Tsim Sha Tsui
T 2302 1150

Maple
26A and 64 Granville Road
Tsim Sha Tsui

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So good luck with shopping, your studies, exams and see you at the Christmas break!