By Sunee LaClaire
Image Consultant
AICI

As an Image and Lifestyle Consultant, I am often asked by male clients and friends for a recommendation of an inexpensive quality tailor in Central. I have always thought that was a lot to ask for. Inexpensive sure, but high quality, great fit, and inexpensive…dream on! So I recently embarked on a journey to check out various men's tailors in Central and I found out that the age old adage still holds true, “You pay for what you get.”
 

Lapel Tailor on the corner of Wellington and Shelley Streets (under the escalator) is a small clean shop. The have reasonable basic fabrics from England as well as some Italian imports. When I spoke to Kenny Ng, he told me that as a traditional Shanghainese tailor, Lapel focuses on classic business attire, not high fashion. They typically take one week to produce a suit and they pride themselves on their quality for the price.

The Lowdown: Great for a basic suit and for someone who is not overly discerning. They make standard suits to fit average men.
Suits = 3000 HKD and up Shirts = 988 HKD for 3

Shop D, Jade Centre, 98 Wellington Street
2851 1969
www.tailorlapel.com.hk

Grand Tailor is situated diagonally across the street. John Chan told me that his store offers some perks he thinks potential customers might be interested in. They will make a deal with customers who order many pieces at once. If you choose a designer fabric, they will include the designer’s label inside the suit. A great benefit for jet-setters Grand and Lapel both have a second location in New York and if you order in Hong Kong, you can get the same price at the NYC location.

The Lowdown: Great for anyone who spends time in New York. If you are into designer fabrics but want to stick to a smaller budget, they have a decent selection of Italian imported fabrics.
Suits= 2900 -5500 HKD Shirts=988 HKD for 3

G/F, 83 Wellington Street
2851 1648
grandtailor@yahoo.com.hk

Furama Tailor in Melbourne Plaza has a completely different feel than the two shops on Wellington Street. Raymond Lee was very welcoming into his quaint and crowded shop. We chatted for a while about the history of Furama. They have been in their current location for 30 years after a 25 year stint in the Furama Hotel. They are quite clearly a classic tailor, focusing on traditional business suits. They do however have some non-traditional fabrics in the store (which I suspect may have been there since they were a fad many decades ago). Furama is used to dealing with special requests and are happy to honor desires such as specialized labels and monograms.

The Lowdown: Furama is a Hong Kong history lesson in addition to a place to order a suit. Great for people with more traditional tastes in suits.
Suits = 3000-10000 HKD Shirts = 200-900 HKD

Shop 114-115 Melbourne Plaza, 33 Queen's Road
2526 1666

Golden Peak Tailor was by far the least expensive of any of the tailors I visited. Located in the World Wide Plaza, they are a bit of a challenge to find. Doris Law was very sweet while she told me about her 20+ years in the business. The small shop, chock-full of fabric, is definitely not a luxury destination. They can however produce a basic suit for a steal. It's the kind of place you go when you know what you want and want it quickly.

The Lowdown: Perhaps a good place for a starter suit. It's where I'd take my little brother. They are also open half day on Sundays (in case you are in a real hurry!)
Suits = 800 - 2800 HKD Shirts = from 200HKD

Shop 229, World Wide Plaza, 19 Des Veoux Road
2386 5073

Lords Tailor in the Pedder Building feels a world away from Golden Peak even though it is on the same street. This shop is impressively organized. Inside there are displays of the latest designs from top men's clothiers. The have many designer fabrics and a good knowledge of what is fashionable. The have just won the American Academy of Hospitality Sciences Five Star Diamond Award. They certainly seem to have earned it as they were very congenial with me, answering all of my questions.

The Lowdown: Lords tailor is a great choice is for a fashionable and modern man who is into the latest looks. The high quality fabrics and personal attention mean you will feel well taken care of here.
Suits = 4500 HKD and up Shirts = 650 HKD and up

Lords Tailor 1/F Pedder Building, Suite 107B
3102 3238
www.lords.hk

Tai Pan Row in IFC is a large and stately shop. When you walk in it is easy to forget that you are inside of the biggest mall in Central. They have a visually stunning display of colorful fabrics including choices from several Italian high end designers. Unfortunately, I found their attitude slightly less desirable. This is a one stop shop, carrying variety of luxurious ties and cuff links as well. They also have a well developed web site where you can place orders.

The Lowdown: For the discerning man who only wants the best. A great place to take an out-of-towner you want to impress. Online store makes ordering easy.
Suits = from 5500 HKD

IFC Shop 3015,
2147 2828 / 2147 2838
www.taipanrow.com

All of these adventures to tailors revived my belief that if you know what you want, most tailors can make it for you. The problem that many people encounter is that they may not know exactly which fabrics or designs are most suitable for them. The difference in the amount of money you want to spend is not only tied up in style and fabric but also in how much help you require. If you know what fabric and cut works on you, you will be able to pay less for the suit and go to a shop that can to execute your specific orders. When you have no clue about the fabric or design, that same tailor may not prove as useful.

A consultation with an Image Consultant at Immaginare Limited can help you determine appropriate looks for your size, shape, position and coloring. Armed with that information, you will be able to visit a tailor and know that you are able to walk out with exactly what you desire. Or if all the talk about weight and stitch types is simply not interesting to you, consider hiring an assisted shopper to navigate the seas of style-speak for you. After all, no matter how much you pay for your suit, you want to end up with something you'll happily wear for years to come.

For more information or to schedule a consultation, contact Immaginare Limited at www.immaginareconsulting.com or info@immaginareconsulting.com