Going Bespoke - Visiting a Hong Kong Tailor

This was Hubby's first trip to Asia via the first stop in Hong Kong.  I took him for a classic Hong Kong experience of visiting a tailor to have custom shirts made.

So guys, do you need to know if you want to order custom made clothing for yourself?

Start with recommendations from people you trust.  Do you know someone who looks impeccable and wears bespoke clothing?  If you can't get a personal referral, look for trusted review sources online and email the reviewer if possible.

Get a sense of pricing and what that includes.  Does the price include a fitting or corrections if necessary?  What is the time frame to receive your clothes and will it include shipping?  You definitely want to work with a tailor that will guarantee their work.  Pricing varies based on your timing, fabric and materials chosen as well as details you specify. 

A reputable tailor might also ask when or how you intend to wear your shirts to help you decide on what fabrics or details to choose.

Know what you want.  Do you have pieces that you feel fit perfectly and want to copy?  Do you know if you like your clothing to have a more relaxed fit or slimmer fit?  Do you have a long neck and prefer taller collars the flatter your proportions? (A really good tailor might suggest these things too).  Do you have a preference for a certain type of collar? Cuff?  Do you want a monogram?  The more specific you are, and can articulate your needs, the more painless your appointment will be for the both of you.

Measurements.  You don't need to know them that well, that's the tailor's job to measure you.  However, you do need to know where you would like your sleeves to end on length, shirt length, etc.

Clothing might make the man, but it really comes down to the man that makes the clothing...