Custom suits...
 

I will be returning to China for two weeks with friends for the third year in a row. We'll be flying into HK, traveling to Lijiang to hike Tiger Leaping Gorge, then round out the trip in Beijing.

One of my friends has expressed major interest in getting custom suits made while visiting. Has anyone done this and is there a recommended place to get it done? From what I understand you can have suits made just about anywhere in China. Basically, what would be best - HK, Shanghai (if we go), or Beijing?

Thanks!

HK is renown for its custom tailoring....there are many shops to have this done, but you need to allow several days for fittings..

Best quality - and most expensive - will be Hong Kong.

Thanks for the info. I guess I'm just trying to get a price to quality comparison idea. If a suit costs $400 in HK and is great quality, how does that compare to a suit from Beijing for $100, that is good quality? Is paying the extra $300 worth the step up in quality?

Any thoughts?

First off, you will not find a great quality suit in HK for $400. You can get a low-moderate quality suit in HK for $400, a good quality suit for $6-700, and an excellent quality suit for $1000 and up.

The quality of the suit has 2 major elements: the quality of the materials, and the quality of the tailoring. In the limited exposure I've had to Chinese (i.e., non-HK) tailors, top-quality, or even very good quality, materials can be difficult to find.

All that said, it very much depends on what you (or your friend) is accustomed to. If you're used to buying a suit off the rack at a discount store, then a made-to-measure suit (even with average materials) will feel great. If you're used to Brooks Brothers' suits, that same run-of-the-mill made-to-measure suit will feel like crap.

Thanks Rizzuto. That was really the information I was looking for.

Thanks again,

JW