Buying Tailored Clothes in Hong Kong

Perhaps being tagged on the street as you walk by is not the best way to select a tailor, but that was the way I found myself being sized for a suit that fits. I guess I must fit the profile of a man in dire need of a good set of clothes. As I walked down Nathan Street to the harbor, I was stopped about a half a dozen times by men, always with a twist of India on their tongue, availing me to their talents as tailors. I wanted to have my blazer adjusted, but I was persuaded that it was better to have it replaced. Although the fabric on my jacket travels well, and it has an abundance of pockets for keeping tickets, maps, my passport, an MP3 player, spare batteries, and spare change, the shoulders on the jacket are too wide. Adjusting the shoulders would require adjusting the lapels. And bringing in the sides would wildly skew the vent in the back to one side. It would be easier to make a new jacket from whole cloth -- and less expensive.

Shirts must be the bread-and-butter of a tailor, as they were all keen on selling me some. The more the merrier. Shipping is about $20-$25 American, and most tailors have websites. If I wait for a sale, I may be able to offset the cost of shipping if I buy several at once with my measurements.

I now have a tailor in Hong Kong.