Men's suit connoisseur: BB, HSM, JAB vs. HK bespoke?

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  1. #1

    Join Date
    Mar 2009
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    Men's suit connoisseur: BB, HSM, JAB vs. HK bespoke?

    I am currently in USA and will relocate to Hong Kong soon. I wear a suit for work on daily basis, love to wear a nice suit, and look good in a decent suit because I have put efforts to keep my size of 40" chest, 33" waist, yes they are Obama's size, and 6ft high for many years.

    My current wardrobe has a collection of suits by BB 1818 Fitzgerald, JAB signature gold, and HSM GT. I also have several suits made by BR and AR of England. These are off the peg suits. I am satisfied with the fabric, half canvas, and craftsmanship. I am also satisfied with the price I have paid for these suits. Except for BR and AR, these suits are retailed for about $1,000 price tag, but I can usually get them for $300 to $500, especially in the current economic situation. The only thing left to be desired is the fit. Since I have a narrower waist and hip than those of 40R or 41R, I have to have the tailor to take in the waist and the hem of the jacket. So far, I am OK with the alteration, but I am still wondering whether I can get a suit jacket with a better fit and hourglass silhouette.

    Therefore, I tried suits in top department stores such as Nordstrom, Bloomingdales, and Saks in the States for high price tag suits ($1,000 to $2,000). To be honest with you and without offense to those who love them, I just do not understand why I should pay several hundreds of dollars more for the name!? Zegna is an exception, of course, because of its fabric and MTM.

    Another choice emerges. Get a bespoke suit in HK. I did my homework. For a $1,000 tag, I probably should go to WW Chan. TPR is in the range of $600 to $900 (HD$4800 to HD$6800). But I would like to start with my current price range $300 to $500. So the question is:

    In the range of $300 to $500 (HK$2500 to HD$4000), can I get a suit with the same fabric and craftsmanship as suits made by BB 1818, JAB SG, and HSM GT, but with a full floating canvas, a better fit, and a better hourglass silhouette? If so, which tailor you would like to recommend? If not, what's the minimum cost for a suit like that, and again, which tailor I should approach.

    Your time and comments are appreciated.

    Last edited by mzyzhu; 25-05-2009 at 12:10 PM.

  2. #2

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    To be honest, at those levels I think you'd be better off asking in a specialist forum such as AAAC.


  3. #3

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    Please don't use abbreviations

    'BB 1818 Fitzgerald, JAB signature gold, and HSM GT' Its like huh?

    HSM to me could mean High School Musical!

    $2500 to $4000 bracket you could get a decent bespoke suit for sure and the quality of the materials should be very decent. I have no specific recommendations though as I do not require to wear a suit for my everyday work.

    Do some searching on here and there are plenty of threads 'no pun intended' on tailors etc.

    If you already have a collection of suits do you really need anymore as I assume if you've been to HK then the heat and humidity will make wearing a suit unbearable a lot of the year round.


  4. #4

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    The suggestion to AAAC is appreciated.


  5. #5

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    I am guesing TPL stands Tai Pan Row... ?

    If so, you are lucky to get away with paying anything less then 10k for a suit made out of zegna thread....

    its like everything in HK what you pay for is what you get, I would recommend going to TPK for suits, but their shirts are that great for the price they charge.... the cuffs lose a bit of their posture after washes.....

    But as jimbo says, it is a bit too hot to wear a suit during the year, so just make sure you get a few extra trousers with each suit (i have learnt this the hard way)


  6. #6

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    Couple of higher end tailors recommended here along with links to reviews from suit-stylistas....

    http://www.geoexpat.com/forum/thread26218.html