Highland tailor in Hong Kong

[Glen48]

Hi all,

I go to HK generally at least once a year as my wife's family is out that way. I normally have a few suits made because you cannot beat the price.

Anyway my usual guy doesn't/wont do highland attire. Id like to have a Crail jacket and vest done up to go with my new kilt. Does anyone have a recommendation of a tailor in HK, who is competent with highland attire?

Any advice is welcome.

Thanks
Sean

[Holcombe Thomas]

Hi, Sean.

I'd suggest Yuen's Custom Tailors. Some years ago, the address was 233 Central Escalator Alley, on Hong Kong Island. The phone number is (or at least, was) 2815-5388. They made my kilt and PC.

If nothing else, it's a fun little shop to visit.

Holcombe

[MacEanruig]

I am surprised that your usual tailor refuses to make highland wear. Having lived in Korea and visited HK, I have found most tailors very capable of crafting excellent clothes from photos alone. Many years ago I ordered silver buttons and had a Prince Charlie Coatee made in Korea for about $100 (US). I still have it, and it still looks new. Perhaps, it's time to change tailors.

[CDNSushi]

When I walked down the street kilted in Kowloon, I couldn't get ten yards without three Indian guys running after me yelling that their shop could make me kilts just like the one I was wearing for cheap.

That said, and having had personal experience with two tailors in Hong Kong... Be very, VERY careful. They are excellent at imitating a look, but it won't necessarily have some of the intricacies or detail that you might be looking for. I had some vests and a jacket done up to go with my kilts and it was an unmitigated disaster that cost me a lot of money.

Despite at least 3 fittings, I could NOT get through their %&@# heads that everything had to be SHORTER because I was not wearing it with trousers. "Well, we want to give you the option of wearing it with trousers if you like..." NO, NO, NO!!!! I don't want options to wear it with trousers. Make it friggin' SHORTER!!!! I will never wear it with trousers. Why can't you understand that? Ugh! For all my fittings I was kilted, and I kept showing them where I wanted it to be... It was like beating my head against a wall, and in the end I really should have just walked away and not paid for anything.

So yeah. In the end, I have a full Iona jacket and vest set that look like complete crap... It fits horribly and both are WAY too long. But I am still hoping that one day, when I have a bit of spare cash, I'll be able to hire a COMPETENT tailor to alter and fix it to make it look right.

Caveat emptor.

[Padraicog]

Yuan's Tailor (if they still exist) onetime military tailors. Tel 28155388 or 28549645. I had trews and waistcoat made by them and they were first class.

[Padraicog]

Sorry should have done a Google search first http://www.yuenstailor.com

[Glen48]

Thanks all for the advice. Ill stop by Yuen's while im in HK this December. Any idea of what it will set me back for a Crail Jacket and matching vest? I did a little googling and see his Kilts run ~4800HKD, which isnt really cheap when compared to the mid-market in scotland. Unless of course its mid-market pricing and top level quality.

CDNSushi, youre bang on. You absolutely have to do your homework as not all HK tailors are created equal. My normal guy does a great job at a normal suit. I actually think it quite professional of him to refuse to do something where he doesnt feel he'll produce a quality product.

[Holcombe Thomas]

Yuen's isn't cheap, but I think the quality is very good. They will default to military styling on the kilt, which, after all, is their expertise. The shop originally supplied uniforms to the British military prior to the handover of HK to China.