Save at least 30% to make a suit in Hong Kong, try CMT
CMT : Cut, Make, Trimm
the below is in HK$
Property rental in HK has been too high, that leaves no choice to tailor
shops in Central and Admiralty. They have to charge you over 30% on top of their
services to pay their rental in CBD. If you go for CMT outside CBD, you will
save average 30% to 40%, rather than going to most tailor shops in HK.
I am not talking about WW Chan class of top grade tailors, they are really
the best in HK. I am talking about lower grade tailors than this top grade
tailors, that is mid grade to lower grade tailor shops. Fact is most tailor
shops in HK are collecting orders from customers, and they pass their works to
workshops in Shenzhen Longgang district to save cost and solve their production
problems. They are actually providing fitting service only, and they have to
mark up the suit fabric price and the workmanship fee, just to survive.
There are too many workshops in Shenzhen Longgang (especially Buji area).
Different price of suits are passed to different class of workshops in Longgang,
and better workshops charge higher workmanship fee. For example (a brief idea),
they charge you HK$8k for a suit, the fabric cost is actually less than $1.5k,
the workmanship from Longgang is no more than HK$2k. For a $5k suit, the fabric
cost is less than $1k, and the workmanship from Longgang is no more than $1.2k.
For a 3k suit, the fabric cost is less than $500 (usually come from Shenzhen
Dongmen), and the workmanship from Longgang is less than HK$800. For suits over
$20k, tailor shops are actually taking higher profit margin for expensive
fabric, i.e. 200%-300%! That means, the more expensive fabric you pick, the
higher profit margin tailor shops are taking. To save cost, tailor shops provide
cheaper fabrics. In general, tailor shops upstairs take less profit margin than
those at ground floor. This also applies to Lo Wu Mall, they have to survive to
pay the rent.
There are lots of good fabric, just to name a few: Dormeuil, Scabal,
Holland & Sherry, Ariston, Thomas Fisher, Zegna , Loro Piana, VBC, Fintes
Drago, Charles Clayton, Giorgio Vallino (China made), etc.
Where to buy good fabric?
Search: Piece Goods, You will see lots of supply for suit fabric, you will
see good fabric brands for less than $1k per yard, which tailor shops could
charge you over $15k for a suit. Basic VBC costs less than $300 per yard, which
tailor shops could charge you over $5k for a suit. The more expensive fabric you
pick for CMT, the more you save than going to tailor shops as explained above,
tailor shops take 200%-300% profit margin on expensive fabrics. Besides, piece
goods provide more fabric choice than tailor shops, and this is another reason
why consumers would rather go for CMT.
Before you go to a fabric house, consult your tailor how many yards you
need for your 2 pcs suit, 3 pcs suit, and overcoat. Everyone has different size
and height. For me, 3.5yard is good enough for a 2 pcs single-breasted suit. You
have to understand, those fabric houses are whole sellers to tailor shops, and
they don’t spend time to explain which fabric is good to you. You have to make
decision what kind of fabric you will buy before you visit them. In some cases,
you tell them the fabric number you will buy, that’s all. You can try fabric
houses at Western Market in Sheung Wan, they spend time to serve retail
customers. Or, you can check fabrics at tailor shops before going to fabric
house.
Hang Kong Woollen: Zegna, Scabal, Holland & Sherry, Dormeuil
Fielding Brown & Finch: Scabal, Holland & Sherry
Long Wear Hong: Loro Piana, VBC, Charles Clayton, Giorgio Vallino
Loa Hai Shing (more expensive than above 3): good various fabric, Dormeuil,
Scabal, Holland & Sherry
Better avoid: Omega (Mirador Mansion in TST), Saviero (Hung Hom)
Better avoid: KingHERO, Milano
If you want buying good fabric at low price, online only:
UK standard is meter. 1 meter = 1.1 yard, 3 meter = 3.3yard.
The next issue is about faked brands. Some fabric houses make up a few
fabric brand names, such as watch brands, Italian names, English names, famous
individuals, etc. When you search online, you will see such fabric brands do not
exist at all. Those are mostly China made fabrics with bespoke logos. You might
see fabrics without brands, claimed British made or Italian made. Those are also
most likely China made, and can be found in Shenzhen Dongmen. A few tailor shops
in HK and mainland China could be fooled by those fabric houses, carrying those
fabrics claiming famous brands selling to customers at high price. The quality
of such kinds of fabric is not guaranteed, but a few of them could be
acceptable. The following 3 classes could be checked by flame test and smell
test:
1) Lower class wool fabrics (usually under $400 per yard): industrial
fabric
2) Mid-class wool fabrics: industrial fabric + cotton fabric or + recycle
wool
3) High-class wool fabrics: real pure wool
There are too many poor quality fabrics in the market, and the number of
poor quality fabrics could be more than good quality fabrics. Consumers should
avoid small size piece goods when purchasing fabrics, and should prefer cutting
from a roll of fabric, but not cutting from bigger piece of fabric.
Where to find tailors for CMT?
1) first choice: tailors who work for tailor shops and 2) second choice:
tailor shops in Kowloon. In general, tailor shops upstairs take less profit
margin than those at ground floor. You don’t need to go Shenzhen Longgang
district. If you search tailor online, you see simply advertisements. Those
bespoke tailors are just charging more, because they are brand names.
Here below are some non brand names. Some are Shanghai workmanship, and
some are Guangdong workmanship. Some make full canvass, and some make fuse. Some
charge $2.xk, and some charge $1.xk. You better give them a few photos, they
will understand your requirements.
Beaux Tailor, Hip On, Pang Fung (makes fuse), King Wah, Chung Hing
Tailor:
buy leather to make leather jacket, search: 皮號 皮革
just don’t know where to get the fur in the leather jacket.
Consumers make decision where to make a suit. Go tailor shops in CBD or go
for CMT?
suit alternation, search 改衣
天倫, Land Co , Rita Alteration, HangKeias, too many ....
Buying leather shoes in HK is not cheap at all. When shoes are on sale, the
price is even higher than those foreign online shops. If I don't want to shop
online, I go Lane Crawford and Sogo.
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香港 來料加工 訂造西裝 CMT suit Hong Kong
省錢找包頭(裁縫)來料加工訂造西裝 CMT suit HK.
Tailors (BaoTou) in Mirador for CMT suit HK.
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