Post: #1

Just got a recommendation from a friend for a customer tailor from Hong Kong who will be in New York for a few days only. He does custom suits from $200 and up.

He's in NY only from May 8th - 11th, so you gotta move fast.

I haven't worked with this tailor yet, but my friend is in the fashion industry, and has great fashion sense, so I definitely trust his opinion. The company gets great recommendations online too.

Edit - I think it may be better not to put this one out for general lurker consumption. PM me if you're interested and I'll gladly send the contact info of the tailor to any contributing member of the forum. Sorry to make it more difficult, just don't want to spread this out too wide.

If y'all are interested, I can post pics of the results once my suit is done.

Post: #2

Since you have some rep points, is he coming to chicago?

Post: #3

(05-08-2013 05:34 PM)chyamor Wrote:  Since you have some rep points, is he coming to chicago?

Just noticed that he'll be in a few other US and European cities in the coming weeks.

@chyamor - will send you a PM with the info. But not sure what you meant about the rep points?

Post: #4

Answered all the PM's I've gotten so far.

Based on a few of the PM's, seems like a bunch of you are in Cali. The tailor will be in LA later this month, as well as Nevada, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Washington, and some other locations in Cali. PM me or post here if you want contact info.

I'll be going for a fitting later this week, and will post again about how it goes, and later with pics of the final product.

Don't forget to post back with your results/comments if you end up using the tailor.

Post: #5

There are number of companies in Hong Kong and other asian countries that use this business model. For example:

http://www.mytailor.com/TourSchedule.aspx

http://www.bestcustomshirt.com/

I have ordered shirts from both and they provided a good experience.

There is nothing exclusive about this kind of arrangement, these companies are well known. Is this some new advertisement troll that is intended to drive traffic to a particular site?

Post: #6

(05-09-2013 10:58 AM)n0000 Wrote:  There are number of companies in Hong Kong and other asian countries that use this business model. For example:

http://www.mytailor.com/TourSchedule.aspx

http://www.bestcustomshirt.com/

I have ordered shirts from both and they provided a good experience.

There is nothing exclusive about this kind of arrangement, these companies are well known. Is this some new advertisement troll that is intended to drive traffic to a particular site?

Easy there son. I haven't used the sites you mentioned. I got a tip from a friend with good fashion sense and wanted to pass it on to guys who would appreciate that. You know, create value for people? Try it sometime, you might get some rep points.

I didn't want to advertise the link on the thread because the main tailor has limited time while touring the States, so I prefer to send it by PM to forum members who are interested rather than post it for the whole world to see. Already got a bunch of PM's from interested people.

I have no connection to the site and get nothing out of advertising for them.

Post: #7

(05-09-2013 10:58 AM)n0000 Wrote:  There are number of companies in Hong Kong and other asian countries that use this business model. For example:

http://www.mytailor.com/TourSchedule.aspx

http://www.bestcustomshirt.com/

I have ordered shirts from both and they provided a good experience.

There is nothing exclusive about this kind of arrangement, these companies are well known. Is this some new advertisement troll that is intended to drive traffic to a particular site?

He put me on. I had no clue about this kind of thing.

Post: #8

(05-09-2013 12:04 PM)Sabra Wrote:  

(05-09-2013 10:58 AM)n0000 Wrote:  There are number of companies in Hong Kong and other asian countries that use this business model. For example:

http://www.mytailor.com/TourSchedule.aspx

http://www.bestcustomshirt.com/

I have ordered shirts from both and they provided a good experience.

There is nothing exclusive about this kind of arrangement, these companies are well known. Is this some new advertisement troll that is intended to drive traffic to a particular site?

Easy there son. I haven't used the sites you mentioned. I got a tip from a friend with good fashion sense and wanted to pass it on to guys who would appreciate that. You know, create value for people? Try it sometime, you might get some rep points.

Damn.

Post: #9

Is he coming to London?

Post: #10

hahah G, where do you find these videos? i started laughing like a maniac when he went down. Knocked him out w/a b-tchslap!!!!

Post: #11

(05-10-2013 10:48 AM)bojangles Wrote:  Is he coming to London?

Looks like you just missed him in London unfortunately. I'll PM you the info anyway, hopefully he'll be back around before long.

Post: #12

A bunch of guys have PM'd me with questions about the tailor, so I'll try to answer everything here.

Went to a fitting yesterday.

What I got
- Got a custom suit, two fitted shirts, and tie for $550.
- Basically you pick colors/patterns from a large selection, then he measures you, takes pictures, and your set.
- The suit is two button, two vents, thin notch lapels, charcoal grey with burgundy interior. Super 150 cashmere-wool blend from Zegna. Kind of like the pic below.



Pros
- The quality of material is excellent. Lots of different Italian threads
- Tons of selection for colors and patterns.
- The tailor is very good. I'm definitely no expert but I've worked with a few tailors and felt good with this guy. He took his time with the measurements, going over them a few times to get exact measurements and taking pictures from various angles. He also helped with the matching of shirts/suits and finding the right colors.
- You can pay cash or credit. Bring cash to get a little more discount.
- As I was leaving another customer came in. He was a repeat customer, and gave a great recommendation for the tailor.

Cons
- The fitting was done by the Master Tailor's assistant, not the Master Tailor himself. Still, as I noted above, the guy was very thorough and knowledgeable.
- A bit more expensive than I originally thought. Seems that to get the prices around $200 - 300, you need to actually buy from their shop in Hong Kong, and maybe not get the top materials. I also might have had to pay more, but dropped my friend's name and got a discount, plus bargained. But I'm almost glad to pay a little more, since you get what you pay for.

I'll post pics of the suit once it comes in. Will take about 5-6 weeks.

Let me know if there's any other questions or if you want the contact info for the tailor.

Post: #13

I went to get a fitting and I ended up not purchasing. This was in Beverly Hills Crowne Plaza Hotel.

I went to the front and asked for the tailor by name. The front desk had no idea where or who this was. After futzing around, she found his name under the room registry.

I walked up to the room and its two Pakistani guys (maybe Iranian???) sitting there w/fabric books on the bed. This was unexpected, as its a Hong-Kong shop. I was a little bit guarded here.

I went through and choose some fabrics. I think I choose super 150s 100% wool for the suit, and sea island 100% cotton. The shirt fabric was very nice. 5 mins in, somebody else came in and started chatting w/the other tailor about his wife (a new dress) and for himself (a suit and shirt)

Then we started talking price. The tailor did some calculator work and told me 750 dollars for a suit, 2 shirt. I told him that its too high. Back and forth, we went and it got down to 600 cash up-front w/a free tie thrown in. 6-8 weeks delivery.

I asked him about the fit, and if it needed alterations, what would be the process. He said hes coming back in 2 months, and he would alter it at that time. I offered him half up-front, and half when I got the suit. He refused. I walked.

Couple thoughts-
1) Pakistani guys threw me off. I was expecting Asians. I've been all around Asia and the Arabs/Persians/Pakistani are the generally the scammiest bunch. I wasn't feeling good at this point. Hong-Kong Tailors are you usually from China.

2) Nobody at the front desk knew who they were.

3) Insisting on cash up-front. Promising me free alterations, if needed, somewhere down the line. This doesn't appeal to me- buying a cat in the bag. Who knows what product you can get.

4) Giving money is easy, getting a good product is difficult. What if the fabric is changed, what if the fit is off. What then?

5) Random dude showing up 5 mins in, as on cue. How did he know which room it was? This was the first and only day of fittings in Beverly Hills. He didn't call the room. Its a possibility that he was part of the "group" to up sales. White guy in a blue cast.

6) I can buy a nice suit in LA fashion district (between 7th and 9th), and have it tailored on-site. This will run at most 400 dollars. If there are issues w/the tailoring, I can take it back and they will change it for minimal fee or free. Makes no sense for me to get these suits from HK.

Side note- Yesterday, I ended up buying a charcoal gray wool-cashmere super 150s w/butter-soft hand in LA fashion district for 400 dollars, tailoring included, free tie, free silk pocket square (rolled edges), and a pair of socks.

Post: #14

(05-23-2013 02:46 PM)DVY Wrote:  Couple thoughts-
1) Pakistani guys threw me off. I was expecting Asians. I've been all around Asia and the Arabs/Persians/Pakistani are the generally the scammiest bunch. I wasn't feeling good at this point. Hong-Kong Tailors are you usually from China.

Interesting.

I think I have met some of these Pakistani (not 100% they were Pakistani, but I think so) - Hong Kong tailoring connections.

I have never worked with them, but I think there are a few of these operations around (or maybe it's the same guy?), so I can't say if they are good or not.

Post: #15

Damn. I missed this opportunity in NY and really need my first custom suit in the $500 range.

Any other options like this?

Post: #16

(05-23-2013 06:20 PM)thegmanifesto Wrote:  

(05-23-2013 02:46 PM)DVY Wrote:  Couple thoughts-
1) Pakistani guys threw me off. I was expecting Asians. I've been all around Asia and the Arabs/Persians/Pakistani are the generally the scammiest bunch. I wasn't feeling good at this point. Hong-Kong Tailors are you usually from China.

Interesting.

I think I have met some of these Pakistani (not 100% they were Pakistani, but I think so) - Hong Kong tailoring connections.

I have never worked with them, but I think there are a few of these operations around (or maybe it's the same guy?), so I can't say if they are good or not.

G, I'm curious--where do you get your suits from?

Post: #17

Looks like my theory that this is a scam is becoming more and more credible. Let us review:

The op contains the following elements:
1. Time constraint
2. Exclusive insider information from an "expert"
3. Hidden information that requires you to send a pm to get

All this stuff is marketing 101. Sabra has no doubt just read the book Influence by Cialdini.

DVY confirms that there is an air of disrepute about the whole operation and that the prices are less competitive than the $200 that sabra initially advertised.

There are similar operations with much better prices that are definitely not scams. I would go with those if you value your time and money.

(05-23-2013 02:46 PM)DVY Wrote:  I went to get a fitting and I ended up not purchasing. This was in Beverly Hills Crowne Plaza Hotel.

I went to the front and asked for the tailor by name. The front desk had no idea where or who this was. After futzing around, she found his name under the room registry.

I walked up to the room and its two Pakistani guys (maybe Iranian???) sitting there w/fabric books on the bed. This was unexpected, as its a Hong-Kong shop. I was a little bit guarded here.

I went through and choose some fabrics. I think I choose super 150s 100% wool for the suit, and sea island 100% cotton. The shirt fabric was very nice. 5 mins in, somebody else came in and started chatting w/the other tailor about his wife (a new dress) and for himself (a suit and shirt)

Then we started talking price. The tailor did some calculator work and told me 750 dollars for a suit, 2 shirt. I told him that its too high. Back and forth, we went and it got down to 600 cash up-front w/a free tie thrown in. 6-8 weeks delivery.

I asked him about the fit, and if it needed alterations, what would be the process. He said hes coming back in 2 months, and he would alter it at that time. I offered him half up-front, and half when I got the suit. He refused. I walked.

Couple thoughts-
1) Pakistani guys threw me off. I was expecting Asians. I've been all around Asia and the Arabs/Persians/Pakistani are the generally the scammiest bunch. I wasn't feeling good at this point. Hong-Kong Tailors are you usually from China.

2) Nobody at the front desk knew who they were.

3) Insisting on cash up-front. Promising me free alterations, if needed, somewhere down the line. This doesn't appeal to me- buying a cat in the bag. Who knows what product you can get.

4) Giving money is easy, getting a good product is difficult. What if the fabric is changed, what if the fit is off. What then?

5) Random dude showing up 5 mins in, as on cue. How did he know which room it was? This was the first and only day of fittings in Beverly Hills. He didn't call the room. Its a possibility that he was part of the "group" to up sales. White guy in a blue cast.

6) I can buy a nice suit in LA fashion district (between 7th and 9th), and have it tailored on-site. This will run at most 400 dollars. If there are issues w/the tailoring, I can take it back and they will change it for minimal fee or free. Makes no sense for me to get these suits from HK.

Side note- Yesterday, I ended up buying a charcoal gray wool-cashmere super 150s w/butter-soft hand in LA fashion district for 400 dollars, tailoring included, free tie, free silk pocket square (rolled edges), and a pair of socks.

Post: #18

Damn. Guess its good thing I didn't go to the crown plaza that day.

Post: #19

I was looking into the suit thing also and got the info from him but got busy. Lucky me.

Did he just get banned? I swear he was active this AM.

Post: #20

It seemed like Sabra did a pretty good job amending his original post with updated info:

(05-11-2013 04:05 PM)Sabra Wrote:  Cons
- The fitting was done by the Master Tailor's assistant, not the Master Tailor himself. Still, as I noted above, the guy was very thorough and knowledgeable.
- A bit more expensive than I originally thought. Seems that to get the prices around $200 - 300, you need to actually buy from their shop in Hong Kong, and maybe not get the top materials. I also might have had to pay more, but dropped my friend's name and got a discount, plus bargained. But I'm almost glad to pay a little more, since you get what you pay for.

I'll post pics of the suit once it comes in. Will take about 5-6 weeks.

Let me know if there's any other questions or if you want the contact info for the tailor.

Post: #21

(05-23-2013 06:25 PM)MidniteSpecial Wrote:  Damn. I missed this opportunity in NY and really need my first custom suit in the $500 range.

Any other options like this?

I'm in DC and recently ordered from Enzo Custom Clothiers. Cost me $425 and should be ready soon but they had great reviews on yelp and facebook. They are based out of NYC so you may want to look into it. Send me a PM in a few weeks and I'll have more info when I pick it up.

Post: #22

Is this why Sabra got banned?

Post: #23

Guys in LA check fashion district (downtown between 7th and 9th)- Ill throw up a LA fashion district data-sheet on the LA thread. There are 2-3 higher-end stores, but most around there are sh-t. You can pick up some dope suits there. One shop I popped into had a silk-wool fabric w navy square inside of square pattern progressing into a small dot (Kind of like concentric circles). Not sure how to describe it.

It was an extra fancy fabric (unbelievably soft to touch), draped very well, but at the same time very conservative (from a distance). Basically a Brioni knock-off. If I saw it on the street, I would know it was a nice suit, but when at a close distance the suit is flashy.

I am no suit expert, but I would guess it as a 2-5k suit. Price- 450 dollars. They will tailor it, throw in some freebies too. Or you can bargain a little w/them (prolly 420 tailored, no freebies). I didnt pick it up because I liked the charcoal grey one more (also very dope), and this navy suit is not interchangeable. This is a suit that people will recognize if you wear it twice (say in a week).

I am super stoked to wear my suit out...expecting delivery or pickup in a day or two. Tailor from the store needs to bring in the waist about 2 inches on each side, and trim the pants length.

Post: #24

Gonna plug this forum again

http://www.styleforum.net

They've got it all covered. Traveling Tailors, Bespoke, Made to Measure, finding cheap designer or cheap artisanal, how much things cost, fittings, fabrics... You'll hear all about the traveling Indians, and the hard sell.

If you're in NYC and you want a bespoke suit for less than a G, holla @ Mr. Ned.

http://mrnednyc.com/

Super reputable, the go to tailor for a lot of NYC lawyers and bankers.

They break down the process here

http://mrnednyc.com/?page_id=4

Again - wearing a custom suit is OVERKILL for running night game. If you wear suits in your daily life, by all means, get the best suit you can get - but if you're spending most of your days in jeans, khakis, or sweat pants - you don't need to Don Draper it up at your local watering hole.

Get yourself a decent off the rack suit and get it tailored. Much cheaper and faster than doing anything bespoke/custom.

WIA

Post: #25

(05-23-2013 11:59 PM)kbell Wrote:  Is this why Sabra got banned?

chill dude, i'm just trying to give back, and the poster clearly asked a question.