Where can I find a good tailor for men’s shirts? In Taipei… not Thailand or Korea or…
Have tried a few places which are not so good.
Gentlemens tailor is good, they do Pres. Chen’s shirts and suits but they are VERY expensive.
Any of the big hotels will have at least one tailor. I used to go to one in the Howard Plaza, but my body shape has changed since then and I now fit very nicely into Boss shirts. They’re more expensive (about NT$6,000) but stay looking good for much longer. Hotel tailors charge around NT$1,000, or 3 for NT$2,400, or at least that’s what they used to charge. Maybe the prices have gone up, though.
I’ve been to both the tailors at Howard Plaza hotel… not really happy. Shirts never fit, and keep losing buttons! Almost lost a button hole…
So looking for a good tailor at another place 
I use a tailor off the beaten track in Banciao. Now with the new Blue Line extension, it’s an easy walk from Fuchong Station. I’m a 3X and I pay 5,000 for 3 long sleeve dress shirts of the most beutiful cotton. A wide range is available. I cant recall the price quote for normal sizes but I would guess at about 4,000 for 3. Top quality yardage and fast service. I have never been disappointed with the shirts, suits and large size boxers. I am about to get an extra thick dark wool top coat.
Directs:
Exit Fuchong Station, exit 1 or 2. There is a small street runiing between exits number one and two. Look around and spot the HiMart Dept. store and put your back to it. Walk down the small road between the exits. Walk past the 7-11 which will be on your left and when you get to the KFC and the screwy intersection (you can see it from the MRT exits) turn left in front of KFC and walk under the red arch and the red lanterns. Spot the next 7-11 down this road past the red lanterns. When you get to that 7-11, take a right into the small alley. Just after you are in the small alley, another small alley turns right. You will see a tailor on the corner but his prices were higher for shirts but I haven’t checked for suits. So - walk down this 2d small alley that turns right off of the alley next 7-11, past the expensive guy and a small seamstress shop next to the expensive guy. Right after the seamstress shop you will see a small tailor shop. THat’s it.
Good guy and his wife is super. They have a kid that speaks some English but I really haven’t had any language problems. He will point to some styles but if you print out a style from an upscale shop, like Nordstroms, etc. He will do it for you. He will also give you several yardage books to look at for colors and quality. A detailed measurement session, a follow up a few days later for final fitting and pick them up a few days later. I usually put 1,000 down upon ordering so expect that.
Hansen - accross from the Hyatt. Used to be in the 1st floor of the Hyatt before. 1 - 3k a shirt depending upon the materials and if you bought anything else. They also do very good suits.
The shirts compare favorably to my paul stuart shirts and have held together for 4+yrs of Taiwan laundry’s before being retired.
Bought 3 shirts at Hansen near the Hyatt. My recommedation: Don’t go there.
Price: NTD$1200/each
Quality: Fair
Good: Wearable… but materials and patterns are outdated, but maybe ok for older men or someone who is not into style but wants tailored shirts quickly.
Bad: Sleeves came out too short. My initials were put on the sleeve but are crooked and not tight against the fabric. Buttons don’t really match the material. Quality of stitching on entire shirt is not up to standard. By the way, the tailor smelled like he had been drinking Taiwan Beer all afternoon…
Checked prices at another shop near corner of Ren Ai Road and Guanfu Road. They quoted a price per shirt of NTD$3000! WHAT?!!! They are quite proud of something. But no shirt is worth that. Prefer to spend the money to fly to Thailand, and get good shirts equal to about NTD$500.
Sure they are. I got several cashmere/silk Paul Smith shirts that cost over NT$10k and are worth every penny. I usually pay around NT$5k or NT$6k for regular shirts. They look good and they last well – much better than you can get at a local tailor. You want quality, you have to pay.
Geez, Sandman, how many times are you planning on getting married?
Off the rack in any mall in Bangkok. Superb cut shirts and suits, and for sod all they adjust 'em. I think the Thais are rivalling the Italians just now.
HG
Hi, Everyone,
When I lived in Korea, I could go outside a US base and have a suit tailor-made for US $130. Is this available here in Taiwan? If so, how much? I live in Kaohsiung, but I’d probably make a trip somewhere for the right price. . .
I like Huang Guang Chen’s idea about Thailand, but I won’t be going any time soon.
Schwaiguy
[quote=“SchwaiGuy”]Hi, Everyone,
When I lived in Korea, I could go outside a US base and have a suit tailor-made for US $130. Is this available here in Taiwan? If so, how much? I live in Kaohsiung, but I’d probably make a trip somewhere for the right price. . .
I like Huang Guang Chen’s idea about Thailand, but I won’t be going any time soon.
Schwaiguy[/quote]
Not possible for that price in the Taipei area. I’ve often heard that one of the tailor’s in the Howard Hotel is quite good and reasonably priced. The one thing I’ve found annoying is that the shirt tailor’s I’ve gone to, do not make shirts that allow you to put your own collar stays in. I keep forgetting to tell them that. :s
As an FYI, there’s also a Hanson’s tailor in the Caesar Park hotel at Taipei Main Station. I wonder if same owner as the one across the street from the Hyatt.
I think I’ve finally found a good tailor…from HK (by way of ChangAn Dongguan City, Parkview Hotel).
OOOhhh–Aren’t you that guy from Fingerbang?
(I’m lucky–I checked out seasons 1-6 from my community library and copied them before I left.)
Thanx for the tip. The wife wants to go to Korea in the next year or two: I’ll probably stop by Johnny Tailor, but I’ll have to see what I can find in Itaewon. Is anyone interesed in me trying to dig up my old Johnny Tailor card from Korea and posting the info? (I keep a master list for every time I go home.)
What’s the deal with HK? I thought everything was more expensive there? Could I get a good suit for a good price there. She wants to go there, too. My last time there sucked. I didn’t know what the hell to do, and I wish I had sat in a movie theatre and watched Rush Houir 3 or Ocean’s 13 while my visa processed.
I taught with a guy who had spent time in China, and he said a tailored suit was $US 20 across the street from his university in Beijing.
Schwaiguy
[quote=“Yellow Cartman”]
As an FYI, there’s also a Hanson’s tailor in the Caesar Park hotel at Taipei Main Station. I wonder if same owner as the one across the street from the Hyatt.[/quote]
I recently went to the one at the Caesar Park hotel. I got 2 shirts made for $800 a piece, but it wasn’t their best material, but I think it looks good. I had to go twice since the first time they messed up on the neck size and it didn’t fit. As for how long they will last…I’ll have to do an update in a year.
I asked about pants and they quoted me $3000.
I don’t see the point of tailored shirts unless you need them because you have an 18" neck and 33" sleeves or something.
A tailored shirt will be about twice the price of an equivalent quality off the peg shirt. A hundred US is a good guide for off the peg, so a good bespoke shirt should be around 100 quid.
I have a Beale & Inman shirt that lasted ten years. Ten quid a year. Bargain. 200s cotton. Almost as fine as silk.
Still wearing a pair of shoes I bought in York in 1999. I give them another two years. And I haven’t looked after them well either. Used to ride the bike to work wearing them. They were cheap at 80 quid.
I have my grandad’s bespoke suit which fits me and which he had made in 1960. Still looks fabulous. Very heavy Scottish twill which is no longer made. It cost the equivalent of 1800 quid (it was cheaper in those days - nowadays think 2500 quid). Thirty-eight quid a year.
I can’t afford bespoke shirts so I buy Charles Tyrwhitt shirts for work and have the sleeves shortened. Works out about 50 quid a shirt including postage.
Coles in Picadilly (not sure if the Jermyn St shop is still open) do great shirts and a MTM suit for 500 quid and up. But I just wear the arses out of suit trousers so I have never spent that kind of loot on a suit for work.
(Mark’s used to do good suits. Is that still the case?)
HTH
Johnny Fartpants
[quote=“Lord Lucan”]I don’t see the point of tailored shirts unless you need them because you have an 18" neck and 33" sleeves or something.
A tailored shirt will be about twice the price of an equivalent quality off the peg shirt. A hundred US is a good guide for off the peg, so a good bespoke shirt should be around 100 quid.[/quote]
LL, you clearly set the sartorial standard around here. I mean that sincerely.
But I disagree with the above. True, if one pays more one can get very nice clothing that looks superior and may last longer. But I like tailored clothing because it fits just right, I pick just the right fabric I want and it can be cheaper than comparable off-the-rack clothing. I just went to my tailor over the weekend and ordered a shirt for NT$900 and dress slacks for NT$2300. I admit they may not be up to your standard, but they’ll look very nice: not just better than any local cell-phone salesman’s garb, but perfectly suitable for high-level, international, corporate business and, to the eye of almost all observers except you and a few London bankers, virtually indistinguishable from what you’re wearing.
Physical limitations do have a habit of forcing one to pursue the custom route. Interesting journey it is… :neutral:
My other hope is that Brooks Brothers in Asia gets more reasonably priced (Malaysia’s Mega Sales) … Oops, looks like the custom route is a better option.
I don’t have the body size of most Taiwanese. It’s almost impossible to find clothes here that fit. Shoes are even harder, dress shoes more so! I have never owned a proper suit before. Finding something cheap that is custom tailored to fit me is just fantastic. The clothes look great which is also a plus!
Now if only I can find somewhere that makes custom dress shoes…
[quote=“Lord Lucan”]I don’t see the point of tailored shirts unless you need them because you have an 18" neck and 33" sleeves or something.[/quote]That’s me, more or less. More like a 16" neck, but the Charles Tyrwhitt shirt I ordered was still like a tent on me.
After that I got a couple of tailored shirts for 800NT each from one of the places in the Howard Plaza. They fit really well. They’re still OK after a couple of months but will probably have to be retired from service after a couple more. They would have lasted better except that I’m machine washing them in a top-loading washer.
A couple of weeks ago I headed to the HK Marks & Sparks for a business shirt. The best they could do for me was a HK$500 shirt with me somehow in between sizes. I hit a tailor, any tailor, in HK who knocked me up three fine cotton business shirts for HK$300 a piece.
I’m currently in Bangkok and got another suit (two trousers), and three shirts for Bt9,000, which is around the same in Taiwan dollars. Final fitting today and it looked sharp, especially with the light tanned hand made leather shoes.
I’m totally hooked on this tailoring business. It’s generally cheaper, and you get what you want.
HG
Err…that would be me 17.5 neck and 33" sleeves. 42-44 short. I used to have a 12 inch drop from the shoulders. Now it is less. :s