Alternative to the Fabric Market

by **CowboyUp** » Mon Dec 03, 2007 2:38 pm

Anybody have any recomendations on specific tailors other than the Fabric Market and high end shops like Daves? Everytime i go to the fabrick market they always seem to screw it up. It ends up costing more becuase you have all these half ass suits you'll never wear. This last time i bought an overcoat from a recomended shop from another poster. Was still dissapointed. They made it so small you can't wear a suit jacket under it. Then the tailor was trying to tell me that you weren't supposed to wear a suit under an overcoat. What an idiot. I try to only put 1/3 deposit down because they seem to screw up so often. But it all adds up. I don't want to spend the big bucks for a Dave's tailor but wan't to spend a little more than the fabrick market. I have seen some tailor shops around but would really like a recomendation. My goal would be to find a tailor who does a reasonable job so i could develop a nice wardrobe while i'm here in Shangers.

P.S. I have a theory that the fabrick market all sends there stuff to one big factory outside the city. Each different stall i go to looks exactly like the next in respect to style and quality. Any thoughts?

BTW: I have looked on previous threads so please no smart asses telling me to use the shity search function of the forum. Thanks in advance.

by **chingiskhan** » Mon Dec 03, 2007 2:56 pm

I use Ray's Tailor in the office building next to Parkson. 2880 rmb for a suit, I see it as the middle road, cheaper than the ones along Mao Ming Rd by the Garden Hotel and Dave's but I guess still not cheap.

The fabric market for me is like the fake market - it's good for fun and experimenting but you can't take that stuff seriously. The shirts are very thin and the buttons fall off before you get them home but I've managed to try some patterns I would not normally have tried, because 80 rmb is not a lot compared to a Ted Baker shirt back home that would cost over 1000 rmb.

by **shine** » Mon Dec 03, 2007 3:28 pm

Sunshine Factory (Largest manufacturer of Wool fabrics in China) has a factory retail shop in Shanghai. That shop also has a tailor which is NOT SO expensive but looks quite professional. The shop is located on Xizang Lu and Jingling Dong Lu, just a little ahead of the YMCA Hostel.

by **p1atl10** » Mon Dec 03, 2007 3:31 pm

I have used Katano for several Sports Coats. If you specify good cloth, it will run you about $300-350USD. About $100 less than I would pay in the US for similiar quality.
Been wearing the first one for 2 years....abuse it constantly when I travel. still in good shape.

Only thing I have been satisfied with in the fake market is a sheepskin jacket I had built. 1100rmb.

I think that for clothing, the adage proves true here in Shanghai.
If the deal is too good to be true....it probably is.

by **ShanghaiAdventure** » Mon Dec 03, 2007 3:50 pm

I too have used the fabric market and only had ok results at best. After some advice from some more senior expats I tried Tony the Tailor. I went for the package deal of ~3990 RMB right from the start. In my case I selected a 3 piece suit, full length double breasted over coat, 2 shirts, 1 pants, 1 tie. I am very happy with the coat, I bought in a couple of photos of designers I liked and he was able to make a good copy. Shits I am very pleased with, they seem to be made of a heavier weight fabric than those at the market.

I also looked into Dave the Tailor but I just cant afford his prices quite yet.

I second P1atl10; Too good to be true it probably is. But even with OK tailored shirts they will always look better then pre-fab from the store.

by **chingiskhan** » Mon Dec 03, 2007 4:42 pm

It's just like eating inn Shanghai - you can spend 6 rmb on dinner or 600 rmb.

by **yu888** » Mon Dec 03, 2007 6:18 pm

have had haphazard luck though my most recent sports coat actually came out well enough that i wear it as my daily jacket at the office these days....only got it b/c i saw material that I liked.

Otherwise I'd say find faric you like but then find a tailor outside closer to where you live or work so that its easier to get any adjustments necessary. Speaking of which i have a cashmere overcoat that is the opposite of of the OP's issue...way too big... that i still have to deal with.

by **CowboyUp** » Mon Dec 03, 2007 6:34 pm

Yu888 i'd be much happier that its too big, you can always bring it in a bit. If its to small you pretty well screwed, they can't add more fabric. Its more about the time you have to waste getting reffited But i know the feeling. . .

SA sounds like a pretty good deal. I have heard of Toni before, which hotel is he by again?

Anybody else have a tailor recomendation with an adress attached?

Thanks

by **ShanghaiAdventure** » Mon Dec 03, 2007 6:56 pm

Tony the Tailor, Its on Changle le, near Fuming lu. I think its 680 Changle lu

by **crivens200** » Mon Dec 03, 2007 9:03 pm

Wow. People on here admit to wearing sports jackets.

Are they German?

by **Karu** » Tue Dec 04, 2007 9:12 am

Did they say they wear sandals plus socks?

by **emerson** » Tue Dec 04, 2007 9:31 am

^only if the socks are dark

by **yu888** » Tue Dec 04, 2007 10:03 am

I suppose I could call mine more of a "smoking jacket" if I smoked...but then again our office is non-smoking so that wouldn't work

And yeah cowboy, its more about the fracking time it takes to get things right. I did 4 jackets, only one fits right, and it was pure luck as it was an unknown store to me, i just found the appropriate fabric for the jacket...good with slacks and jeans, perfect for me.

by **crivens200** » Tue Dec 04, 2007 10:54 am

Karu wrote:Did they say they wear sandals plus socks?

Haha. Yeah, and they never said they had facial hair in an unusual postion either so I guess they can't be German.

Actually, when my business partners come here from the UK, they always joke in advance that they're bringing their sports jackets so they can fit in with the ex-pat crowd in Shanghai. And when they get here they are always trying to spot sports jackets and then betting on the nationality of the wearers of the really bad ones - normally German.

by **Swiss-James** » Tue Dec 04, 2007 11:19 am

what the hell is a sports jacket?

by **crivens200** » Tue Dec 04, 2007 11:22 am

Swiss-James wrote:what the hell is a sports jacket?

Think Miami Vice 1984, but in tweed :lol:

by **chingiskhan** » Tue Dec 04, 2007 11:32 am

And with socks and less shoulder padding ....

by **comradeA** » Tue Dec 04, 2007 11:47 am

emerson wrote:^only if the socks are dark

... and woolly...

by **yu888** » Tue Dec 04, 2007 1:07 pm

a sports coat/jacket is sort of a suit jacket but something you need not match with matching slacks...can go with khakis or jeans...

by **chingiskhan** » Tue Dec 04, 2007 1:55 pm

A good example is what we call a blazer in England ....

by **Swiss-James** » Tue Dec 04, 2007 2:06 pm

aha!

by **yu888** » Tue Dec 04, 2007 2:14 pm

but not THAT^ dorky.

by **scrapbooker** » Tue Dec 04, 2007 2:23 pm

Well, We tried one of the tailor's shop(forgot names) for wedding suit on Maoming lu (opposite Garden Hotel), and they are pretty good. Responsible and quite professional and friendly service. Actually planning go back for some more winter suit pants ....

by **Karu** » Tue Dec 04, 2007 2:30 pm

Please advise regarding the price in order to let us know how to make the difference between a good deal and a too good deal

by **chingiskhan** » Tue Dec 04, 2007 2:33 pm

The ones on Mao Ming by the Garden Hotel are expensive. Depending on what you have done it can be 5000 or 6000 rmb easily which makes my 2800 rmb look cheap. I am sure quality is better - some use HK tailors instead of local labour which costs more.

by **Swiss-James** » Tue Dec 04, 2007 2:51 pm

Karu wrote:Please advise regarding the price in order to let us know how to make the difference between a good deal and a too good deal

The suits in the fabric market go for about 500RMB- they're good value, but it's still very cheap if you want people to take you seriously wearing it.

by **chingiskhan** » Tue Dec 04, 2007 3:03 pm

Swiss-James wrote:The suits in the fabric market go for about 500RMB- they're good value, but it's still very cheap if you want people to take you seriously wearing it.

Yes exactly - I wouldn't wear one of those to an important client pitch, but to a colleague's wedding or just to sit in the office on days when I don't meet clients it's fine.

If anyone's ever had a bespoke suit made, you'll know if often involves several fittings at various stages of the process. At the fabric market they usually take your measurements ONCE then you go pick up the finished suit a few days later.

by **yu888** » Tue Dec 04, 2007 3:24 pm

yep, perfect for a basic office suit, but nothing like my "real suits"

by **freds** » Fri Nov 18, 2011 1:52 pm

So you'll wear you cheap suit at a collegue's wedding...tss!!
About sandals and socks, i had spotted a french guy doing this, to my utter shame since i am french, and made fun of him thinking he will be german like all the others!

To the topic, i am focusing on shirts.
I am looking for good value tailor made shirts in the range of the 400rmbish.
For me the fabric market had been an always fail..(to me buying ship shirts you cannot wear is wasting money) so i am looking for a good taylor..
Does someone has any suggestions and can give me a range of price and an address?

Alternative to the Fabric Market

Alternative to the Fabric Market

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