Custom made clothing?

[jinjin]

Hi:

Does anyone know where to get custom made clothing (I need a suit made but also wanted to get some cute tops and possibly some pants made). there are tons of places in Shang hai but it doesn't seem like there are as many in Beijing.

I just need a place that is willing to copy styles out of pictures and is a good enough tailor that the stitching and style looks good instead of made cheaply.

Thanks!

[Madot]

I've been told that in Beijing (though not in other Chinese cities), if you find some clothing that you like in a shop but it isn't in your size, they will have it made up for you to order and finish it within days. I realise that this is not custom tailoring to a photo, but thought the info might be useful.

Mado

[JohnSmith1980]

Ive heard the large suit and dress makers in the Silk market - Xiushui - (2nd/3rd floor) are meant to be the best in beijing - i know alot of people who have got things made there and all seem satisfied.

[md1101]

on this topic.. can anyone tell me a place in Shanghai to get a tailor made '''''genuine''''' good brand suit in Shanghai? and also how much should they cost? i'm looking forward to getting one on my next trip there but i don't know where to go.

[adrianlondon]

The Silk Market (秀水, which means neither silk nor market) in Beijing is very touristy but I've had friends get suits there who seem happy with them.

http://www.beijingtraveltips.com/shopping/xiu_shui/xiushui.htm

There's a translation of useful phrases by the entrance (for the store holders!) ...

(photo taken Christmas 2006)

[md1101]

lol that sign is pretty funny. i'll think twice next time if i'm told it fits me perfectly. thanks for the tip but i really need somewhere in shanghai. i don't think i'll go to beijing... but if i do i'll remember the silk market.

[doki doki]

I'd prefer to deal with a single shop than attempt the madness of the Silk market with my limited Chinese skills. Any recommendations on Beijing tailors? Want women's skirt suits and qipao.

[teaforme]

I got a lot of stuff tailored in Beijing back in 2004. Prices and locations might have changed, so please take my post with a grain of salt. But I remember being tailors EVERYWHERE. Just keep your eyes peeled.

There used to be lots of nice silk sellers at Qianmen, just south of Tiananmen Square. They had pretty good prices and a lot also made qipao. That area is also used to be great to browse through for traditional crafts and gifts. (I imagine it still is?) There weren't that many tourists, if I recall, and the whole area was closed off to cars. To get there you'd have to take the subway and walk or have a taxi drop you off nearby and walk.

As for suits, some of my friends went to tailors in Wangfujing. I went to a tailor at Gongzhufen, which was closer to BeiWai. I got a wool winter coat tailored, including fabric and buttons for about $70. Please keep in mind the exchange rate was 8 to 1 back then, so you're probably going to be paying closer to $90-100 nowadays.

Some tips for your tailoring: 1. Haggle for everything, including buttons and linings. 2. Don't go to the first tailor you see. Each tailor within a shop works for him/herself, with a nice bit of commission going to the landlord. The best tailors are usually the ones at the back of the shop, with the fancy desks and signage. 3. Don't worry if you don't speak Chinese. Just bring pictures with you of what you'd like and a pocket dictionary. You might also want to bring a calculator to do do currency conversions to keep your spending in check. A calculator is also nifty for haggling -- you can punch your offer in the calculator and the tailor will punch theirs in (most sellers have a calculator of their own. 4. Prepare to spend several hours looking, haggling, and then buying things. And then getting fitted. And then going back to get re-fitted. It is a time-consuming process, but if you have a good tailor it'll be worth it.

Free free to PM me if you have more questions. Good luck!

[cui ruide]

My study program brought in "Tailor Ma" in Jan. '07 as "not the best, but not the cheapest, either." I had a 3 piece suit made for 800rmb then (I think it was 6 or 700 for a 2 piece). I'm pretty satisfied with the product. My suit bag has the web address http://www.tailor-ma.com which doesn't seem to exist anymore. The phone number on there is 13910095718.

[Brian US]

Bringing up an old topic, so can anyone recommend a tailor in Beijing that is more recent? Looking to get a decent suit for job interviews and I heard the 800-1000RMB is a good range?

[cui ruide]

Hah, funny I'm replying to this since I seemed to have been the last one to top things off...

So, I got a recommendation for Alice Tailor on the top floor of Yashow (next to Sanlitun Village) and went a few months ago in July. I was very happy with shirts--I got several altered to fit me better and one made--very nice. I also got a grey suit done--pretty cheap, 700 or so, but I think it depends on the fabric. The pants turned out good, but the jacket was atrocious... The shoulders were sculpted like a box and wouldn't allow any movement. Not sure what kind of miscommunication or lack of communication led to this, but they assured me that's how suits were... At the fitting I said it was no good, so they did something, and frankly it felt worse. Later a friend knowingly responded that you have to tell Chinese tailors to put next to no padding in the shoulders, otherwise they over-do it. The original recommending friend said his dad had no problem there.

So... That's my experience. Not quite sure what went wrong.There's another suit-maker up there. I'd say go up, take a look, TRY ON something they've got showcased and see how it feels. Also on the streets around Yashow there are some individual tailor shops.

Also, these links are a little dated, and not all directly related, but I think there's some good information to be gleaned:

http://www.thebeijinger.com/blog/2010/09/07/Beijings-Top-Tailors

http://www.thebeijinger.com/forum/2011/04/26/Guide-to-Tailors-in-Beijing

http://www.thebeijinger.com/blog/2011/05/04/Tailor-Made-Velvet-Cardigan-As-Seen-on-Mary-Kate-Olsen (this one for mention of the fabric market and a tailor)