Things You'll Need:
- Your current best-fitting shirt
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Step 1
Look through your closet before leaving for Hong Kong. Ask yourself which shirts you wear the most and which are wearing out. These are the shirts you should replace with custom-made shirts. It doesn't matter if they are plain white dress shirts you wear to work. You will get the most use and benefit from custom-made shirts you wear all the time. Avoid unusual colors and patterns that you won't wear often. The one exception to this is a tuxedo shirt. A custom-made tuxedo shirt will have you looking your best when you need to.
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Step 2
Ask for recommendations on a Hong Kong tailor. If you know anyone who has had a shirt custom-made in Hong Kong, find out where he went and how he liked the service. Long-established Hong Kong tailors like W.W. Chan & Sons have clients who have been loyal to them for decades. This is the kind of tailor you should strive to find.
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Step 3
Make an appointment. If you only have a short time in Hong Kong you want to be sure the tailors make you a priority. Schedule an appointment through a tailor's website at least two weeks before you arrive in Hong Kong.
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Step 4
Allow at least two days to get your shirts made, from the moment you walk into the store until you walk out with your new clothes. If you only have a few days in Hong Kong, make the tailor your first stop. Be sure to wear your current best-fitting shirt. They will use it as a guide when they measure you.
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Step 5
Plan to spend at least one hour at the tailor on your first visit. It will be longer if you are also having suits made. They will measure every part of you and ask you all sorts of questions. Since this is a custom-made shirt, everything is adjusted to your needs. Tailors can make one cuff bigger if you wear a heavy watch, drop one shoulder lower than another or widen the arm holes for muscular men. You must select your fabrics, collar style, buttons, cuffs and monogram. Don't forget the monogram. It is how everyone knows you are wearing a custom-made shirt. In Hong Kong, you can get your name monogrammed in Chinese. It's very cool.
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Step 6
Schedule your Hong Kong business and sightseeing around your fittings. You will need to return to the tailor at least two more times. A few hours after they measure you, they will have a pattern for you to try on. The next day, you can try your shirts on to check the fit. They are usually fine at that point, but adjustments can be made if there are problems.
