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Personal touch for the perfect fit

Hong Kong is famous for its tailoring industry, but while the number of shops has diminished because of a shortage of skilled labour, an increase in affordable ready-to-wear clothes and high rents, the city is still a great place to have an outfit custom-made.

Tailors here still offer bespoke services at competitive prices, with a fast turn-around and an exhaustive supply of fabrics to choose from. In addition, a number of well-known fashion brands have introduced made-to-measure services, giving customers even more choice.

So what is the difference between bespoke and made-to-measure, and how do you choose one from the other?

The two terms are often misinterpreted to mean the same thing, but there are significant differences between them.

Bespoke is a term thought to have originated in the 17th century. When a client chose a length of material from a selection at the tailors, it was said to have 'been spoken for', a term which was shortened to bespoke.

A bespoke outfit is one made from scratch - there is no existing pattern to follow. Measurements are taken from the customer and a personal pattern is hand-drafted and cut out. Fabric is cut and trimmed using that pattern and a tailor is given the parts to sew together. Bespoke tailoring products are considered more durable because they fit a body exactly.

Manu Melwani at Sam's Tailor is probably Hong Kong's most famous tailor, with international figures from Bill Clinton to Serena Williams being measured up on their stays here.

'We ask our clients what they want for themselves and for what occasion and we give them professional advice and designs ... It's a personalised service,' he said.

'Everything is made according to the client's need and is done exactly how they want it,' he said. 'They pay for the service, and the perfect cut to their body.'

Made-to-measure (MTM) is, on the other hand, still a personalised service and while generally not considered as expensive as high-quality bespoke tailoring, top quality made-to-measure services can cost far in excess of rock-bottom bespoke services.

MTM is selling a style which is more modern than traditional tailoring, according to Chan Leung-boom, factory manager at Ascot Chang. The system works from an existing number of styles and cuts and is adjusted according to a customer's frame.

Naturally, proponents of both methods believe each offers advantages over the other but, ultimately, budget and time will be deciding factors in which service to opt for.

Made-to-measure specialist Carlo Giannotti at Ermenegildo Zegna said clients opting for this method had the advantage of having an immediate idea of how the final suit would fit, because measurements were taken using a try-on suit (which at Zegna comes in three styles), selected according to the customer's body shape.

With Zegna, the order is sent to the factory and the garment arrives for the final fitting within four to six weeks. 'With the bespoke service, several fittings are necessary and usually the suit is only fully finished for the last fitting.'

Tailoring companies agree that the market for tailoring services in Hong Kong is enjoying good times.

Kathy Hui of tailoring company Decision said some of its customers visited every month for new clothes.

'Hong Kong people have high standards of living and want good clothes. They can well afford the money.'

Joanne Ooi, creative director at Shanghai Tang, said traditional styles, however, were no longer making the cut, and clients expected to be offered more styles and services.

'People are moving away from the traditional styles so we will provide a larger range of options to meet their needs,' she said, adding that people chose made-to-measure only as a compromise on cost. 'The only disadvantage of bespoke is it costs more money and time. But with bespoke, customers get originality and exactly what they require.'

Customers opting for bespoke services should have at least one fitting before the item is finished to see if modifications are needed. The finished product, to use a well-worn cliche, should fit like a glove.

Like with so many things, word-of-mouth is often the best recommendation, as Sam the Tailor, and other companies, have proved. Ascot Chang's Mr Chan said: 'Most of our customers are regulars.'

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