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Shenzhen Shopping: Clothing
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| Regular Member |
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| posted by Gum Tree 1154 days ago (edited 1154 days ago) |
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So here is the big topic... You will find that everyone has their own preferences. If you have never been before you will have heard that Shenzhen is the mecca for rip-offs. And so it is. But the types of rip-off things you can get there are fairly limited and there are heaps more stuff, that are not rip-off, that you can get too. Like clothes and materials
If you are a HK visitor, you need to allow around a week for tailoring, though we managed to get some stuff delivered to HK in 3 days for one of my visitors. It was touch and go, though. Yes, most places deliver via courier to HK - delivery costs are roughly between $30 and $80, depending on how much you have and where you are staying.
Ask a local for a tailor recommendation if possible or ask on this site and someone will email you their recommendations. Why not put the names up here???? Because some tailors get overloaded and you end up finding "your" tailor too busy when you want to go. So just ask.
There is a huge material market in the centre of one wing of Lowu, 5th floor and most (but not all) tailors are there. It is a good idea to take a "sample" - ie an item of clothing that you want copied. But otherwise go with a good idea of what you want done. Remember that winter materials may be limited in summer and vice versa. Tailors also have their own suiting and shirt fabrics - ask to see their swatches. The prices are pretty comparable.
Also a good idea to get an idea of the fabrics you might like before going to the tailor. But ask for advice, and the tailor will usually send someone with you to select your fabric. The tailor will also write down the amounts you need - usually two different ones for the two fabric widths. The fabric widths are in inches, but they sell the lengths in metres ... just to confuse you. "Immi" is one metre, "immi ooo" is 1.5. That is the limit of my Mandarin.
I have paid between $20 and $35 a metre for pure quality cotton. The more you buy, the more you bargain. Silk comes in different grades, but a medium weight patterned silk should be around $40 - $45 a metre.
But most tailors will also design your clothing for you, with your input. They are pretty good about suggestions but you need to ask for their opinion, because I have found they rarely offer them.
Be prepared to have just about all of your body measured. Quite strange at first! If you get them delivered and they aren't right, you can take them back and they will adjust within a day or within a few hours. Otherwise, try them on in the tiny tiny changerooms when you pick them up and ask for adjustments as needed.
Generally tops cost around $40 to make, pants around $60 (not including material). But it will depend on the intricacies. A short lined coat of cashmere/wool blend may cost $500 to make, including material.
It can be quite exhausting so go when you are feeling fresh.
One last thing: if you are a HK resident and, if you are unsure about what really suits you, and you can do so, I recommend going to the YWCA's course "Colour with Style". It helps you to focus on both the colours and the styles that suit you and so makes the clothes buying less fraught.
"Marooned on a rock with 80,000 and now 90,000 alcoholics and counting"
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| posted by barbie 1154 days ago |
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Ohhh GT!!!! You're paying too much, I have to say..
Try silk - $20/25 a metre.
Cashmere - $50/60.
Most other materials I havent paid more than 25/30 for, even good wool.
Many of the tailors are now coming to Hk once a fornight to do the 'second fit' for men suits.
Mens suits btw, are $400 with out material, around $680 with.
The buttons are always pretty standard so I buy my own buttons of which there's an incredibly amazing range. Eg, Versace buttons make a tailored suit look pretty speccy! Just give them to the tailor with the cloth.
I wait for the day when schools have all the funding they need and the airforce has to have a cake stall to raise money for a new bomber.
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| Regular Member |
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| posted by Gum Tree 1154 days ago |
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Yes - you can get silk cheaper - that was a median price. That is good news on the tailors - the one thing that stops hubby from going is the thought of having to go twice!!!!!
Do you buy your buttons there or in HK? I tend to replace most of them too.
"Marooned on a rock with 80,000 and now 90,000 alcoholics and counting"
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| Newbie |
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| 467 Posts |
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| Hong Kong |
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| posted by barbie 1154 days ago |
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Yes, get buttons, trim, zips, lace, anything you want to jazz your tailoring up with from one of the stalls on the 5th floor, sometimes buying really beautiful buttons and trim has cost me as much as the material!
I wait for the day when schools have all the funding they need and the airforce has to have a cake stall to raise money for a new bomber.
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| Newbie |
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| 467 Posts |
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| Hong Kong |
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| posted by barbie 1154 days ago |
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GT, a coat should never cost you that much with material included, you can buy a wedding dress with veil etc for $550!!! Made to measure and material as well.
I wait for the day when schools have all the funding they need and the airforce has to have a cake stall to raise money for a new bomber.
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| Regular Member |
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| 6594 Posts |
| in |
| United Kingdom |
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| posted by Gum Tree 1154 days ago |
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No - this was my special special last forever coat - very very fine cashmere.
"Marooned on a rock with 80,000 and now 90,000 alcoholics and counting"
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