One of the "must do's" of Shanghai is to source a bespoke tailor and have a suit made!
Given the heat of the summer Russ was up for a light weight grey suit - so we decided to find a tailor and give it a go !
There are 3 levels of "suit making" here in Shanghai - the cheapest suits to be made are found at the fabric market - where bartering is the key to buying an affordable suit. Then there is the Mid Range bespoke tailors that have boutiques in the former French Concession - not unlike Saville Row. Here the suits are a fixed price (depending on the fabric you choose) , the fabrics are european and the service is excellent. Then there is the high end tailors - often based in the international hotels - pitched toward the uber wealthy!
We elected to go for the Mid range and found a fabulous tailor at Eleganza Uomo. This store is owned and managed by a local Shanghainese tailor.
From the outset Russ got to select every element of his suit - the design, the fabric, type of pockets, buttons, clasps etc etc.
All in all it took 5 weeks to complete the process - with 4 visits for measuring and fittings. We would head to the tailors every Sunday for a fitting and then wander around the former French Concession and find a nice spot to eat.
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| 2nd fitting - mandarin shirt and grey suit pants |
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| Grey suit jacket coming together |
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| 3rd fitting - getting it just right! |
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| The Mandarin Jacket and shirt |
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| The finer details on the shirt sleeves! |
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| And it's a perfect fit! |
5 weeks and 4 fittings later Russ is now the proud owner of a gorgeous formal mandarin dress suit, 4 bespoke business shirts and a very dapper light weight business suit!
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| The final product - Formal Mandarin Dress suit |
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| It's all in the detail! |
Of course - he now thinks they're too good to wear anywhere !
So if any of you are planning a visit to Shanghai - we highly recommend this bespoke tailor. Our experience was just fabulous - and we learnt so much along the way.
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