City guide
Tailoring in Hong Kong
Shanghainese bespoke and the fastest suits in the world
Hong Kong's suit trade was built by tailors from Shanghai. Known as the Red Gang, or Hongbang, after the foreigners they dressed, hundreds of them followed their clients south around 1949 and opened in Central and the hotels of Tsim Sha Tsui: W.W. Chan began making suits in the city in 1948, and Jimmy Chen arrived the same year. Visitors drove the boom that followed. American servicemen on leave from the Korean and Vietnam wars ordered suits by the thousand, and by the 1960s an estimated 500 tailor shops worked in Tsim Sha Tsui. The trade has shrunk since: the city had 815 tailor shops in 1991 and 265 in 2004, most master tailors are now in their 60s and 70s, and by 2025 most of the city's houses had moved production elsewhere.
By TailorGuide · Updated April 2026
- Bespoke from
- $1,700–2,300
- First suit takes
- 2–6 weeks
- Fittings
- 2–3
- Tax
- None: no sales tax or VAT
The city
How tailoring works in Hong Kong
Three things define the Hong Kong suit: the Shanghainese cut, speed and price. The Shanghainese jacket, drawn from British technique, gives a full, shaped chest; Tsim Sha Tsui sells suits in 24 hours; and bespoke in Central costs well under half a Savile Row price. The labels need care. Many shops call any suit made to order bespoke, and some have suits sewn across the border in mainland China, while W.W. Chan and Empire International still cut and make in Hong Kong. Ask where the suit will be cut and sewn, whether the jacket is canvassed or fused, and how many fittings are included.
The 2026 ranking
The 10 best tailors in Hong Kong
- 1W.W. Chan & SonsQueen's Road Central, Central · Soft-shouldered Shanghainese English cutFrom $2,300
- 2The AnthologyK11 Musea, Tsim Sha Tsui · Soft Florentine line, extended shoulderOn request
- 3Empire International TailorsMody Road, Tsim Sha Tsui · Slim, lightly padded, fully canvassedOn request
- 4A-Man Hing CheongBank of East Asia Building, Central · Classic English cut, full canvasFrom $1,300
- 5The ArmouryPedder Building, Central · Soft Japanese and Italian tailoringFrom $1,300
- 6Ascot ChangLandmark Prince's, Central · Full canvas, roped shoulder, moderate paddingFrom $1,800
- 7Jimmy Chen & CoThe Peninsula, Tsim Sha Tsui · Shanghainese tradition, Peninsula arcadeOn request
- 8Bonham StrandHollywood Road, Central · Classic suits, made in Hong KongOn request
- 9Sam's TailorBurlington Arcade, Nathan Road, Tsim Sha Tsui · Close, sharp-shouldered cut, made fastFrom $450
- 10Jantzen TailorOn Lok Yuen Building, Des Voeux Road Central · Value shirts; straightforward suits to orderOn request
Prices
What a suit costs in Hong Kong
Bespoke
A pattern cut for you alone, shaped over several fittings.
From about $1,700 to $2,300 for a two-piece suit at the Shanghainese tailors: W.W. Chan cost about $2,300 in 2020, and Ascot Chang's suits started at $1,800 the same year. Newer studios charge more: The Anthology's bespoke starts at about $4,000 (2026).
Made-to-measure
A house pattern adjusted to your measurements.
From about $450 at the fast tailors of Tsim Sha Tsui, which often sell their suits as bespoke: Sam's Tailor says its two-piece suits start there (2026). The Armoury's made-to-measure sits higher, with suits from $1,300 to $7,100 across all its programs in 2020.
Ready-to-wear
Standard sizes, altered after you buy.
From a few hundred dollars at international chains to luxury-brand prices in the malls and hotel arcades.
These are starting prices for a two-piece suit, and the fabric changes the final figure. Hong Kong has no sales tax or VAT, so the price agreed is the price paid. Several figures are press reports from 2020, so ask each tailor for a current quote.
Where to go
The tailoring districts
- 01
Central
The Shanghainese bespoke trade works on the upper floors of office buildings: W.W. Chan on the eighth floor of the Entertainment Building, 30 Queen's Road Central, The Armoury in the Pedder Building and Ascot Chang in Landmark Prince's.
- 02
Tsim Sha Tsui: Nathan and Mody roads
The fast tourist trade since the 1960s: Sam's Tailor in the Burlington Arcade on Nathan Road, and Empire International, which still cuts and sews in Hong Kong, on Mody Road.
- 03
The hotel arcades
The Shanghainese tailors followed the hotels. Jimmy Chen & Co keeps its shop in The Peninsula's arcade, and The Armoury has an appointment-only room at the Rosewood.
- 04
Victoria Dockside
The Anthology's shop on the fifth floor of K11 Musea, on the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront.
Read next
Hong Kong guides
How Hong Kong compares
Compare the cities in detailTailoring in Hong Kong: your questions
How much does a suit cost in Hong Kong?
Less than in London or Milan, though few tailors publish prices. A W.W. Chan two-piece suit cost about $2,300 in 2020, and Ascot Chang's suits started at $1,800 the same year. Sam's Tailor says its suits start at about $450 (2026). Newer studios charge more: The Anthology's bespoke suits start at about $4,000 (2026). Hong Kong has no sales tax or VAT, so the agreed price is the price paid.
How long does a suit take in Hong Kong?
From a day to two months. Sam's Tailor can deliver a suit within about 36 hours, with two fittings, and Ascot Chang quotes one to two weeks. Bespoke takes longer: W.W. Chan's head tailor quotes about six weeks, and Empire International recommends allowing at least two weeks for two or three fittings. Reuters reported in 2015 that a shortage of skilled tailors had stretched some orders to 12 weeks.
Can I get a suit made during a short visit to Hong Kong?
Yes, if you order on the first day. Several Tsim Sha Tsui tailors deliver within a day or two, but the better tailors suit visitors who can spare a few extra days for fittings. For bespoke cut from scratch, plan to have the finished suit shipped, return for later fittings, or order at a trunk show: W.W. Chan visits clients in Europe, the United States and Singapore.
How do I avoid touts and poor tourist tailors in Tsim Sha Tsui?
Do not follow anyone who approaches you in the street. Choose a tailor before you arrive, or check the Hong Kong Tourism Board's Quality Tourism Services list, which requires clearly displayed prices. Before paying a deposit, get a written quote naming the fabric and its mill, whether the jacket is canvassed or fused, the number of fittings and the delivery date, and check the mill's name on the edge of the fabric.
Do I need an appointment?
For bespoke, it is best to book. W.W. Chan works from an eighth-floor shop on Queen's Road Central, and The Armoury's room at the Rosewood is by appointment only. Most Tsim Sha Tsui tailors, including Sam's Tailor, take walk-ins.
What is the difference between bespoke and made-to-measure in Hong Kong?
Bespoke means a paper pattern drafted for you alone and several fittings, usually in a basted jacket; made-to-measure adjusts an existing pattern and needs fewer fittings, which is why it can be ready in days. Many Hong Kong shops call any suit made to order bespoke, and some send the sewing to mainland China. Ask whether a pattern will be cut for you, whether the jacket is canvassed, how many fittings are included and where the suit will be made.