Great Experience with Ascot Chang

[ethandesu]

Justin Chang is a friend, and while I don't sell their bespoke product in store, I do take quite a few of my clients to see them. Particularly Thomas in their Prince building store here in HK - he is a former striker/pattern maker, and now a fitter, so he is very good. He does tend to cut shirts slim, but knowing the market here, I would say it's from years of clients requesting slimmer and slimmer cuts. Not ideal for bigger guys, but knowing what I want and communicating that means I have shirts exactly as I want them.
I'm wearing one of their shirts now, and can't fault the make quality in any way. Very clean, very precise, and all the shirts I have made by them are identical fit wise. As far as it being a Made In China product - I know that their factory is in Hong Hum here in HK, and try to tell any local HK'er that its the same as China and you'd be in for a fight. I'm newly adopted by the country, but I'd agree.
All in all a fantastic shirt if you are looking for what they make - very clean bespoke shirts. Like tailors everywhere, if you push them out of their comfort zone, you're bound to get something not as good as they would normally produce. Everyone understands that about Neapolitan, English and French tailors, but seem to think that HK tailors can make anything, anyway, and deliver spot on results. I always advise my clients that W.W.Chan will make a classically fitting, Anglicized suit. Ascot Chang makes a cleanly made shirt. No spalla camicia, no two panel sleeves, but thats not what they are about. Go for what they do well, and you will get a fantastic product.

desu

[Badden]

Have AC's prices in NY really increased to the $400+ level? I used them 6-7 years ago, was very happy with the service and product, but transitioned to Geneva as AC was unable to produce a soft collar to my liking. That being said, I remember paying in the low $200s for Silverline shirtings, which was in-line with Geneva's prices at the time.

[dempsy444]

Have AC's prices in NY really increased to the $400+ level? I used them 6-7 years ago, was very happy with the service and product, but transitioned to Geneva as AC was unable to produce a soft collar to my liking. That being said, I remember paying in the low $200s for Silverline shirtings, which was in-line with Geneva's prices at the time.

An AC bespoke shirt with Thomas Mason Silver Line starts at $304. That gets you a yarn count of 120. Price rises to $421 for a yarn count of 150.

[Badden]

Thanks. That's not bad then, and comparable to other NY shirtmakers.

[Concordia]

Is this the same as HK pricing? I'm lazy, but if it's going to save $150 a shirt, I'm happy to try to get in contact with my cutter over there.

[Merc]

An AC bespoke shirt with Thomas Mason Silver Line starts at $304. That gets you a yarn count of 120. Price rises to $421 for a yarn count of 150.

okay that's not so bad although i would not call them a lower cost shirtmaker

[hectorm]

An AC bespoke shirt with Thomas Mason Silver Line starts at $304. That gets you a yarn count of 120. Price rises to $421 for a yarn count of 150.

okay that's not so bad although i would not call them a lower cost shirtmaker

If you are in NYC and are willing to pay those prices, you could always try at Turnbull & Asser, starting at $350. IMO they are the sure thing for bespoke shirts. Minimum order of 5 for the first time. Then no minimum.
One good word for Ascot Chang shirts though: they are pre-shrunk, so you don´t have to wait for the third wash or so for the perfect fit. T&A´s require a few washes.

[dempsy444]

If you are in NYC and are willing to pay those prices, you could always try at Turnbull & Asser, starting at $350. IMO they are the sure thing for bespoke shirts. Minimum order of 5 for the first time. Then no minimum.
One good word for Ascot Chang shirts though: they are pre-shrunk, so you don´t have to wait for the third wash or so for the perfect fit. T&A´s require a few washes.

I visited T&A too. I was impressed with their fabric selection. They have a pretty extensive array and a lot of nice patterns made just for them. I decided to go with AC, however, because I had read on a few threads from other forums that they do a better job of pattern matching at the shoulder, which is a persnickety detail that -for better or worse- I now notice on shirts. I can say based on my experience with AC, they did a pretty impressive job of matching the pattern at the shoulder. I found the staff to be pretty no nonsense too (LA store), which I was in the mood for. You tell them what you want and they basically just say, "yes, we can do it." If they can't, they just say "no." For others, this could be a downside. There isn't much consulting. You have to know what you want going in. At T&A, there is more advice on colors and patterns, fabrics, etc.

[Concordia]

If you are in NYC and are willing to pay those prices, you could always try at Turnbull & Asser, starting at $350. IMO they are the sure thing for bespoke shirts.

As long as you don't require that your shirts fit.

[fishball]

I start wearing shirt made by AC before I was going to college. At that time their besopke oxford was cheaper than Polo RL oxford.
I used them since then.
Three years ago, I start doing CMT from them, it started at HK$450, then jump to HKD700, and now HK$750.
I tried so many shirtmakers in Hong Kong, and I have to admit that they are simple the best shirtmaker in Hong Kong. Other shirtmakers in HK just charged HKD200-300 for CMT, AC is about triple of their price. But if you want to make sure your shirt will be right in every detail, you don't have other choice in HK.
I just had two shirts made by them last month, they use the new MOP buttons, much betterr than old one! (the old one is not bad at all though)

[hectorm]

If you are in NYC and are willing to pay those prices, you could always try at Turnbull & Asser, starting at $350. IMO they are the sure thing for bespoke shirts.

As long as you don't require that your shirts fit.

Do I detect here a not so great experience of which it would be useful that we knew more about?

[Concordia]

If you are in NYC and are willing to pay those prices, you could always try at Turnbull & Asser, starting at $350. IMO they are the sure thing for bespoke shirts.

As long as you don't require that your shirts fit.

Do I detect here a not so great experience of which it would be useful that we knew more about?

The search function is your friend. Look for the word "agony."

[dempsy444]

Concordia:
thanks for pointing us to the mutual agony thread. That is very informative. It did echo some of the drawbacks I have heard about T&A elsewhere.

I would be curious if anyone here has used Alexander Kabbaz? I would need to double my income before I could justify to my accountant commissioning from him, but I have read elsewhere he is the best.

[hectorm]

As long as you don't require that your shirts fit.

Do I detect here a not so great experience of which it would be useful that we knew more about?

The search function is your friend. Look for the word "agony."

Thank you Concordia for your reference to the illuminating discussion in the LL a few years back about shirtmakers. It´s very indicative you signaled "agony" as the key word.
I think your past experience with them might not totally warrant your rather strong stating that T&A is for those who "don´t require that your shirts fit¨. I grant that the New York operation has all the troubles of ¨shirts over the ocean¨ where sales, measurements, cutting, sewing, fitting and alterations are all irreconcilably broken apart. But while I wouldn´t call T&A "artisans" (even in London), they are truly bespoke (individual patterns, specifications and fitting) and their shirts are of the best quality and, within the boundaries of their house style, their final products DO fit exceptionally well. That is my experience of the past and the general opinion of current bespoke aficionados (see Huntsman's recent poll amongst their clients regarding favorite shirts, placing T&A´s at #1).
Notwithstanding I understand you might at the end not care about other people´s experience and polls, and I’m appalled by the fact you received a letter from the CFO of the firm that led you to feeling uncomfortable and to stopping the fitting process. It shouldn't have happened.

[Concordia]

For the record, the salesman suggested after 1 or 2 tries that I lend him a shirt that did fit so they could copy it. (!) The sample and maybe one after that came with a waist at least 3" smaller than on my own shrunken shirt. You'd think that someone could have laid them both on a table to check it out...

The letter from the CFO stopped the fitting process-- T&A admitting failure to get something simple right. It did not, however make me feel at all uncomfortable. That was the job of the shirts.

And I'm not especially peeved at T&A. If they ever do get a pattern together that fits me, I'd happily buy from them, as I like their style (sometimes), and admire certain aspects of their quality. Not to mention their socks and sweaters.