The London Lounge

My office is on Jermyn Street so I’m aware that this may sound like utter lunacy but variety is the spice of life so with a slightly anxious tone I’m going to ask - does anyone know any tailors or shirt makers etc. worth visiting in Singapore? Work means I will be there fairly often and I just thought I might try something different!

Any thoughts good or bad greatly appreciated.

D

much as I love our little island...I am afraid our sartorial ambitions do not go anywhere near to satisfy a member of this forum.

But gastronomically speaking...its another matter entirely....

I feared as much. However, gastronomic recommendations would be equally welcome. Anything interesting, local or traditional would be excellent.

Thanks,

D

I lived in Singapore a few years ago.

I have to admit the tailoring experience was generally disappointing, but I did have some decent shirts made by CYC, which was based in Raffles Hotel. If I were passing through Singapore, I would be happy to use them again.

chelsea

Dmacey, its one of the great food cities in the world. Do not need to be fancy, you can go to the hawkers and follow your nose. that's what I did when I was there, and I loved it. Of course, chicken rice and Chili Crab are two must try sort of national dishes. Everyone has their preferred place for those. Ask a local and they will direct you for those dishes.

Good opportunity for a first post!

I have commissioned some things at a local tailor, Iris Tailor, and have posted my experiences and results on another forum. Here is the link: http://www.styleforum.net/showthread.php?t=90990

Their 'house cut' so to speak is a very clean and lean jacket with no drape at all, which may or may not be your thing. I preferred a super slim suit back when, but that is not the default and hopefully will not put you off. My recent commissions have also been heavily tweaked for added comfort!

Some locals have switched from Chan to these guys as they find the quality to be fairly comparable at a better price..Chan's buttonholes are superior though, I will readily admit. Of course, a large part of the reason for the switch is probably that a local option is always a better choice IMHO.

As for local food, if you do not mind breaking out a sweat at the non-airconditioned food centres, you can enjoy extremely good food at next to nothing. Wide variety of options at every price point too. The chilli crab and chicken rice comments are very accurate and you will find locals defending their favourites with religious fervour! I have found this blog's (http://ieatishootipost.sg/) recommendations to be on point, and hopefully will give you some guidance to the local cuisine.

Enjoy Singapore!

Thanks very much for your advice. It seems like a great opportunity try something a little different. Nearly everything I have is weighty, fully lined and made in London, so I think a coat in a lighter cloth, half lined etc. might be a fun commission. Personally I do prefer some drape but I’ll see what they can do. Have they made any shirts for you?

As for the food, it looks incredible. It may well be that I need an entirely new wardrobe after 10 days eating...

D

Yup, would be a fun project I guess, especially since there isn't much else to buy here!

Shirts are comparable to most mid tier HK shirtmakers like Jantzen and Lee Baron, but a bit more expensive due to the cloth. The cheaper made in china fabrics available locally are mostly rubbish, and an Acorn shirt would not be that cheap as well. They do not keep stock too, so bear in mind cloth will take some time to be sent from UK to here.

Food is definitely the best part though!

DMacey wrote:My office is on Jermyn Street so I’m aware that this may sound like utter lunacy but variety is the spice of life so with a slightly anxious tone I’m going to ask - does anyone know any tailors or shirt makers etc. worth visiting in Singapore? Work means I will be there fairly often and I just thought I might try something different!

Any thoughts good or bad greatly appreciated.

D

"Wanna buy a watch?"

(an inside joke)