The Benefits of Custom Tailoring for Professional Women in Hong Kong

A working day in Hong Kong asks a lot of your clothes. You might go from a humid street to an icy air-conditioned office, squeeze onto the MTR, present to a client and head out to dinner, all in the same outfit. A suit that fits properly and is made from the right cloth makes that day noticeably easier. Here is why many professional women choose custom tailoring, and what to know before you order.

Yes, Rashmi makes women's suits

Tailoring is often thought of as menswear, but at Rashmi Custom Tailors we make women's suits as well as men's. We have been making clothes on Nathan Road in Tsim Sha Tsui since 1987, for over 45,000 clients, and Larry, our proprietor, handles Hong Kong fittings himself.

Why ready-to-wear often lets women down

Many women find that off-the-rack suits fit in one place but not another. Common complaints include:

• Sizes that vary wildly from one brand to the next
• Jackets that fit across the shoulders but pull at the bust or hang loose at the waist
• Sleeves that are too long or too short, with no easy fix
• Trousers that fit the hips but gape at the back of the waist, or the reverse
• A trouser rise that sits in the wrong place for your body
• Jackets and trousers sold as a set, when your top and bottom are different sizes

Alterations can help with some of these, but others, particularly shoulders and jacket balance, are very hard to correct once a garment has been cut. Custom tailoring starts from your measurements instead, so the fit is built in from the beginning.

What a well-fitted suit should do

• Sit smoothly across the shoulders, without pulling or overhang
• Button comfortably without the fabric straining
• Let you raise your arms, reach across a table and sit comfortably
• Have trousers that sit where you like them at the waist and fall cleanly to your shoes
• Feel as comfortable at the end of the day as it did in the morning

Fabrics for a Hong Kong working day

The right fabric matters as much as the fit, especially here. A few general pointers:

• Lightweight wool is the most versatile choice. It breathes in the heat, copes well with air-conditioning and resists creasing better than most fibres
• Open weaves let air through and are excellent for the hottest months
• Linen and linen blends are cool and relaxed, better for weekends and summer events than formal meetings
• Mid-weight wool is useful if you travel to colder cities for work

We have about 2,000 fabrics to choose from, so there is plenty of room to find something that suits your role and your style. For more detail, see our guides to choosing suit fabric and the best fabrics for Hong Kong's climate.

Building a working wardrobe

If you are starting from scratch, a small number of well-chosen suits goes a long way:

• Begin with navy and mid-grey. Both are smart, easy to style and work in almost any office
• Choose cloths and colours that let you mix jackets and trousers between suits, so two suits give you several outfits
• Add a lighter colour or a subtle pattern once you have the essentials covered
• Keep the details classic for suits you will wear most often, and save bolder choices for pieces worn less often

Confidence and comfort

There is a practical side to fit that goes beyond appearance. A jacket that does not pull when you move, and trousers that do not need constant adjusting, let you concentrate on your work rather than your clothes. When a suit feels right, you tend to reach for it more often, which makes it better value over time.

How long does it take?

Women's suits at Rashmi take at least 3 days. If you live in Hong Kong, that is easy to plan around. If you are in town on a business trip, get in touch before you arrive and come in as early as you can in your stay, so there is enough time before you fly home.

Pricing for women's suits is confirmed at your consultation, and depends on the fabric and what you order.

If you are not in Hong Kong, you can book a video consultation to talk through what you need, and we hold trunk shows in cities abroad. See our Trunk Shows page for upcoming dates and cities.

Book your appointment

Our shop is at 12/F, Block A, Suite A3, Burlington Arcade, 90–94 Nathan Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, about 2 minutes' walk from Tsim Sha Tsui MTR Exit B1, and is open Monday to Saturday 9am to 8pm, and Sundays and public holidays 10am to 6pm. Visits are by appointment only (no walk-ins). To arrange a fitting with Larry, or a video consultation, send a WhatsApp message to +852 9745 7058 or email [email protected]. Let us know what you are looking for and when you are available, and we will find a time that works for you.