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As the shirt says in Traditional Chinese, “I heart Hong Kong.” And there is a lot to love if you know where to look.

To some the idea of a suit made in Hong Kong is a dream come true. Even the senior President Bush had a suit made for him in Hong Kong, and it is reported that a number of British politicians own Hong Kong custom suits despite their location being near Savile Row – which is actually a shopping street in central London known for custom tailoring.

However, both in the past and in the present you need to be careful from whom you buy in Hong Kong. For instance, in the 1960’s “The Jack Benny Show” Jack bragged about his custom Hong Kong suit which he purchased for only $12 dollars. The gag was that during the show the suit began to fall apart.

Today a typical package is something like three custom made suits for $1,500 sold to you by a salesman for a Hong Kong company who is traveling the US taking measurements and orders. While the suit will not fall apart, it might also not look anything like what you expect for the money when it arrives due to poor quality wool.

There are several things you need to be aware of. The first is that these people must cover the cost of their travel as well as make a profit on the suit for the Hong Kong company. As the saying goes, “there is no such thing as a free lunch.” A low manufacturing cost in Hong Kong does not automatically translate to a low purchase price here in the USA.

Secondly, prices have been rising in Hong Kong due to rapidly rising costs for rent. Also, some of the most skilled tailors are retiring and the people following in their footsteps are not always as well trained. Part of the reason is that with the late 1990’s Internet bubble came a “business casual” approach to business wear and suit makers everywhere suffered. Some of the most talented tailors folded up shop rather than compete with less talented, but cheaper, competition.

Thirdly, be aware that these types of purchases (buying in U.S. from a Hong Kong company) typically result in one shirt and one suit being mailed to you from Hong Kong for you to do your own “fitting.” In other words, it is up to you to decide if it fits. That is a departure from what is typically considered to be a custom made suit.

Fourth, beware the fast-talking salesman who shows you enormous amounts of fabric swatches and then rushes you out the door after you have selected your swatches. The reason is that you need to be prepared with the proper knowledge before making your purchase.

You’ll need to ask questions such as what, exactly, will be the wool used for the price you are being asked to pay. The answer of “100% wool” is not an acceptable answer. You will likely end up with fabric you would buy on a suit at Wal-Mart with that answer.

Fifth, get a number. Yes, whether getting a suit or a shirt get a number of the fabric to be used at the quoted price. The higher the number, the more tightly the threads are woven and therefore more soft and long lasting. Probably the cheapest wool for a suit is 80’s wool. The best wool is usually Super 150’s, but I’m willing to listen to other opinions on this. Oh, and check on common sense items like all jacket pockets will function and the sleeve buttons will actually function.

The same “get a number” goes for shirts. I recommend Sea Island 140’s for the fabric, and request removable collar stays. Women, of course, may go for different fabrics and will certainly be choosing from different patterns then men.

Lastly, get it in writing. Remember, you are about to spend over a thousand dollars. Get in writing exactly what you are buying and what the return policy is. A return policy? Well, yes.

Anyone who has been in business long enough to be able to afford a custom suit should also know that unless you have something in writing, you are on the wrong side of a tar pit. You may also know that anyone who balks at giving you a receipt or something in writing is perhaps not the best person to do business with.