W.W.CHAN TAILOR LIMITED

Since 1952, W.W. Chan & Sons has consistently served an exclusive niche of the elegant men in Hong Kong.

W.W. Chan & Sons not only inherits the most authentic Shanghainese traditional cutting and craft style, but we are one of the few who have preserved the dying art, knowledge and processes of traditional menswear. The history and heritage of our brand gives life to clothing and will bring real enjoyment to your life.

The Chan concept of Bespoke Tailoring is to preserve the essence of bespoke and the trusted principles of quality suiting, yet evolve using the finest of techniques and the acknowledgment of the myriad developments in styles, preferences and society.

Bespoke Concepts

The core of our talent and our creations. Made for an individual, by an individual. Crafted from a blank canvas and meticulously cut for your shape, the pattern and fit is designed exclusively for the customer’s unique body.

The human body contains very few straight lines, therefore, Chan’s bespoke patterns are also hand-drawn in order to adjust to the customer’s own form. Bespoke can emulate, and imitate styles up to a certain degree, but at the end of the day it can only be crafted for your form alone.

Bespoke & Ready to Wear tailoring are ultimately of different worlds that truly cannot be compared. With Ready to Wear, you inhabit a creation drawn up to fit an industry standard body – prior to any necessary adjustments of your own – and is born out of the styling of its designer. Bespoke places the control in your own hands: the shaping is to your body, the details entirely up to your discernment, the look a result of true collaboration between yourself and your tailor. As the relationship blossoms, so too can your signature style.

The Chan concept of Bespoke Tailoring is to preserve the essence of bespoke and the trusted principles of quality suiting, yet involve using the finest of techniques and the acknowledgment of the myriad developments in styles, preferences and society.

Our History

Springing from the fertile creative history of Shanghainese suiting, W.W. Chan is one of the original “Red Gang” tailoring lineages who has maintained the traditional processes and art of the creation of a bespoke men’s suit. No mere part of Chan’s history, the Red Gang tailors comprised respected generations of tailors hailing from the Shanghainese school of men’s tailoring. Their melding of the dynamic and 3 dimensional aspect of English tailoring with the venerable, intricate handiwork of Chinese embroidery informs the creations that have made Chan one of the finest bespoke houses in service in today’s Hong Kong.

In its constancy to the art of the traditional bespoke processes, Chan has implemented a high-end/low volume business model. This decision has allowed Chan to retain the numerous handiwork and true intimate processes which are unique to Chan today. To this day, the only machine you will find at Chan is a straight sewing machine. Everything else is crafted by hand.

THE FIRST HONOR RING

RED GANG

W.W. Chan and the "Red Gang" - Shanghainese Tailors

When strolling the streets of Asia, many a tourist or foreigner may notice the prevalence in tailoring shops advertising “Shanghainese Workmanship” or the presence of Shanghainese staff in their backrooms. There is actually an extremely rich history behind the Shanghainese tailors, which one can learn about through the abundance of literature and records. These are the few important points that one must know:

Shanghainese "Red Gang" tailors refers to the first generation of tailors hailing from Shanghai and the first school of tailoring in China. Best practices from British, Russian, American,Japanese and Chinese tailors were incorporated into their skills before specializing in one.

Tailors from the Red Gang were formally trained and recognized in many facets of the art of tailoring. Students were enrolled around the age of 14 and studied for 3 years to learn the fundamentals and basics of high quality suitmaking.

Of these tailors, Baromon, WW Chan and a few other houses have indelible associations. WW Chan & Sons is one of the dying few which retains a direct lineage to this rich and pivotal antecedent.

Source: Ningbo Garment Museum - Yingfeng Street, Haishu District, Ningbo 315010, China