Tailor Made

We were exploring HK's Wan Chai district over the weekend when I noticed a closet-sized tailoring stall with an old man inside hand-cutting collars for his client's custom made shirts. Most of the city's tailors are located in larger nicer stores and typically outsource the fabrication process beyond city limits to cheaper labor, often to Mainland factories, so I couldn't pass up the chance to have some shirts made by a guy who would seem to be a living legend. And with the heat and humidity bearing down on Hong Kong the timing was perfect as I was already in the market for a couple of short sleeve linen shirts. He spoke no English but took my measurements and scribbled them down on a small note pad and pointed to a date on the calendar when I could pick them up. I asked no questions because he had the look like he'd been in this business for a very long time, and the price was right.

Notice the size difference between me and this man. This is not trick photography. I am huge, made larger by HK standards, but this guy was my equivalent on the flip side. LIzzie giggled as she photographed me getting sized up. Also, he had an awesome bulldog that just sat in front of his shop panting into of a large rotating fan. We'll see how the shirts turn out, but it was worth the price just for the experience.