[Also see previous posts of this review series: Golden Eagle Shirt Review - Part I (for measurements and the bespoke process) and Golden Eagle Shirt Review - Part II (for a detailed examination of construction and craftsmanship).]
To say that this bespoke experience was without hiccups would be a lie. According to Murphy's law, "Anything that can go wrong will go wrong". And getting the cuffs wrong has been so persistently a feature of @shirtingfantasy's bespoke experience that it happened on his first @wongmanhoi1025 shirt, his first @davinoshirtnapoli shirts and - perhaps expectedly so, his first Golden Eagle shirt.
Perhaps wearing a wristwatch on the right wrist is such a rare trait among bespoke clients - that even though very explicit instructions and reminders have been given during the initial measurement session, bespoke tailors almost always manage to get it wrong for my first shirt. Upon this unfortunate discovery, I called Allan,
So the shirt was washed, sent back, fixed, returned to @shirtingfantasy, washed twice, sent to his favourite laundry company2; and on a very fine Sunday, finally became available for the final verdict.
There is a rampant belief among local menswear enthusiasts that shirts should have a clean back. I beg to differ. My reasoning as follows:
Overall comment
1. An ultra-comfort fit, with a front that still looks handsome: we gambled, and we won.
2. Very decent make. Pattern-matching is commendable. Minor buttonhole roughness with no functional impact (at least no damage after 5 machine cycles, with tumble-drying), but otherwise near-perfect machine work. See Part II for close-up photos.
3. Magna cum laude3. 9/10.
Until then, goodbye!
Footnote:
[1] That's a strong reason against first order CMT (cut-make-trim, or bring-your-own-fabric).
[2] Due to @shirtingfantasy's weakness for high count shirtings, most of his shirts are practically impossible to iron by the average domestic helper.
[3] I decided to upgrade my rating to Latin honours. Yes, upgrade, like how your tailor upgrades your fully-canvassed suit to full-floating canvas, or how your tailor upgrades your Pearl buttons to MOP buttons.
Shop information:
Golden Eagle Custom Tailor & Shirtmaker
https://www.facebook.com/GoldenEagleShirt/
http://www.goldeneagle.com.hk/
Mr Allan Lo
A15, 16/F, Mirador Mansion, Tsimshatsui, Hong Kong tel +852 9738-7322 (by WhatsApp appointment)
Minimum order: no minimum order
Price range: HKD 850+ for CISTES (the famous European fabric marketed by the local merchant Loo's - search for the trademark if interested), HKD 1,250+ for Thomas Mason fabric
CMT service: Yes. HKD 360 (inclusive of 2.5 mm MOP buttons).
Handmade option: No.
 |
| The final shirt. A very comfortable and elegant fit thanks to Allan's (@allan.lo) meticulous study of @shirtingfantasy's handmade shirt from D'avino Shirt Napoli. The cuff reversal problem seen in the next photo has been fixed, but I would still like the cuffs on my next shirts to be perhaps 3/4 to 1 cm wider in diameter. |
To say that this bespoke experience was without hiccups would be a lie. According to Murphy's law, "Anything that can go wrong will go wrong". And getting the cuffs wrong has been so persistently a feature of @shirtingfantasy's bespoke experience that it happened on his first @wongmanhoi1025 shirt, his first @davinoshirtnapoli shirts and - perhaps expectedly so, his first Golden Eagle shirt.
 |
| Ouch - too small a cuff! |
Perhaps wearing a wristwatch on the right wrist is such a rare trait among bespoke clients - that even though very explicit instructions and reminders have been given during the initial measurement session, bespoke tailors almost always manage to get it wrong for my first shirt. Upon this unfortunate discovery, I called Allan,
"Allan, I have a piece of bads news for you..."
"What's up?"
"Look at this... I guess your workshop reversed the left/ right side measurements for my cuffs... "
"... "
After an almost embarrassing silence, Allan suddenly burst out laughing.
"What's the big deal? I have spare fabric1! Just changing the cuffs would be fine..."
 |
| This is just a random picture showing the Aurum read-to-wear model from Antonio Meccariello, bespoke shoemaker in Airola, Italy. I tend to think this pose depicts the waiting mood fairly well. |
So the shirt was washed, sent back, fixed, returned to @shirtingfantasy, washed twice, sent to his favourite laundry company2; and on a very fine Sunday, finally became available for the final verdict.
 |
| Function or Form, that is the question. |
There is a rampant belief among local menswear enthusiasts that shirts should have a clean back. I beg to differ. My reasoning as follows:
- A shirt is worn (almost) next to skin. A hugging shirt in non-elastic cotton is uncomfortable.
- A shirt ultimately determines the amount of movement you can enjoy in your outfit - not your unconstructed jacket or soft vicuna overcoat.
- A shirt's back, among other parts, is the only area that can afford to have its clean lines sacrificed to allow for movement. Back pleats illustrate this perfectly.
According to shirt tailors including Fiorenzo Auricchio (@davinoshirtnapoli), MH Wong (@wongmanhoi1025) and Peter So (@ascotchang Elements), it is virtually impossible to achieve comfort of movement and perfectly clean lines at the same time. As I have always prioritized comfort over "looking-good", to have local tailors follow the Italian cut and unify the patterns was one of my major projects in 2018. It was first done with MH Wong (he took reference from my Yamagami and D'avino shirts and created a hybrid pattern), then with Peter at Ascot Chang (he grunted a lot, complaining that I was making my shirt "two sizes too big") and finally with Allan of Golden Eagle. I decided - despite very much to his disadvantage (a snug-fit shirt with no excess fabric would look better for the photo-savvy crowd) - to have the "comfort(-back) cut" attempted in the first shirt.
 |
| Look at how the shirt shoulders extend very slightly past the natural shoulder - it is an intended effect and appears in all my local bespoke projects since early 2018. |
Overall comment
1. An ultra-comfort fit, with a front that still looks handsome: we gambled, and we won.
2. Very decent make. Pattern-matching is commendable. Minor buttonhole roughness with no functional impact (at least no damage after 5 machine cycles, with tumble-drying), but otherwise near-perfect machine work. See Part II for close-up photos.
3. Magna cum laude3. 9/10.
 |
| But it's still clean enough, my dear! |
Until then, goodbye!
Footnote:
[1] That's a strong reason against first order CMT (cut-make-trim, or bring-your-own-fabric).
[2] Due to @shirtingfantasy's weakness for high count shirtings, most of his shirts are practically impossible to iron by the average domestic helper.
[3] I decided to upgrade my rating to Latin honours. Yes, upgrade, like how your tailor upgrades your fully-canvassed suit to full-floating canvas, or how your tailor upgrades your Pearl buttons to MOP buttons.
Shop information:
Golden Eagle Custom Tailor & Shirtmaker
https://www.facebook.com/GoldenEagleShirt/
http://www.goldeneagle.com.hk/
Mr Allan Lo
A15, 16/F, Mirador Mansion, Tsimshatsui, Hong Kong tel +852 9738-7322 (by WhatsApp appointment)
Minimum order: no minimum order
Price range: HKD 850+ for CISTES (the famous European fabric marketed by the local merchant Loo's - search for the trademark if interested), HKD 1,250+ for Thomas Mason fabric
CMT service: Yes. HKD 360 (inclusive of 2.5 mm MOP buttons).
Handmade option: No.
What do you mean fully-canvassed to full-floating canvas? As in my terminology they are the same. Cheers
ReplyDeleteDo Pearl buttons differ from MOP buttons? :P
ReplyDelete