In Search of the Best: A 10-Year Journey Through Bespoke Elegance - 尋找至尊：探索定制優雅的十年長征

Long time no see!

B&L Loafers. Expensive elegant shoes. The loose grain wrinkles are clearly visible from the left shoe. Life is imperfect.

It's been over a year since @shirtingfantasy last wrote on this blog. In that time, he's picked up a few shirts from PYE (see review here and here), some non-iron ones from their Universal 100/2 line. He's also bought a few pairs of shoes (not revealing the price, in case his partner finds out), and some jackets and suits, which seem like normal shopping.

2024 marks the 10th anniversary of @shirtingfantasy's journey into bespoke clothing. It started at Ascot Chang and has become a continuous pursuit of better style. Perfection isn't easy to achieve, he believes.

Now, what is the best X? That's a common question that doesn't have a simple answer. As Oscar Wilde said, "The truth is rarely pure and never simple." Recommendations on this blog and on Instagram are offered casually, with no guarantees. Some are even light-hearted jokes (cough, cough... such as HKG Ambrosi). If you're unsure, feel free to DM @shirtingfantasy. He might not reply, but if you approach him politely, he often provides a more detailed explanation of the posts.

Can we list the "best of the best"? Yes and no. Yes, because @shirtingfantasy values transparency and lists actual makers instead of hiding them. No, because "the best" varies depending on who you ask. Here’s the list:

Best Shirt Fabric 2024

- 100/2 class - SIC Tess Giza 45 poplin

- 100/2 - 140/2 class - DJA WISICA Sea Island (various weaves)

- 170/2 - 180/2 class - Alumo "Soyella" poplin (crisp), Carlo Riva "Popeline Tela" (soft)

- 200/2 class - DJA "Poplin DJA" and "Twill DJA"

- 240/2 and above - various special/limited lines from DJA

Best HKG Shirt Maker 2024

- Workshop - MH Wong (A7, 16/F, Mirador Mansions, Tel: +852 9132 8565)

- Shop - Ascot Chang (Elements Branch, Shop 2005A, 1 Austin Road West, TST, Tel: +852 2196 8438)

Best Shoemaker 2024

- China - Acme (Kow Hoo and Shoe Artistry are in China, but sorry, not really on the list)

- UK - Outworkers

- France - Berluti, JL Paris, and Corthay

- Italy - Branchini styles made by LVMH's workshop

Best HKG Suitmaker 2024

- MTM - SuitSupply online

- Bespoke - WW Chan (best cut and style), Tai Pan Row (flexible to requests)

This list might stir some debate. But life needs a bit of spice!

*****

好久不見！

B&L樂福鞋。昂貴且優雅的鞋子。從左鞋可以清晰地看到鬆散的紋理皺摺。生活本就不完美。

自@shirtingfantasy上次在這個博客寫文章已經過去一年多了。在這段時間裡，他從PYE購入了一些襯衫（請參見這裡和這裡的評論），這些襯衫屬於他們的Universal 100/2不需熨燙系列。他還買了幾雙鞋子（未透露價格，以免伴侶知道），以及一些夾克和西裝，看起來像是正常的購物。

2024年標誌著@shirtingfantasy進入定制服裝旅程的第十週年。這一旅程始於Ascot Chang，並持續追求更好的風格。他認為，完美不易達成。

現在，什麼是最好的X？這是一個常見的問題，卻沒有簡單的答案。正如奧斯卡·王爾德所說：“真理很少是純粹的，從不簡單。”這個博客和Instagram上的推薦只是隨意提供，並無任何保證。有些甚至是輕鬆的玩笑（咳咳……比如說HKG Ambrosi）。如果你有疑問，隨時可以給@shirtingfantasy發私信。他可能不會回覆，但如果你禮貌地詢問，他通常會更詳細地解釋。

我們可以列出“最好的最好”嗎？可以，也不可以。可以，因為@shirtingfantasy重視透明度，會列出實際的製造商，而不是隱瞞他們。不可以，因為“最好的”取決於你問誰。以下是名單：

2024年最佳襯衫面料

100/2級別 - SIC Tess Giza 45 平紋

100/2 - 140/2級別 - DJA WISICA 海島棉（多種織法）

170/2 - 180/2級別 - Alumo "Soyella" 平紋（清脆），Carlo Riva "Popeline Tela"（柔軟）

200/2級別 - DJA "Poplin DJA" 和 "Twill DJA"

240/2及以上 - DJA多種特殊/限量系列

2024年最佳香港襯衫製造商

工作室 - MH Wong（尖沙咀美麗都大廈16樓A7室，電話：+852 9132 8565）

商店 - Ascot Chang（尖沙咀柯士甸道西1號圓方商場2005A鋪，電話：+852 2196 8438）

2024年最佳鞋履製造商

中國 - Acme（Kow Hoo和Shoe Artistry在中國，但抱歉，它們不在此列表上）

英國 - 不存在

法國 - Berluti、JL Paris和Corthay

意大利 - 由LVMH工作室製作的Branchini風格

2024年最佳香港西裝製造商

成衣 - SuitSupply在線

定制 - WW Chan（最佳剪裁和風格），Tai Pan Row（靈活應對要求）

這份名單可能會引起一些爭議。但生活需要一點調劑！