First established in Kimberly Road, Hong Kong, Ascot Chang has been creating bespoke menswear shirts and suits since 1953. Driven by his dedication and constant pursuit of excellence in craftsmanship and service, the brand has since flourished, opening 17 retail stores worldwide including New York, Beverly Hills, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Suzhou, and Manila.
The premier clothier was built on the foundation that, as Ascot Chang said, “My customers select their own style. I give the substance.” Celebrating the individual, the brand offers a wide range of bespoke shirts, suits, pajamas, boxer shorts, handkerchiefs, and dressing gowns designed and handcrafted to enhance one’s unique body, lifestyle, and tastes. Now managed by the Chang’s son Tony and brother Johnny, Ascot Chang continues to deliver the same excellence in service and quality and maintain the heritage of traditional Shanghai tailoring while providing a contemporary look.
Ascot Chang has been named the “Best of the Best” by Robb Report, “One of the best known Hong Kong tailors” by The Wall Street Journal, and “One of the world’s best tailors” by men.style.com.
Ascot Chang
"My customers select their own style. I give the style substance."
- Mr. Ascot Chang, 1953
THE BESPOKE PROCESS
1. FABRIC SELECTION
First, the client selects the cloth for his Ascot Chang shirt. Our collection of 6,000 samples are made up of the finest fabrics from the world’s most demanding shirting mills, including designs by Albini, Thomas Mason, David & John Anderson, Alumo, Monti, Ermenegildo Zegna, and Loro Piana. Each fabric is carefully selected and reviewed before we include it in our collection as we mainly use high count, two-ply fabrics to ensure the comfort, elegance, and longevity of the final garment.
2. STYLING
The quality of fabric sets a durable foundation for the details to come. The client, with the help of a fitter, selects the endless styling options that will dictate the look of his shirt. Each one of our 25 collar and cuff samples can be further redesigned to suit a client’s needs and tastes. Additionally, 12 interlining options allow customers to determine the stiffness (or softness) of their collars and cuffs. Buttons are made of pure Australian mother-of-pearl and come in either white or charcoal. Pockets, epaulets, and hanger loops are just a few more options to consider. 24 hand-sewn monogram styles in 30 thread colors provide a final personalized touch.
3. MEASUREMENTS & PATTERNMAKING
Once the fabric and style are decided, our experienced fitter takes 15 basic measurements in order to create the client’s unique paper pattern. Individual idiosyncrasies in posture and body shape are noted down and the overall fit of the shirt is discussed. All of this information is then incorporated into the client’s pattern design to achieve an exacting yet comfortable fit.
4. MAKING THE SHIRT
Once the client’s paper pattern is designed, the shirt can be cut and made. Shirting materials are thoroughly preshrunk before the final garment is made to ensure minimal shrinkage over the course of the shirt’s life. Patterned shirts are then cut individually to ensure that all stripes and checks align at the front button placket, along the sleeve placket, and across the shoulder, resulting in visually seamless transitions between the different garment pieces. Shirts are then sewn together using single-needle French seams and 22 stitches per inch, traditional methods that not only add durability to the seams, but are also aesthetically clean.
5. FINAL FITTING
For first time clients, we always encourage a final fitting to ensure that everything is to the client’s liking. If any alterations are made, the changes are also reflected on the client’s pattern and kept on file. Future re-orders will then be made with the most updated measurements to guarantee customer satisfaction.