Planning for my annual trip to CP via HK/ShenZhen and wondering if anyone has any good experiences with Tailors at the LoHu Commercial Center, or somewhere else in ShenZhen.

I went to a certain tailor on my last visit (6 month ago), and I have mixed reviews. Would be interested in trying a new one that someone can personally recommend.

After spending a few days there chatting with the owner while taking measurements and observing the environment, I note the following observations:

- All the shops are just storefronts, they take measurements, let you choose fabrics, and send off the measurements to a (nearby) factory where they are made. (unlike better places where everything is made in-house!)

- There is a good chance that all/most of the storefronts use the same factories, this is the only way I think economies of scale would allow for the low prices. Therefore, the quality between each storefront may not vary as much as you think.

- Starting price for suits appear to be around 500RMB (jacket and pants) for lower quality fabrics, and can range up to 1200 or even 1500. Most shops will quote you around 700-800 to start (maybe more if you look foreign or speak english). I was later told by a tout that I could have gotten a suit for 400RMB (I don't trust touts however, so this may not be true)

- I paid 100 RMB for each of my dress shirts. Most shops will quote you 150 to start and won't budge (this is a common starting point as I asked around a few shops). I was later told by a tout that I could have gotten them for 70-80 RMB (which I am not sure if true).

- Turnaround is very quick - 2 days! (which leads me to believe mass-produced factory). I HIGHLY Recommend that you go for a fitting as things are unlikely to fit perfectly at first.

- The shop I went to appeared to cut some of the fabrics himself in the shop, and then sent them to the factory for sewing. He also made some of the adjustments himself after the first fitting. So the shop you choose may play a hand in the overall assembly of the suit (cut and final fitting).

I hope this helps as a guideline, and if anyone has a specific recommendation for a tailor please let me know. The shop I went to was OK, the sewing and fabric were not as good as some places I went to in Thailand, but he always gave me a fair price (didn't start with an outrageous quote), fast turnaround, and was willing to alter the clothes as needed for the final fitment. I can PM you the shop info if anyone wants.