Tailors in Shenzhen

...for those of you who wonder about the tailors I went to in Shenzhen to make those qi-paos..here you go.

the four sequined ones are from -

Shanghai Longfa Fashion
Lot 5080, 5th floor
Luohu Commercial City (LCC)
Mobile - 13 80 2294 625
Email - hell83@163.com
(ask for Ah Xin or Mdm Yang Hong Mei the owner)

the two brocade-lookin' ones are from -

Joey Tailor Shop
Lot 5056A, 5th floor
Luohu Commercial City (LCC)
mobile - 137 141 2700
(ask for Ah Zen or Ah Fan)

cost / price

I asked my hotel receptionist (we stayed in Shanshui Trends Luohu Hotel - not bad) the minute I checked in, where to make qipao. She told me to go to LCC (this hotel also provide free shuttle service to LCC every 15 minutes from the hotel lobby) where she has gone herself to make some dresses. She said for about RMB 100 - 300 you can get a qipao. When I got there myself I realised for the drama-queen design (sequin, laces and the works) that I wanted, I had to pay higher than RMB 300 per dress.

At the end I spent about RMB 500 per qipao, that's around RM 240 each. Which is not bad, consider that in KL, you need to pay about RM 800 or more for a decently tailored qipao.

Bargain and agree on a price before you start ordering anything. Usually they will make you choose or indicate what material/textile you want before quoting a price.



What I learned / Tips
- bring a pic or a sample of what you want to make to show the tailors

I brought these pictures with me there
- be very specific on what you want when you order,

eg. how high you want your collar to be, I wanted the vintage look which is high collar, that's at least about 2inches for my measurement, 2-2.5 inches.

eg. how high you want the dress side slits to be. They will tell what the normal ones are like if you ask. I made a mistake for not asking for a higher slits where it would look nicer

eg. how low or high you want the lining-neckline to be for those who order the lacy/see-thro designs like three of mine (the black/purple, the gold and the white one)

eg. how fitting you want your qipao to be

- mind and consider which material might flatter your body more and what kind is good for which design. Mostly the shop ladies or tailors can advise you on that but have some ideas would help you cut down on decision time...if you haven't a clue on what you like or want when you get there, going to their textile shops might even further confuse you, coz the variety there is dazzling (can be a good thing if you are decisive). Generally the thin, lacy ones shows more flaws as it is more clingy to the body, the stiffer textile flatters more.

- do not get intimidated by those who grab your hand and insist on taking you to their shops for a look-see, just walk on or tell them you want to browse yourself, unless you want to be taken to where they take you. After spending about 15 minutes at the plaza you should be able to tell which vendor is more sincere.

- it is an advantage if you speak Mandarin, many of them at LCC also speak Cantonese. If you speak neither, they do have plenty of Caucasian clients but be prepared to do a lot of explanation until you know they understand you fully. They seemed to like me because I sound like one of them there...

I hope these information help some of you out there who are planning on a trip to China to make qipao...if I think of anything other useful information, I will update this post :)

the vain-pot,
soul doc