Beyond Fit Beyond Time

Exquisite craftsmanship

When it comes to custom-made clothes, people often think of custom-made suits first. After all, people always see suits first. However, you have to wear clothes under the suit. The quality of the inner and outer clothes should match each other to give a harmonious and perfect first impression to the outside world. Therefore, a good shirt is as important as a good suit. After years of cooperation, OAK ROOM was fortunate to visit the headquarters of Ascot Chang, a famous Hong Kong shirt manufacturer , and witnessed the highest level of attention to detail.

Shirt craftsmanship passed down through three generations and lasting for seventy years

Mr. Zhang Zibin, the first-generation founder of Ascot Chang, was born in Fenghua District, Ningbo City, Zhejiang Province. The reason why his birthplace is mentioned specifically is because it is not far from Sunzhangcao Village, the hometown of Zhang Shangyi, the first "Hongbang tailor". He also became one of the "Hongbang descendants" because of geographical reasons.

The "Hongbang tailors" originated in the 19th century and were the starting point of custom-made suits in China. During the Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China, they were a well-known tailoring group affiliated with the Ningbo business group. The original name should be "Fengbang tailors", but because these tailors mainly served Westerners (red-haired people) in the Shanghai Concession, and the pronunciation of "Feng" and "Hong" in Shanghai dialect is similar, they are called "Hongbang tailors".

Although his hometown was very close to the first village of the Red Gang, Zhang Zibin, a farmer's son, still chose to leave his hometown. At that time, if rural children wanted to change their fate, learning from a master was a thorny road that they had to take. However, it was not easy to become a "Red Gang successor". Although they did not need to bring a bundle of money, they needed a guarantee from the master or the relative of the store owner to start their apprenticeship.

In order to help him succeed in his business (a custom in Jiangsu and Zhejiang at that time), his mother sold two mu of land for five silver dollars, which she gave to the 14-year-old boy, who then went to Shanghai, a major center of Western-style clothing, to learn from him.

The hardships of learning the art are no less than those of learning martial arts. One must train the body to achieve a certain speed and strength in using the needle, and complete a series of skills such as measuring, calculating, cutting, and sewing before one can become a master. Zhang Zibin became a master after learning the art for three years, and then served under his master for nine years.

In the early 1940s, the Shanghai Concession was closed and a large number of foreigners and wealthy Shanghai businessmen moved to Hong Kong. The demand for shirts and suits decreased rapidly. Therefore, in 1949, 26-year-old Zhang Zibin decided to go to Hong Kong to make a living.

However, even if he wanted to attract customers with the fine craftsmanship of the "Feng Bang", he did not speak Cantonese at all, and it was difficult for him to even take the first step. So he had to visit local Shanghai businessmen one by one and make a living by taking on projects - after receiving orders, he made shirts in a small house, slowly laying the foundation and making a name for himself. Four years later, in 1953, Zhang Zibin accumulated enough capital to open a store and opened his own custom shirt store on Kimberley Road, Tsim Sha Tsui.

And this shop, after seventy years, has become a famous custom shirt manufacturer that has been passed down for three generations, continuing to serve gentlemen all over the world.

Built-in "paper database" to store the body shape data of 70,000 customers

In March this year, the OAK ROOM team had the opportunity to visit Ascot Chang’s store in Central, its headquarters and factory in Hung Hom, and listened closely to the second-generation chairman Tony Chang and the third-generation successor of the brand Justin Chang share the history and future prospects of the famous shirt manufacturer.

(Photo: Ascot Chang’s second-generation chairman Tony Chang (right), and third-generation successor Justin Chang (left))

Over the years of cooperation, Ascot Chang's customization level has been highly praised by both OAK ROOM colleagues and customers, who believe that their customization services are always consistently fast, fierce and accurate.

The reason why Ascot Chang can provide such a high level of service is not only because the current masters have inherited the skills of the Hong Bang, but also because Ascot Chang has served so many customers. The measurement data and pattern of each customer will be filed independently and kept in the pattern room in the Hong Kan factory for at least 10 to 15 years. If the customer's body shape changes, it will be updated from time to time.

Today, the archives in the pattern room have accumulated more than 70,000 copies, including patterns of celebrities such as Li Ka-shing, US Vice President George H.W. Bush, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Andy Lau. Under the guidance of the factory manager, we quickly found our own patterns in a space as spectacular as a library, and got to see the delicate work process behind the scenes of the famous designers. These patterns allow the production masters to quickly grasp the changes in the customer's body shape, make subtle adjustments, and continue to produce comfortable and well-fitting clothes and provide stable quality services.

(Photo: Each customer's paper pattern will be properly archived and stored)

Sticking to details is not just a slogan, we will not compromise even if the error is 0.1 cm

The founder of Ascot Chang established his foundation in Hong Kong and became a famous brand; the second-generation chairman Tony Chang opened branches overseas, set up shop in New York, and added the custom suit business; now the third-generation successor Justin Chang wants to build the custom shop into a more comprehensive brand, develop a ready-to-wear series , and provide hunting suits , POLO shirts , short jackets and other items that are more in line with modern life.

Although the three generations have their own ideas and missions, "sticking to Made in Hong Kong" and "paying attention to details" are Ascot Chang's unchanging corporate culture.

Photo: Ascot Chang still insists on making products in Hong Kong)

Most brands claim to pay attention to details, but Ascot Chang's level of attention may be far beyond your imagination. As long as the customer feels uncomfortable after trying on the clothes, even if it is only one-eighth inch (about 0.3 cm) or even one-sixteenth inch (about 0.1 cm), Ascot Chang's custom-made team will not hesitate to modify it. Generally speaking, "looseness" is reserved when making the pattern to allow the wearer to breathe, so that the wearer does not have to hold his breath to put the clothes in, causing discomfort. However, the looseness is usually around 0.5 to 1 cm, so it is not an exaggeration to say that the details they pay attention to are close to the hairline.

However, the brand's insistence is not without reason. In the early days of the UK, clothes that were close to the skin were collectively referred to as "underwear", so the shirts of the past were actually underwear. Since they were underwear, they naturally had to pay attention to details and comfort. Even though people's definition of underwear has changed a lot nowadays, and Ascot Chang has long removed the word "underwear" under the logo, this persistence has unknowingly become the brand's gene and is difficult to shake.

Nearly 60 years of experience in custom-made products, with over 5,000 fabrics to choose from

Ascot Chang's bespoke business has lasted for more than seven decades, thanks to his delicate and exquisite craftsmanship. But to some extent, it may also be related to the turbulent situation: if the Shanghai Concession had not been closed, Chang would not have come to Hong Kong; 14 years after arriving in Hong Kong, if it had not been for the June 7 Incident, which caused a sharp drop in foreign tourists, Chang would not have thought of developing the "bespoke trunk show" business, actively contacting customers, and further promoting his craftsmanship to the world.

Today, Ascot Chang, which has accumulated nearly 60 years of experience in organizing custom-made events, continues to be run by the third generation. Not only is the experience extremely rich, but the selection they provide is also quite extensive, such as: Thomas Mason, Alumo, Loro Piana and other major brand fabrics, as well as antique fabrics that have been well received in OAK ROOM custom-made events over the years, a total of more than 5,000 fabrics.

(Photo: Ascot Chang’s fabric collection is quite impressive)

From the sharing of Ascot Chang family members, we understand that they not only make well-fitting shirts mechanically, but also listen to customers' lifestyles, needs and preferences first, and then provide clothing that better suits customers' habits to achieve comfort from the inside out.

In this era of convenience, it is difficult to find people willing to invest more than 20 hours in custom-made shirts, regardless of the country. However, Ascot Chang still insists on investing time and effort to ensure that each custom-made shirt goes through more than 20 processes:

-Precisely aligned fabric patterns (stripes, plaids) and symmetrical designs. If the fabric patterns are not aligned, it will cause visual disorder, making it difficult to create a neat and simple feeling, and it will also make the human body proportions unbalanced. However, fabric may be wasted in order to align the fabric patterns. How to strike a balance between aesthetics and cost considerations is a great test of the calculation skills of the cutter.

-Hand shaping of collar and sleeves

- More than 2,500 stitches per piece

- Single needle sewing technology with 22 stitches per inch

- All with mother-of-pearl buttons

-Personalized embroidery options with up to 25 fonts and 20 colors

(Caption: In order to align the checkered lines, the fabric was not fully cut. From the perspective of mass production, this is quite luxurious.)

Since 2018, Ascot Chang has held two customization sessions in OAK ROOM every year. If you also want to experience such delicate clothing craftsmanship and what it feels like to wear them, you are welcome to make an appointment to participate and personally experience the top customization service of the famous shirt maker.