Hong Kong tailored shirts for women, with a woman doing the measuring – ‘an affordable indulgence’ in pandemic times
- From a family with over 50 years’ experience in tailoring, Viveka Mansukhani recently launched her tailored shirt business, Macella
- Any number of tailors can provide this service in Hong Kong, but measuring women’s bodies can be a sensitive matter
The latest development in pampering could be the individually tailored shirt.
Sit on a sofa and look through hundreds of fabric samples to choose a linen, or a cotton twill or poplin or even a silk or denim. Pick the pattern: maybe a check, stripe, spot, paisley or floral or a solid in a vast range of colours. Discuss the fit, shape, collar and cuff type and buttons. Get measured – neck, arm, wrist, back, shoulders, bust and waist. Discuss personal body asymmetries or the particular peculiarity that careful tailoring can camouflage (one shoulder is often higher than the other, for instance, or one arm longer than the other).
Finally, wait a few weeks for a courier to arrive with the finished product. It takes time, and costs money: this is the polar opposite of fast fashion.
Discussing design and fabric with a professional can be a leisurely and luxurious experience, reminiscent of an earlier age when clothes were treasured, cared for and worn for many years. Any number of tailors can provide this bespoke service in Hong Kong, but measuring women’s bodies can be a sensitive matter.
Armed with a tape measure, a huge pair of scissors and various fabric swatch books, Viveka Mansukhani, 50, began her tailored shirt business, Macella, in May.
